1. It's cool:cool 是青少年(teen-agers) 常用的字,(有時也用 debonaire)" \( P# D- V5 `: |" |" M* l
( b5 j" p0 @, g! M7 Y其真正意思是指可以接受的好事;或是情況可以控制;或是保持冷靜、文雅、禮貌、外表不錯,能夠合乎年輕人的標準。(可指人或事物)也就是 something good or acceptable;situation is under control;being calm, gentle, courteous or good-looking;meet teen's standard. 所以可以說:
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, [, W7 O5 g( V% z$ @5 X$ ^" q5 HThat's cool;he is cool;this is cool.* [: B* H/ G/ k" T2 ~+ `
& a) A1 N: |& \7 B6 d; |Skydiving (或surfing) is cool.(跳傘或衝浪運動很不錯) M5 J: f! k. C9 L+ _; q) \
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主詞可用任何人稱的單複數 (I, we, they 等),動詞可用 verb to be 的任何時態 (is, was, were, will be, have been等)。因此,也可以說:5 M C( w$ C1 A t4 s* X& f
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She (He) was cool in the past.) H7 G3 A9 U7 u% @' i8 K+ Y( y3 c
, u! ~8 K% @2 q j: ZThat's a cool T-shirt.(好看的運動衫)9 v1 c1 ? n! k: F/ x7 _
- q, z7 g$ a) O7 |4 d# BHe (she) is a cool person.(文雅禮貌的人)/ V5 ?+ i5 b) e
5 T0 l) T4 u: p但是如果說:Are you cool?又是指「你冷嗎?」(cool = cold),可見 cool 當口頭禪或俚語時,多半不用在問句。假如說:- G- _0 j ?9 |4 D
' o v/ I3 U- k0 ^1 r( vShe looks as cool as a cucumber. 又是恭維語,是說她很 calm and charming; not' k6 T% F. l5 A
& z# i1 Z" S# Gemotional. 但為何用黃瓜 (cucumber) 代表,則不得而知。
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4 h. `; j# Q: B1 w D, Y2 A(註:許多華人把 cool 譯成「很酷」)+ s4 w, D8 m u( y( u: l
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2. Are you trippin'?:trippin' 這個字,是由動詞 trip 演變而來。(動詞時態是:tripped, tripping)年輕人用省略符號 (apostrophe ) 代替 g,表示是 slang,或口頭禪。這個字是現在分詞當形容詞用,是指行為異乎尋常,也許受到吸毒或喝酒的影響,而顯得神魂顛倒、奇形怪狀(to get high on drug such as LSD),也就是說:要不是受到藥、酒的影響,你為什 顯得這樣古怪呢?(Are you under any influence of drug or alcoholic? Why are you so crazy and bizarre?) 所以可以說:8 V# j, H3 S* @6 ]
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They are trippin'. (= tripping), ?& a8 J& I' T& z* d; ~
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She (he) is trippin'.
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% H* F' U! _" V7 c/ [- J' |: xMr. A must be trippin'.3 P, |9 x0 F1 z' g+ B0 j$ H# X/ u2 q
0 S) L$ Q0 }9 H+ ~( C通常只用在年輕人身上,而且不是恭維語。. Q0 E- p* {, S! U4 ~
1 ]5 `4 h) i" p% H8 `( r6 S! u3. He is a nerd:nerd 是指一些年輕人,每天只懂讀書、考試,但對生活上的其他事情,都很生疏。 (A person always buries his nose in books, but not good at social situations.)由於美國十分重視多方面發展的教育 (well-rounded),所以許多老外認為 nerd 雖然學識不錯,但很乏味;有IQ,但缺乏EQ,只是社會上無足輕重的「書蟲」或「蠢貨」而已。(IQ = Intelligence Quotient ; EQ = Emotional Quotient) nerd 可用複數,動詞也能用其他時態。因此可以說:, \8 e6 N) o) M- \7 R+ [
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He used to be a nerd in high school. (過去他在高中時是位書獃子): Y3 K5 m o& r+ ~0 T
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Many Chinese students are(或 have been)considered nerds.: P( V- }$ ?4 j& Y z
7 k$ l' k! S% K t; J( x至於 geek 這個字,雖然與 nerd 相似,年輕人也常用,但 geek 是指在某一方面有很高的 IQ。我們可以說:+ Y ]" v6 D' u
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He is a computer geek. (意思是:雖然他是書獃子,但電腦很棒)0 a$ l( K7 ~- e) ?& Y8 X! b
1 b4 b$ _- X' v8 p) Q j另外,年輕人還用 jerk 這個字,通常是指沒有社交技巧,頭腦簡單或古怪,令人討厭的傢伙(annoying person),如果你不喜歡一個人,就可以說:
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I don't like him because he is a jerk.3 B9 d, q% J9 X; q2 a* K/ G
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也可以用複數:
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8 g; N( L7 q; uMany jerks are working in our company.
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主詞也可以用其他人稱,動詞也可用其他時態:; @6 n/ p5 w, Z' \0 f2 @6 ~4 {
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They are jerks; He was a jerk in the past; Mr. A has been jerk for years.2 g" j" h' n5 a3 Q; Q/ A o
6 A- G" ^0 D2 }9 s( M(註:有時年輕人也用 dork 這個字,但不如 jerk 流行)
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# r2 _5 b$ L" ]/ l' \* z3 g0 }4. Yo baby:Yo baby 是許多年輕的黑人男子對女子的招呼語,也有人用「Yo baby, yo baby
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yo」,由於女子很漂亮,很吸引人,他想與她交談。(He thinks she is pretty and attractive, so he wants to speak to her.),也就是找話題,想要「打開話匣」。(to use as a form of opening line or pick-up line or to begin a greeting; try to know her or date her) 如果說:
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Yo baby, are you trippin'? 意思是:漂亮的姑娘,你的樣子有點怪裡怪氣,有什麼心事嗎? [- f! A2 ?/ ?, K4 w5 s
% L4 J9 M! R# W. E; ?/ T「Yo baby" 後面可跟任何可以「打開話匣」的句子。諸如:3 m/ i, k3 K5 J" y7 O; x+ [( A
( G; O3 \' y0 SMay I help you with something? I think I have met you somewhere before.4 S& j8 \' p( b% S+ E- t8 p. W
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同理,如果年輕女子看到帥哥,有吸引力,很想與他交談,那麼就用:「Hey, hey, hey" 後跟任何可以「打開話匣」的句子。諸如:) L% L! a( R H3 z
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Hey, hey, hey, what's going on?「what is going on?」就是年輕黑人打招呼的用語 (a form of greeting or open statement) 或 Hey, hey, hey, are you going to the movie?(帥哥,你是去看電影嗎?)8 |, a$ \" u# U; y5 b
6 R7 l# K9 y9 U% }5. Catch you later!這是年輕人說「再會」的口語。(a form to say「good鄉bye」) 也就是說:現在沒有時間與你交談,以後再談吧!(I don't have time to talk with you now, but we can talk later.) 因此,catch 就是 talk 或 contact 的意思。catch 後面,也可用其他人稱代名詞(him, her, them 等)6 `8 [, A. o. y& Q" N, n0 o0 A
. r7 C, n1 ]" C有時年輕小伙子也用:I am off. 意思就是:I am leaving now; I'll talk to you again.
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(我要走了,再談吧!) |
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