英语陷阱(1)

He is a bicycle doctor.
他是单车修理工.
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此句不能译作:"他是个骑单车的医生",因句中的doctor是委婉语(euphemism),
是对某种职业的美称,故不作"医生"解,而是表示repair man的涵义.
委婉语起源于远古,维多利来女王时代中期为其鼎盛时期,在现代英语中,
其出现频率依然颇高,因为人们通过委婉语,可以用温顺悦耳的词语去谈论或
叙述一些原来令人不快或逆耳之事物.为此,他们用domestic help,day help或
live-in help代替mail或servant(佣人); 以custodian或superintendent替代
doorkeeper,caretaker或janitor(看门人或管理人);用She has a tile loose或
She has a cylinder missing去代替She is crazy或Sh is not right in the head(神经失常).

委婉语多如恒河沙数,不胜枚举,在此略举数例,以见一斑:

                 原    称          委 婉 语
无线电修理工    radio electrician   radio doctor

理发师          barber              cosmotologist

妓女            whore               working girl/ street girl

家庭妇女        housewife           household executive

收垃圾工人      garbage collector   sanitary engineer

老年            old age             second childhood

老人            old people          senior citizens

假牙            false teeth         dentures

小解            piss                urinate/ number one

最后请看几个委婉类例:

Nowadays many weight-watchers would like to go to the gym.
如今有不少胖人喜欢到健身房去锻炼.

That luster has taken a fancy to Middle Eastern dancing.
那个好色之徒现在开始喜欢肚皮舞.

They are the culturally deprived.
他们是没有学识的人.

A libray of teaching materials for preventing teenage suicides
will open for educators in Hong Kong this year.
今年香港将为教师开设一家图书馆以提供防止青少年自ZZZ的教学资料.
  
值得注意的是,委婉语虽然是"古已有之,于今为烈",但决不能用得过多过滥.
使用时要考虑场合和对象,如用得不得体,反而会使你"欲礼而不达",甚至令人不知所云,一头雾水.