朗姆薄荷儿
1. I need to go somewhere.2. I want to wash my hands.这句话隐含的意思也是“我要上厕所”。在英语中这句话就是“I want to wash my hands.”女生说得更客气的一句话是“I need to powder my nose.”,是很含蓄的说法。 而“I want/need to go (or use) to the bathroom/restroom. ”则是比较普通的委婉了,程度没有上面两个高。3. I need to answer the call of nature.一种更为文雅的说法称内急为“the call of nature”,那么上厕所就成了“to answer the call of nature.”。有时个别年纪大的女士在这种情况下还会说“I need to make a pit stop.”4. I need to go pee.那么上课,开会,听报告或者赴宴会时要上厕所,应该如何说呢?其实在任何场合中,你需要使用卫生间,去就是了,不用跟任何人打招呼。正如美国人所说的那样“If you gotta go, you gotta go.”
小猪乐乐88
1.和死有关的委婉语不管在哪种文化中,人们普遍忌讳的词之一就是“死”。当人们不得不提到它时,往往使用一些比较委婉、不那么刺耳的说法来代替。于是,出现大量关于死的委婉语。比如:to go to the heaven (上天堂去了);to go to a better world(到极乐世界去了):to go to another world (到另一个世界去了);to pay one’s debt to nature (向大自然还债了);to pass away (去世了);to be gone (走了);to breathe one’s last (咽气了);等等。死对人们来说是一种不愉快的事情,用委婉语在陈述这一事实时多数用了比喻的手段,表达了人们的良好愿望,要去天堂,要去极乐世界。另外,认为死是一种解脱,受完了罪还完了债,一切就了结了。2.和疾病有关的委婉语死亡意味着向生者告别,是一件悲哀的事,然而和死亡相比,一些疾病也令人难过。因此,直接谈论这些事往往被视为粗鲁和没礼貌。艾滋病在西方社会已变成一种非常普通的疾病而又苦于没有治愈方法和控制的有效措施,人们谈之色变而避之不及,因此艾滋病被冠以社会疾病(social disease)。对难以医治的癌症(cancer)人们称之为绝症 (terminal illness) 或仅用字母C 来替代。其他疾病如麻风病(leprosy)被称为 Hansen’s disease; 肺结核(tuberculosis )成了 T.B; 狐臭(body odor)被称为B.O;变秘(constipation)被称为紊乱(irregularity);唑疮(acne)被称为问题皮肤(problem skin)。 而其它的性病(veneral disease)人们用V.D.来代替。 如果一个人疯了,就称他脑子有问题( soft in head), 或是不在状态(not all there)。3.与贫穷失业有关的委婉语疾病让人郁闷,然而没有钱,在西方社会尤其令人无法忍受,甚至在发达国家,贫穷和失业也是无法避免的社会问题。如果老板把袋子交还给某员工( give the sack to his employee),就意味着很委婉地将其解雇了。sack是工人出门上班时手里提的袋子,因此,give the sack就意味着让他走人。有些老板借口员工太多而裁员,如果他在某个员工面前提及人员过剩(staff redundant), 该员工即面临着失业。对失业者而言,无论何种理由被解雇,总不是件令人骄傲的事,人们便委婉地称为待岗(lay off);发站票(give the walking ticket);闲置(involuntarily leisured)或领粉色支票(pink slip)等。失去工作的母亲被称为福利母亲(welfare-mother),因为她们靠社会福利生活。如果一个人很穷,他便是社会经济低层分子(a member of the lower-social-economical bracket)。身无分文被称为拮据(hard up);债务缠身是处于困境(in difficulties)或身负尴尬义务(in embarrassing obligation )。在委婉语中,贫民窟变成了次标准住房(sub-standard housing);给失业者的赈济支票叫失业福利(unemployment benefits)等。在这个无情的社会里中,对贫穷的人来说,委婉语到还真给了他们些许安慰,对政府而言,这些粉饰性的字眼掩盖了事实真相也掩盖了其对这一社会问题的疏忽与无能。4.与年龄、长相有关的委婉语在英美国家,年龄是一个非常敏感的话题,尤其对老年人和妇女而言。在美国,人们认为old(老)是useless(不中用)的代名词,因为人老了,他们的职业生涯结束了,失去了经济来源。但事实上却是,在美国,整个人口在老龄化,老年福利很有限,导致很多老年人生活在孤独、无助和贫困中。因此,他们害怕老,更害怕听见别人说他们老,于是,由此生出很多好听的委婉语:老年人被称为高级市民(senior citizens)、年长者(the elderly)、 the mature (成熟),用来指代老。其它一些间接的委婉表达法如不再很年轻(no longer very young) 也比old 让人能接受。甚至一些美国人,尤其是妇女对中年(mid-aged)这样的字眼也很反感,于是,诸如处在某个年龄阶段of a certain age的表达也就应运而生。他们希望这些婉转的表达可以减轻老年对人们的负面影响,然而这些字眼事实上并不能掩盖感到老去的悲哀感觉。人们注重自己的身才和长相,但这方面并非人人都十全十美。对长相欠佳或生理有缺陷者,人们往往十分敏感,多不愿直说某人的缺陷,免得令人难堪。美国人忌肥胖身材,但皮包骨也令人烦恼。所以说到瘦人,人们忌用骨瘦嶙峋或皮包骨头(skinny),而说身材苗条(slim or slender)。说到生理有缺陷者,人们忌说瘸(crippled)、瞎(blind)、聋(deaf)、哑(dumb),而是统称他们为残疾人(the handicapped or disabled)。说到相貌,人们忌用丑陋、难看(ugly),而说长相一般(plain-looking or ordinary looking)。5.与职业有关的委婉语在英美国家,社会分工高低贵贱十分悬殊,有些从事地位低下,挣钱不多职业的人怕被人看不起,也忌讳别人直接提到他们的职业。当他们要提到自己的职业时,也会用一些委婉动听的名称来取代。重整鞋者(shoe rebuilder)指补鞋匠(shoe maker),器皿保全工(utensil maintenance)指洗盘子的人(dish washer),清洁工程师(sanitation engineer) 指清扫垃圾的人(garbageman),肉类技术专家(meat technologist)指屠夫(butcher),美容师(cosmetologist) 指理发师(hair-dresser),殡仪负责人(funeral director) 指承办丧事的人(undertaker) ,而妓女(prostitute)的委婉语是pavement princess(马路天使)等等。其他—— 1)Being in Love (恋爱) assignation (本义)指定 to be gone on (本义)一去不返 to be shock up (本义)被震撼的 to be taken (本义)被吸引住 H2 (本义)hot and heavy to have a crush on (本义)捣碎 meeting (本义)会面 to set one's cap for (本义)指向某人 to set one's sights at (本义)目光落在身上 to take a fancy to (本义)喜欢上 to walk out 出去溜达 to cut one's eye at (本义)瞥一眼 the glad eye (本义)高兴的眼光 to look sweet on (本义) to make eyes at (本义)对某人使眼色 wandering eye (本义)游荡的眼光 2) Pregnancy (怀孕) a hole out in one(本义)一击入洞(高尔夫术语) an accident(本义)事故 anticipating(本义)期待的 awkward(本义)行动不便 to be caught(本义)被捉住 to be gone(本义)已过去了 to beget(本义)产生 break one's ankle(本义)脚骨折了 clucky(本义)抱窝的 eating for two(本义)吃双份饭 expecting(本义)期待的 an expectant mother(本义)期待的母亲 to fall(本义)倒下了 far gone(本义)去日苦多 fragrant(本义)香喷喷的 full of heir(本义)怀有继承人 to have a hump in the front(本义)前身有块隆肉 to have one watermelon on the vine(本义)藤上有瓜了 to have one on the way (本义)有人要来 in a bad shape(本义)身体不佳 in a certain condition(本义)身处某种状态 in a delicate condition(本义)身体虚弱 in a (the) family way(本义)家常打扮 in a familiar way(本义)熟悉地 in a particular condition(本义)处于特殊状态 in an interesting condition(situation, state)(本义)处于有趣状态 in trouble(本义)惹上麻烦 infanticipating(本义)期望得子 irregularity(本义)不规则现象 knitting(本义)绒衣 to knock up(本义)敲门叫人 lady-in-waiting(本义)有所期待的女子 to learn all about diaper folding(本义)学叠尿布 a mother-to-be(本义)未来的母亲 on the nest(本义)在抱窝 P.G.(Pregnant)怀孕的 preparing the bassinet(本义)准备摇篮 rattle shopping(本义)采购玩具 rehearing lullabies(本义)练唱催眠曲 to spoil a woman's shape(本义)坏了女子体型 to sprain an ankle(本义)扭伤脚踝 to swallow a watermelon seed(本义)吞了棵西瓜子 that way(本义)那样 waiting for the patter of little feet(本义)等呆小脚牙声 to wear the apron high(本义)围裙系高 a waiting woman(本义)等呆中的妇女 with a baby window(本义)有个凸窗肚 with child(本义)怀孩子了 3)Defcation (如厕) to be caught short (本义)给了个冷不妨 the call of nature (本义)自然的需要 Can I add some powder? (本义)我可以茶点粉吗? to cash(write) a check (本义)兑(开)张支票 to do a job for oneself (本义)做点私事 do one's business (本义)干自己的活 to do one's duty (本义)尽职 to ease oneself (本义)自我轻松一下 to eliminate (本义)逐出 evacuation (本义)排空 to excrete (本义)排泄 to find a haven of rest (本义)寻找安息所 to fix one's face (本义)化装 to freshen up (本义)梳洗打扮 to get some fresh air (本义)去呼吸一点新鲜空气 to give oneself ease (本义)使自己舒服一下 to go (本义) to go into retreat (本义)去僻静 to go somewhere (本义)出去一下 to go to Egypt (本义)到埃及去 to go to one's private office (本义)到私人办公室去 to go to bathroom (本义)到洗澡间 May I adjourn? (本义)我可以变换一下地方吗? May I please be excused? (本义)失陪了 natural necessity (本义)自然的需要 nature stop (本义)自然需要停车 to pluck a rose (本义)摘朵玫瑰 powder one's nose (本义)搽点粉 to relieve oneself (本义)轻松一下 to wash one's hands (本义)洗洗手 4)Death(死亡) to be asleep in the Arms of God (本义)安睡在上帝的怀中 to be at peace (本义)平静了 to be at rest (本义)在休息 to be called to God (本义)被召唤到上帝那 to be called home (本义)被召回家 to be home and free (本义)到家自由了 to be taken to paradise (本义)被送进天堂 The call of God (本义)上帝的召唤 to depart (本义)离去 The final departure (本义)最后离去 final sleep (本义)最后一觉 to go home (本义)回家 to go to heaven (本义)进天堂 to go to one's long home (本义)回到永久之家 to go to one's own place (本义)回老家 happy land (本义)乐土 to have fallen asleep (本义)入睡了 to have found rest (本义)得到安息 to have gone to a better place(land,world,life)到一个更好得地方去了 in heaven (本义)在天堂 to join one's ancestors (本义)加入先人的行列 join the Great majority (本义)加入大多数 to leave this world (本义)离开今世 to pay one's fee (本义)付费 to rest (本义)休息 to rest in peace (本义)安息 to return to dust (本义)归之尘土 to sleep (本义)长眠 with God (本义)和上帝在一起 with their Father (本义)与圣父在一起 to fall (本义)倒下了 to do one's bit (本义)尽职了 to lay down one's life (本义)放下自己的生命 to be no longer with us (本义)不再与我们在一起了 to be out of pain (本义)摆脱痛苦 to breathe one's last (本义)呼了最后一口气 to cancel one's account (本义)销帐 pay one's last debt (本义)付最后一笔债 to fade away (本义)消失 to make one's exit (本义)退场 to kick off (本义)开球 to be free (本义)解脱了 to be gone (本义)去了 to be no more (本义)不复存在 to close one's eyes (本义)瞑目 to come to an end (本义)结束 to go beyond (本义)到远方去 to expire (本义)呼气 to go off (本义)离去 to go one's last (本义)走到自己的终点 to go one's place (本义)回老家 to go to one's resting place (本义)到休息地去 to go to west (本义)西去 to kick the bucket (本义)踢翻水桶 to lose one's life (本义)失去了生命 to pass away (本义)离去 to stop living (本义)停止生存 to take one's rest (本义)休息 to shut up the shop (本义)关门 转贴
一坨Lemon
你如果是说要去上厕所,可以说wash (my) hands比如问别人厕所在哪里可以说Where can I wash my hands?或者May I know where is the rest/wash room?如果你说“学名”,我记得应该是urinate(小便,动词,名词为urine)和excrete(排泄,动词)粪便的名词是excrement
喵喵小猫咪
比如,to wash one's hand(去洗手或净手)、to powder one's nose(给鼻子搽粉,女士用语)、to spend a penny(花一个便士)、to go and see one's aunt(去见阿姨)、to pay acall(拜访)、to relieve or to relieve nature(去空身)、to go somewhere(到什么地方去一下)、to answer the call of nature or to answer nature's call(响应自然的召唤)、to have aBM(=bowel movement大便)等。在一个聚会或其他活动中,还可以用Will you excuse me fora few minutes?(请让我离开一会儿好吗?)学生上着课要去厕所,也可以说May I beexcused?(我可以离开吗?)有时个别年纪大的女士在这种情况下还会说:I need to make a pitstop。其实pit stop是指在赛车过程中,赛车在途中紧急停留加油、维修的地方。看来,她们肯定将解决问题看作是一种"紧急维修"了。