发布时间:2017-07-01 11:07:47 作者:本站编辑 来源:本站原创 浏览次数:
语言本是人们沟通的工具,没有性别之分,但由于男女的社会分工、性格特色、生理特点不同,每一种语言都深深地打上了性别的烙印。在国外,有部分社会语言学家,专门研究语言与性别的关系。美国有一位学者Graham Goodwin,从1980年到1990年,先后十次,在费城街头,收集不同年龄、种族、职业的男、女行人的谈话,进行比较研究,结果发现,与男人的语言相比,女人
的语言至少有下列特点。
A 女人喜欢使用第一人称复数(我们)形式,比如We need……(我们需要),而男人喜欢使用第一人称单数(我),比如I want……(我想要)。
B女人喜欢使用平易、通俗的单词,比如用nice、sweet等来形容(好),而男人喜欢使用华丽、夸张的单词,比如用splendid、gorgeous等来形容“好”。
C女人喜欢创造一些比较女性化的说法,比如dove grey(类似鸽子羽毛的灰色),而男人喜欢使用英语标准的说法,比如light grey(浅灰色)。
D女人重视语法的正确性,比如We're going to……(我们正在去/即将去),而男人不重视语法的正确性,比如We're gonna……(我们正在去/即将去)。
E女人喜欢直接引用,比如Hannah said that……(汉娜说),而男人喜欢间接引用,比如She said that……(她说)。
F女人喜欢礼貌表达,比如Would you please……(您能),而男人喜欢常规表达,比如Can you……(你能)。
最后一个,同时也是最重要的一个特点,那就是女人喜欢倾听,而男人喜欢诉说,比如下面一段对话,拿给普通的美国人看一遍,然后让他们判断一下A和B的性别,结果所有人都认为:喋喋不休的A是男人,随声附和的B是女人。
A I saw a kingfisher Saturday morning.
B Did you﹖
A It took off about three feet from my side. I didn't see it in the bush. It took off out of a bush...
B Mmmm.
A Passed the front of my canoe and flew into a tree. I sat there...
B Very nice.
A and thought ...
B Yeah.
A It looked down at me and it was really bright.
B Beautiful.
美国人电话留言精选
中国家庭并不常用电话答录机(Answering Machine),但在北美家庭,几乎家家都用。外来电话拨入时,若该电话号码的主人不在,就会让拨入者听到一段留言,这叫Answer。绝大多数的Answer都是千篇一律的:说明主人不在,请拨入者留下简短信息及姓名电话号码等。
以下几则特别的Answer体现了美国人的幽默,你能体会出其幽默所在吗?
1) My wife and I can't come to the phone right now, but if you'll leave your name and number, we'll get back to you as soon as we're finished.
2) Hi. This is John. If you are the phone company, I already sent the money. If you are my parents, please send money. If you are my financial aid institution, you didn't lend me enough money. If you are my friends, you owe me money. If you are a female, don't worry, I have plenty of money.
3) Hi, I'm not home right now but my answering machine is, so you can talk to it instead. Wait for the beep(beep:主人的Answer讲完以后,Answer Machine会发出一声beep,这时候来电话者就可以开始留言了。).
4) Hi! John's answering machine is broken. This is his refrigerator. Please speak very slowly, and I'll stick your message to myself with one of these magnets(磁铁). 注:通常情况下,来电话者面对录音讲话都不太自然,所以语言往往很急促,三句两句话就完了。这可苦坏了接听留言的主人,听多少遍都听不清留言者到底是谁,讲了些什么。对于母语非英文的人,这种感觉会更深。所以,以下这两段幽默干脆就首先告诉电话拨入者,我的Answer Machine不好使,你且慢慢来。
5) Hello, this is Sally's microwave. Her answering machine just eloped(私奔)with her tape deck(磁带驱动器), so I'm stuck with taking her calls. Say, if you want anything cooked while you leave your message, just hold it up to the phone.
6) Hello, you are talking to a machine. I am capable of receiving messages. My owners do not need siding(墙板,壁板), windows, or a hot tub(浴盆), and their carpets are clean. They give to charity(慈善团体)through their office and do not need their picture taken. If you're still with me, leave your name and number and they will get back to you.
7) Hi. I am probably home. I'm just avoiding someone I don't like. Leave me a message, and if I don't call back, it's you.
8) This is not an answering machine -- this is a telepathic(心灵感应术)thought- recording device. After the tone, think about your name, your reason for calling and a number where I can reach you, and I'll think about returning your call.注:tone:与对第3)句beep的注释含义完全一样,主人的Answer讲完以后,Answer Machine会发出一声beep,这时候来电话者就可以开始留言了。
9) Hi, this is George. I'm sorry I can't answer the phone right now. Leave a message, and then wait by your phone until I call you back.
10) If you are a burglar(夜贼), then we're probably at home cleaning our weapons right now and can't come to the phone. Otherwise, we probably aren't home and it's safe to leave us a message.
11) You're growing tired. Your eyelids(眼皮) are getting heavy. You feel very sleepy now. You are gradually losing your willpower(毅力) and your ability to resist suggestions. When you hear the tone you will feel helplessly compelled to(感到无助而被迫做某事) leave your name, number, and a message.
12) Please leave a message. However, you have the right to remain silent. Everything you say will be recorded and will be used by us.注:you have the right to remain silent:电影电视里警察出示逮捕令时常讲的一句话。西方社会讲究人权,任何疑犯在未审判之前不得认为有罪,因而不能逼供、更不可拷打:他们有权保持沉默。
13) Hello, you've reached Jim and Sonya. We can't pick up the phone right now, because we're doing something we really enjoy. Sonya likes doing it up and down, and I like doing it left to right ... real slowly. So leave a message, and when we're done brushing our teeth, we'll get back to you.
不可不读的绝对英文经典
Money is not everything. There's Mastercard & Visa.
钞票不是万能的,有时还需要信用卡.
One should love animals. They are so tasty.
每个人都应该热爱动物,因为它们很好吃.
Love the neighbor. But don't get caught.
要用心去爱你的邻居,不过不要让她的老公知道.
Behind every successful man, there is a woman. And behind every unsuccessful man, there are two.
每个成功男人的背后都有一个女人,每个不成功男人的背后都有两个女人。
Every man should marry. After all, happiness is not the only thing in life.
再快乐的单身汉迟早也会结婚,幸福不是永久的嘛.
The wise never marry, and when they marry they become otherwise.
聪明人都是未婚的,结婚的人很难再聪明起来.
Success is a relative term. It brings so many relatives.
成功是一个相关名词,他会给你带来很多不相关的亲戚(联系).
Never put off the work till tomorrow what you can put off today.
不要等明天交不上差再找借口, 今天就要找好.
Love is photogenic. It needs darkness to develop.
爱情就象照片,需要大量的暗房时间来培养.
Children in backseats cause accidents. Accidents in backseats cause children.
后排座位上的小孩会生出意外, 后排座位上的意外会生出小孩.
"Your future depends on your dreams." So go to sleep.
"现在的梦想决定着你的将来",所以还是再睡一会吧.
There should be a better way to start a day than waking up every morning.
应该有更好的方式开始新一天,而不是千篇一律的在每个上午都醒来.
"Hard work never kills anybody." But why take the risk? "
努力工作不会导致死亡!"不过我不会用自己去证明.
"Work fascinates me." I can look at it for hours! "
工作好有意思耶!"尤其是看着别人工作.
God made relatives; Thank God we can choose our friends.
神决定了谁是你的亲戚,幸运的是在选择朋友方面他给了你留了余地。
When two‘s company, three's the result!
两个人的状态是不稳定的,三个人才是!
A dress is like a barbed fence. It protects the premises without restricting the view.
服饰就象铁丝网,它阻止你冒然行动,但并不妨碍你尽情地观看.
The more you learn, the more you know, The more you know, the more you forget. The more you forget, the less you know. So why bother to learn.
学的越多,知道的越多, 知道的越多;忘记的越多, 忘记的越多;知道的越少, 为什么学来着?!