記得上課時我問一個問題:Why didn't he hear it?
Ted回答:Because he got a lot of shit in his ear.
剛開始沒聽懂，回過神來可差點把我笑死了...

耳屎不叫shit－這個字是排泄物專用．那麼耳屎怎麼說呢？
答案是：earwax． ex. My ears are full of earwax.

wax 原意是臘，所以可見這裡是比喻用法，因為講究禮儀的西方文化裡，對髒污的東西自然有一套避諱的語詞．
例如：古典時期形容仕女流汗叫做glow，這個字的意思大家都知道吧，就是發光．這是不是有點誇張呢？！～現在時代不同了！

挖耳屎則叫做 pick/scratch one's ear

青春痘叫做 pimple ex. She got some pimples before the ball. 她舞會前長了幾顆青春痘．口語裡痘痘叫做 zit. ex.He has a lot of zits. 他一臉青春痘.

另外，粉刺是 acne，黑頭粉刺是 black-head

擠青春痘叫做 squeeze/pop one's zit/pimple

鼻涕叫做 snot, 擤鼻涕？blow/wipe one's nose wipe 是擦的意思
提醒別人擤鼻涕可以說: You probably want to wipe your nose.
你可能想擤個鼻涕．

sneeze 是打噴嚏．外國人打噴嚏時，通常旁邊的人會對他說：Bless you.這是一種日常的習慣．這時打噴嚏的人別忘了回答一句：Thank you. 謝謝對方的關心．

熬夜叫做stay up 或 sit up ex. Don't stay up late. 不要熬夜太晚.
睌睡叫做 sleep late = go to bed late
睡過頭叫做 oversleep --是不是跟 overwork 感覺很像?

保持規律作息叫做 keep regular hours
早睡早起 keep early hours


Copyright (c) 2005 Rebecca Chen. All rights reserved.