Informal Language

美語中的非正式用語

Ever go jogging in a business suit? What about going to a job interview in pajamas? Dressing appropriately is a lot like using a foreign language in the right way. It all depends on the situation. People in America use formal English for making speeches and writing business letters. But they prefer informal language when they talk to friends. Americans are fairly laid-back, both in styles of dress and in language. So to understand their culture, it pays to know something about informal language-in other words, English in blue jeans and a T-shirt.

你曾經穿著辦公的西裝慢跑嗎？或者穿著睡衣去應征工作？得體的穿著很像正確地使用外國語言，都得視情境而變化。美國人使用正式的英文作演說和寫商務信件；但是當他們和朋友談話的時候，則較喜歡使用非正式的語言。美國人不論是在穿著的風格或是語言上，都是非常輕松自在的。所以要了解他們的文化，就得認識他們的非正式用語，換句話說，就像穿著牛仔褲和T恤的英文。

English, like every language, is always changing. New slang terms are created all the time. Often they\'re here today, gone tomorrow. For instance, if you wanted to call something exciting in the 1960s, you would say it was groovy or far out. Today you might describe it as cool or even bad. Each sub-group of American society-from teenagers to soldiers to thieves to ethnic groups-has its own slang. People who aren\'t a part of the "in-group" can\'t understand the meaning, even though the words are "English." So it\'s not easy for outsiders to use slang correctly.

英語就像每一種語言一樣是一直在變。新的俚語不斷地出現，常常今天還在使用的，明天就被淘汰了。例如，在一九六O年代你若要形容一件很興奮的事，你會說很「groovy」美好的，或是「far out」走在時代尖端的。而今天會形容為「cool」很酷，甚至「bad」好菜喔。從青少年、軍人、小偷、到少數民族，美國社會中每一種附屬團體都有自己的俚語。即使它們確實是英語，但是不屬于那個團體的人就不會明白它的意思。因此局外人要正確地使用俚語實在不容易。

Like many languages, American English has numerous idioms that paint word pictures. These colorful expressions come from everyday life and add spice to language. When Americans want to make a good first impression on someone, they try to put their best foot forward. That way, they won\'t get off on the wrong foot in their relationship. Learning about idioms in a language and culture can be difficult, but don\'t get cold feet. Just be careful when using these expressions. Otherwise, you might put your foot in your mouth.

就像許多的語言一樣，美語中也有許多的成語，刻畫出文字的圖像。這些多樣化的表達方式來自于每天的生活，并為語言增添了許多風味。當美國人想要給某人良好的第一印象時，他們會先「伸出最好的那一只腳」（表現較好的一面）；如此，在他們的關系上就不會「下錯腳」（搞砸）了。學習一個語言和文化中的成語可能相當困難，但是也不要「讓腳發寒了」（恐懼、受挫），只要在用的時候小心一點就是了。否則你可能會「把腳放進嘴巴里去了」（說錯話）。

Americans enjoy making things easy on themselves. Even their pronunciation is relaxed. Sounds or syllables that are not stressed are shortened or combined with other sounds. As a result, "What do you want to do?" becomes "Whaddaya wanna do?" And "I don\'t know" sounds like "I dunno." See if you can understand the following conversation:

Gene: Jeet yet?

Tim: No, ju?

Gene: Skoeet!

Now let\'s translate it into regular English:

Gene: Did you eat yet?

Tim: No, did you?

Gene: Let\'s go eat!

School teachers probably cringe at this kind of pronunciation. But the fact is, that\'s how Americans often talk in real-life situations.

Informal Language

美語中的非正式用語

Ever go jogging in a business suit? What about going to a job interview in pajamas? Dressing appropriately is a lot like using a foreign language in the right way. It all depends on the situation. People in America use formal English for making speeches and writing business letters. But they prefer informal language when they talk to friends. Americans are fairly laid-back, both in styles of dress and in language. So to understand their culture, it pays to know something about informal language-in other words, English in blue jeans and a T-shirt.

你曾經穿著辦公的西裝慢跑嗎？或者穿著睡衣去應征工作？得體的穿著很像正確地使用外國語言，都得視情境而變化。美國人使用正式的英文作演說和寫商務信件；但是當他們和朋友談話的時候，則較喜歡使用非正式的語言。美國人不論是在穿著的風格或是語言上，都是非常輕松自在的。所以要了解他們的文化，就得認識他們的非正式用語，換句話說，就像穿著牛仔褲和T恤的英文。

English, like every language, is always changing. New slang terms are created all the time. Often they\'re here today, gone tomorrow. For instance, if you wanted to call something exciting in the 1960s, you would say it was groovy or far out. Today you might describe it as cool or even bad. Each sub-group of American society-from teenagers to soldiers to thieves to ethnic groups-has its own slang. People who aren\'t a part of the "in-group" can\'t understand the meaning, even though the words are "English." So it\'s not easy for outsiders to use slang correctly.

英語就像每一種語言一樣是一直在變。新的俚語不斷地出現，常常今天還在使用的，明天就被淘汰了。例如，在一九六O年代你若要形容一件很興奮的事，你會說很「groovy」美好的，或是「far out」走在時代尖端的。而今天會形容為「cool」很酷，甚至「bad」好菜喔。從青少年、軍人、小偷、到少數民族，美國社會中每一種附屬團體都有自己的俚語。即使它們確實是英語，但是不屬于那個團體的人就不會明白它的意思。因此局外人要正確地使用俚語實在不容易。

Like many languages, American English has numerous idioms that paint word pictures. These colorful expressions come from everyday life and add spice to language. When Americans want to make a good first impression on someone, they try to put their best foot forward. That way, they won\'t get off on the wrong foot in their relationship. Learning about idioms in a language and culture can be difficult, but don\'t get cold feet. Just be careful when using these expressions. Otherwise, you might put your foot in your mouth.

就像許多的語言一樣，美語中也有許多的成語，刻畫出文字的圖像。這些多樣化的表達方式來自于每天的生活，并為語言增添了許多風味。當美國人想要給某人良好的第一印象時，他們會先「伸出最好的那一只腳」（表現較好的一面）；如此，在他們的關系上就不會「下錯腳」（搞砸）了。學習一個語言和文化中的成語可能相當困難，但是也不要「讓腳發寒了」（恐懼、受挫），只要在用的時候小心一點就是了。否則你可能會「把腳放進嘴巴里去了」（說錯話）。

Americans enjoy making things easy on themselves. Even their pronunciation is relaxed. Sounds or syllables that are not stressed are shortened or combined with other sounds. As a result, "What do you want to do?" becomes "Whaddaya wanna do?" And "I don\'t know" sounds like "I dunno." See if you can understand the following conversation:

Gene: Jeet yet?

Tim: No, ju?

Gene: Skoeet!

Now let\'s translate it into regular English:

Gene: Did you eat yet?

Tim: No, did you?

Gene: Let\'s go eat!

School teachers probably cringe at this kind of pronunciation. But the fact is, that\'s how Americans often talk in real-life situations.