星期五, 一月 04, 2008

尹文:古文今读,洋文中读

英文小鲜(22):古文今读,洋文中读

古文今读:

中国某中学古文课学习古文
"昧昧我思之,如有一介臣,......",老师要求一男生朗读这段。男生诵"妹妹我思之",邻桌女生因错解而愤然: "哥哥你做梦"! 哥哥哑然......

这是同音异义的词给同学造成的困惑,用书面语可以避免。但汉语口语中这是一种常见现象,需要注意,不然哥哥妹妹们容易会错意。


洋文中读

同音异义现象在英文中就更多了,但我们今天要说的是一些烦人的英文元音,他们在口语中十分相近,中国人说英文时不容易分清。比较困难的有
[æ][e][i]之间的区分,同胞们或是不努力去作区分或努力后依然不能够区分,往往因此造成"不必要"的困绕。上面的"兄妹"对话让我想起下面的两个段子。

1
. 性电话是吹的吗?

美国很多人都会某种音乐乐器,下班后或节假日自发组织起来练习表演也十分普遍。其中萨克斯风比较流行,在美国的中国人也有不少人爱玩。萨克斯风的英文名称是Saxophone,它是由比利时人Antoine Sax发明,是一种带声的管乐,故用发明人的姓Saxphone来做乐器的名字,中间加字母o只是为了读音方便,所以o只是个弱音([ə]),介于可有可无之间。有个英文语音细节中国人往往不太注意,就是弱音[ə]该读的时候不读,不该读的时候又读了。Saxophone中的第一个o属于前者,是需要读出来的。另外,中国人说汉语有嗓门高但口形变化不大的倾向,而英美人士说话一般嗓门有所控制但口形变化大,如Saxophone[æ]音要把两边嘴角放宽,不然这音就容易读成[e]音。某些中国人对这两个音不注意,就可能把Saxophone读成sex phone。有故事说,某在美中国人士M君,吹萨克斯风颇有成绩。在美国工作场所同事间吹自己的音乐体育爱好是经常的事,某天M君也跟同事说起吹萨克斯风的事,但就是因为把Saxophone说成sex phone,惹下"麻烦"。他告诉同事说下班后的时间他大部分都用来吹sex phone。本来还带有一点喜形于色的自豪感觉,但见同事们个个吃惊地张嘴瞪眼,弄得M君由自豪一下变得一头雾水,不明白美国同事们那天是哪儿不对。直到一位同事事后"告以真相",他才满地找缝要钻。是啊,吹Saxophone本是一件健康高雅的个人爱好,但无端变成吹sex phone,能有人敢跟你说话吗!

2.
你有六位客人....

在美国某地的一家中国饭店,老板来自台湾,一生经历坎坷,从大陆到台湾到美国;一路打拼。这位老板有些语言天赋,会普通话日本话,还会若干中国方言。到美国开饭店也曾苦练英文,但就是不太区分
[e][i]这两个音的异同。老板为人热情,常在店门迎来送往,美国当地客人也都喜欢他的热情,只有一种情况例外: 当来的正好是一群六位。因为这时老板先生就会在招呼客人之余,对某位waiter或是waitress大声吆喝: John (Jane)you have sex (他的意思是six)。这时,从客人到打工仔都会是一脸"窘态",只老板一人兴高采烈,好像是他自己马上要have sex (or six)。该老板自持有着过人的语言天赋,说话时总带着那份高昂的自信,员工们没人敢告诉他哪儿有问题,客人们一般都是吃饭抹嘴走人,现又多听了个黄段子,自也是没人要当这老板的义务英文tutor

中国人读不准英文的例子还不只是局限与
[æ][e][i]这几个音,类似的笑话还有不少。比如一些经常用的短语及常用词: excuse me读成kiss mebro(short for brother)读成bra(女性胸罩)doc(short for doctor)读成duckbeach读成bitchsheet读成shit等等等等。这类"笑话"各位肯定听过不少,但其实他们都是些又苦又涩的笑话,中国人在海外,着实不易,语言上的劣势首先会让移民们成为所在国语言上的笑料,进而遭受语言的的歧视。

说中文和说英文所用的
facial muscles很不一样,中国人又有着来自五湖四海的方言影响,克服自身那比坚定的革命立场还要顽固得多的方言口音,掌握英文语音技巧说好英文,任谁都需要付出艰辛的努力。勤加练习英文所用的facial muscles,恐怕能偷懒的捷径不多。


[打印]



尹文 评论于:2008-01-04 20:15:23 [回复评论]
回复独立金秋的评论:

Right on. Without doubt, you are a phonology geek, too. good for you.

Your point is well taken. However, there is a little something that's worth pointing out. Your spelling "shwa" is not correct and the correct one should be "schwa". It's a German word, probably because German uses this weak [ə] quite often, too.

Just a little FYI and thanks for your complementary comment.
独立金秋 评论于:2008-01-04 10:49:18 [回复评论]
好文。补充一点儿语音学知识:

[ə]这个音素在英语里叫做“shwa",所有非重读元音都读这个音。请看词典中的解释:

Noun 1. shwa - a neutral middle vowel; occurs in unstressed syllables

了解这一点对读好英语很有帮助。语音是语言的基础,希望国人都能掌握好英语的发音,让美国人对我们刮目相看。
罢了 评论于:2008-01-04 07:47:52 [回复评论]
哥儿们,可别忽悠我,我都有点晕了。这罢了的话得晒干了听,不做数的。

等着兄弟来大碗吃酒,大口啖肉,好不高兴!
尹文 评论于:2008-01-03 20:49:31 [回复评论]
回复罢了的评论:
明日复明日,明日何其多...,看来要喝这盅酒也不那么容易。不过,真要喝恐怕得使大碗吧,梁山下来不都这样吗?

只知道梁山汉子喝酒时要杀猪杀牛,没想到了兄还会"杀驴",这国际能耐着实让人佩服。

Merci beaucoup

Salut et bonsoir.
罢了 评论于:2008-01-03 08:33:45 [回复评论]
Superbe,c'est génial!

王八对绿豆,咱还真对上眼了!哈哈哈。。。赶明儿请老哥喝一盅!

握手!

Bonne et heureuse année 2008!
尹文 评论于:2008-01-02 19:47:19 [回复评论]
回复罢了的评论:

了兄果然了然在胸,土腥洋荤都"整"(or吃)过,这家伙钢钢的......

广东人"爱得好辛苦"的段子我喜欢,它最早是用在姜昆/李文华的相声里,那都快是三十年前的事了。说的是姜昆有一次在广州挤公共车,"爱"在靓女身上,那 靓女告诉姜昆说: 董鸡呀(广东普通话),你爱我好幸福啊,请你不要再爱我"。姜昆还跟人急眼说: "谁爱你了,你长得这样......"。那靓女要大家作证: "你们大家说,他刚才是不是一直爱我来的?" 众人都指责姜昆说: "我们都看到你一直在爱她的,你不应该来的......"。

我跟老广朋友说这段,他们笑我说: 你们外地的才这样讲,我们广东话的"幸福"和"辛苦"是不一样来的。嗨,管他广东鬼老怎么说,不过那靓女是否后来成为姜的早期二奶应该有人调查,要不你说他没事去广州瞎挤人家靓女干吗!

那爱狗Sex也好像有另一版本,与兄的大致相同,只是那市府官僚把license for sex等同于marriage certificate。

兄弟说得对,鸡同鸭讲时笑料就出来了。钱钟书说过: 牛马多的地方粪多,女人多的地方笑多。看来各类动物都能为人(尤其是女人)提供幽默,所以为了生活中有欢笑,大家都应该多养动物。有一则中国主流媒体的报 道,说同村两农家是世仇,不相往来。但两家的牛却在同一山坡放养,农家A是母牛农家B是公牛。因自然法则使然,公牛欺负了母牛致使母牛怀孕产下牛犊。按传 统农民意识,A家应该是得利的一方,但改革开放给中国新农民带来了新思想新文明,A家受普法运动的再教育后,决心要用法律手段维护他们母牛的权利,将B家 及其公牛一本参到了公堂,说B家公牛奸了他家母牛,现在牛犊就是牛证(可作DNA检查)。虽然牛们不完全明白family feud,但B家主人因财物连带责任条例,应负起强奸罪责任,至少要负责赔偿母牛的精神损失。

中国农民的法制观念已经上升到如此高的地步,我们确实有必要加强学习重新认识中国。西方在对中国人权指手划脚时,怎么就没看到当今中国已经是人权牛权一起维护了。这真是中国对外媒体的失责。

若干年前看到这一新闻时,曾预言这故事一定上当年春晚。故事没能在春晚上"重现",还为此遗憾过。顺便提一下,这事就发生在当今中国笑料源泉的辽宁。

再谢罢了兄让我分享精彩段子。
罢了 评论于:2008-01-02 10:15:55 [回复评论]
哈哈哈。。。太好玩了,最喜欢“鸡同鸭讲”和说话“走音”的笑话。来而不往非礼也,咱也给你送几个让你乐乐:

宿舍里的同志们来自五湖四海 ,说话时就免不了鸡同鸭讲.一日 ,某东北和一甘肃男生去买方便面 ,东北自言自语道 :"整个啥味的呢? 葱香牛肉的吧 !"一旁甘肃男生好奇地问 :" 什么叫 '整 '啊?" 东北答:" 吃呗 ,就是吃的意思 ."傍晚 ,我们三人去卫生间,下水道堵了 ,导致里面 . 东北男生一看, 大怒 :"这可咋整
啊 !?"话音未落 , 一旁的甘肃面如土色 ,干呕不止 .......

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在一部拥挤的公共汽车上,一对青年男女拉著吊环站著。女孩对男孩說:「嗳!你
帮人家抠一下屁股好不好?」剎那间,公车內的空气仿佛凝结一般,那男子面有难色
的回答:「不方便吧?人这么多!」女孩还是撒嗲说:「我不管,赶快帮人家抠一下屁
股嘛!」此時,整部公车的人都注视着那男子身上。只见他 满脸通红地拿出大手机拨
了号码:「喂!屁股吗?我女朋友要我抠( CALL) 你!!你自己跟她说吧。」


一广东人多年前在上海挤公共汽车。那时上海公共汽车就跟那沙丁鱼罐头似的挤得那个是密不透风哎。广东人对他身旁的女士抱怨:哎,我爱(挨)你,你爱(挨)我,好幸福(辛苦)喔!那女士大骂一声:流氓!把那广东人吓得一头雾水加汗水。


有两个东北人来上海出差,一起去小吃店吃早餐,正巧碰上一个女服务员。

东北人一:睡觉(水饺)多少钱一碗:
东北人二:不写着嘛,五块钱一晚(碗)
东北人一:这么便宜啊,那就给哥儿们来两晚(碗)吧
女服务员:死流氓!(哗一下,一碗热饺子汤随手泼出)


好吧,再来一段老美的:

I have a dog and I named him “Sex”. Sex has been very embarrassing to me. When I went to the City Hall to renew the dog's license, I told the clerk that I would like a license for Sex. He said, "I would like to have one too!" Then I said, "But she is a dog!" He said he didn't care what she looked like. I said, "You don't understand. ... I have had Sex since I was nine years old." He replied, "You must have been quite a strong boy." When I decided to get married, I told the minister that I would like to have Sex at the wedding. He told me to wait until after the wedding was over. I said, "But Sex has played a big part in my life and my whole world revolves around Sex." He said he didn't want to hear about my personal life and would not marry us in his church. I told him everyone would enjoy having Sex at the wedding. The next day we were married at the Justice of the Peace. My family was barred from the church from then on.

When my wife and I went on our honeymoon, I took the dog with me. When we checked into the motel, I told the clerk that I wanted a room for me and my wife and a special room for Sex. He said that every room in the motel is a place for sex. I said, "You don't understand. ... Sex keeps me awake at night." The clerk said, "Me too!"

One day I entered Sex in a contest. But before the competition began, the dog ran away. Another contestant asked me why I was just looking around. I told him that I was going to have Sex in the contest. He said that I should have sold my own tickets. "You don't understand," I said, "I hoped to have Sex on TV." He called me a show off.

When my wife and I separated, we went to court to fight for custody of the dog. I said, "Your Honor, I had Sex before I was married but Sex left me after I was married." The Judge said, "Same here!"

Last night Sex ran off again. I spent hours looking all over for her. A cop came over and asked me what I was doing in the alley at 4 o'clock in the morning. I said, "I'm looking for Sex." -- My case comes up next Thursday.

Well now I've been thrown in jail, been divorced and had more damn troubles with that dog than I ever foresaw. Why just the other day when I went for my first session with the psychiatrist, she asked me, "What seems to be the trouble?" I replied, "Sex has been my best friend all my life but now it has left me for ever. I can't live any longer being so lonely." and the doctor said, "Look mister, you should understand that sex isn't a man's best friend so go get yourself a dog."

哈哈哈。。。嘎嘎嘎。。。嘿嘿嘿。。。笑死人不用找钱!


http://blog.wenxuecity.com/blogview.php?date=200801&postID=884

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