一名中國留學(xué)生初到美國,在機(jī)場找?guī)瑔柪贤猓骸竁here is W.C.?」老外聽不懂。一名中國太太到醫(yī)院生產(chǎn),洋護(hù)士問她:「Did you have a bowel movement?」她卻聽不懂。還有人學(xué)了幾十年的英語,還不曉得英語里的「大便」、「小便」、「放屁」真正應(yīng)該怎么說……
至于性毛病,更是老中難于啟齒、欲語還羞的尷尬。見到洋醫(yī)生,窘迫萬分,不知如何開口才是,真有「猶抱琵琶半遮面」的感受。
以下為一些「禁忌」(taboo)的美語之整理。畢竟這些都是咱們?nèi)粘I畹囊徊糠?,說不定有一天這些「禁忌」之語還能「派上用場」呢!
廁所
在美國一般都叫rest room或bath room(男女廁均可)或分別叫做 men‘s room 或 ladies‘ room(=powder room),不過在飛機(jī)上,則叫 lavatory,在軍中又叫 latrine。至于 W.C.(water closet)仍是過去英國人用的,在美國,幾乎沒有人使用。
解小便
最普通的說法是 to urinate(名詞是 urination),如果去看病,護(hù)士為了化驗(yàn)小便,就會給你一個(gè)杯子說:「Will (could) you urinate in this cup?」醫(yī)生或許也會問:「Do you have trouble urinating?」=Do you have difficulty voiding?(小便有困難嗎?)
此外,還有其他的說法:to piss = to take a piss = to take a leak = to void = to empty。 例如:
* I need to piss = I have to take a leak.
* How often do you get up at night to void?(晚上起床小便幾次?)
此外,john(j 小寫時(shí),不是男人名字)是 bath room 或 toilet 的意思(也叫 outhouse),這通常是指在戶外工作場地所使用的臨時(shí)或流動性廁所(有時(shí)前面也加 portable 一字)。不過也有老外把家里的廁所叫做 john。 例如:
* There are several (portable) johns in the construction site.(在建筑場地有幾個(gè)臨時(shí)廁所。)
* He went to the john a few minutes ago.(他在幾分鐘前上了廁所。)
* The manual labours have to use (portable) johns during their working hours.(勞動者在工作時(shí)間內(nèi)需要使用流動性廁所。)
不過,小孩多半用 to pee 。例如:
* The boy needs to pee.
然而,「小便檢查」又叫做 urine test,因?yàn)檫@里的 urine 是化驗(yàn)的樣品(specimen)。 例如:
* Do I need a urine test?
注意:to piss off 是片語,又是指對人生氣或?qū)κ挛锏牟粷M。不過這是不禮貌的片語,少用為妙。 例如:
* He pissed me off. = He made me angry.
* He always pisses off (at) the society.(對社會不滿)
如果「小便」有毛病,也可以告訴醫(yī)生說:
* My urine is cloudy and it smells strong.(有濁尿,味道很重)
* I have pus (或air)in urine.(尿有泡沫) (pus = cloudy; air = bubble)
* I dribble a little urine after I have finished urinating.(小便后還會滴滴答答。)(即失禁毛病)
* I am passing less urine than usual.(小便的量比平時(shí)少)
解大便
一般是用 to make(或 have)a bowel movement 或 to take a shit。如果看病,醫(yī)生常問:「Do you have regular bowel movement?」(大便正常嗎?)(說得斯文些,就是「大腸在轉(zhuǎn)動」)
此外,還有其他的說法: to defecate =to discharge excrement(或 feces)=to take feces (或 faeces)。 例如:
* The patient needs to take a shit. (=to make a bowel movement)
不過,小孩多半是用 to make a poo poo 或 to make a BM. 。 例如:
* The boy had a stinky BM.(大便奇臭。)
但是「大便檢查」倒叫做 stool exam,因?yàn)?stool 也是一種化驗(yàn)的樣品。 例如:
* The doctor has to exam his stool.(醫(yī)生要檢查他的大便。)
放屁
在美語里最常用的是 to expel gas 或 to fart 或 to make (或 pass)gas。 例如:
* 醫(yī)生有時(shí)問:「How often do you expel(或 make 或 pass)gas?」(你放屁的次數(shù)很多嗎?)
* Is the gas expelled by belching?(是否打嗝后就會放屁呢?)(動詞是 belch)
* He said the more he ate, the more he farted.(吃的愈多,放屁也愈多。)
* He has passed more gas than usual within the last two days.(過去兩天中,他放屁比平常多。)
* Be careful not to fart in the public.(注意在公共場所不可放屁。)
至于消化不良,大便不通或拉肚子,也有不同的說法。 例如:
* I have an upset stomach.(消化不良) = I have heartburn. = I have indigestion.
(注意:Heartburn 是指胃不舒服,不是「心痛」(heartache)
* Something has upset my stomach for two weeks.(胃不舒服有兩星期了。)
* He has(persistent)constipation.(或 irregularity)(他經(jīng)常便秘。) 或
* He has been unusually constipated.(便秘很反常。)或
* He is having problem with irregularity.(或 constipation); 或
* He has no bowel movement for the past few days.
* He has bouts of diarrhea.=He is having trouble with diarrhea.(他拉了一陣肚子。)
* He can see trace of blood and pus or mucus in his stool(或 bowel movement)(大便時(shí)可看到血絲和粘膜。)