别再说这些Chinglish 让你的口语不那么Asian

Arlay · 发表于 2015-10-9 17:26:07

学了多年英语而留美的很多中国学子，以及真正与外国人做日常交流的中国人，往往会尴尬地发现，自己所说的并不是地道的英语，而是“中式英语”（Chinglish，指 Chinese English）。几年前，一位自言在浙大当了五年英语外教的亚兰森（Chuck Allanson）在大陆博客上发表了一篇对比中式英语与正宗英语表达的博文，至今广为流传，虽然不无争议，但也有一些很值得参考。这里以他的博文为参照，为读者罗列15句常见的Chinglish，以及更标准的英语表达，相信会让很多读者会心一笑。

1. 价格挺合适／挺好的。

Chinglish: The price is very suitable.

English: The price is right. / The price is appropriate. / The price is good.

提示：suitable（合适的、相配的）最常见的用法是以否定的形式出现在告示或通知中，如：这部影片儿童不宜。This movie is not suitable for children.

2. 你是做什么工作的呢？

Chinglish: What's your job?

English: Are you working at the moment?

提示：前一种说法的语气显得生硬唐突，因为对方可能目前并未上班。后一种说法——“目前你是在上班吗？”可以引出你要问的问题：目前你在哪儿工作呢？Where are you working at?/ Where do you work？或者：你从事哪个行业呢？What line of work are you in? / What type of work do you do？最简单的问法当然还是：What do you do?

3. 用英语怎么说？

Chinglish: How to say?

English: How do you say that in English?

提示：How to say 不是一个完整的句子，而是引领分句。同类的例子还有：请问这个单词怎么拼？How do you spell that please? 请问这个单词怎么读？How do you pronounce this word?

4. 明天我有事。

Chinglish: I have something to do tomorrow.

English: I am tied up all day tomorrow.

提示：要表达脱不开身，可以说：I'm tied up. 或：I can't make it at that time. I'd love to, but I can't, I have to stay at home. 即明天不行啊，我很想去，但没办法，得待在家。

5. 我想我不行。

Chinglish: I think I can't.

English: I don't think I can.

提示：英语的表达习惯是，“我不认为我可以。”

6. 我的舞也跳得不好。

Chinglish: I don't dance well too.

English: I am not a very good dancer either.

提示：表达不擅长做什么事情，英语里面常用not good at something，或者直接说：我不是一个好的舞者。

7. 现在几点了？

Chinglish: What time is it now?

English: What time is it?

提示：讲英语的时候没有必要说now。还有一种说法是：How are we doing for time? 意思是：How much time have we got left? Are we pressed for time? 即问：我们还有多少时间？

8. 我的英语不好。

Chinglish: My English is poor.

English: I am not 100% fluent, but at least I am improving.

提示：要说自己外语不好，外国人一般不用poor这么重的词，而是会说： I am still having a few problems, but I am getting better. / I am learning to be fluent, and I am making good progress!

简单的说法则有：My English is not so good. 我的英文不太好。My English is pretty limited. 我的英文水平非常有限。

9. 你愿意参加我们的晚会吗？

Chinglish: Would you like to join our party on Friday?

English: Would you like to come to our party on Friday night? / Would you join us on Friday night?

提示：join往往是指和某个人群一起活动，或参加俱乐部、协会等组织，如：join a health and fitness club.（参加健身俱乐部。）常常与 party 搭配的动词是 come 和 go。如：Please come to my birthday party.

10. 我没有经验。

Chinglish: I have no experience.

English: I don't know much about that. 或：I am not an expert in this field.

提示：只需要说：那方面我懂得不多，或者这方面我不在行，就行了。

11.

——能请你帮个忙吗？

——当然。

—Could you do me a favor?

Chinglish:

—Of course! / Certainly.

—English: Sure.

提示：以英语为母语的人很少使用 of course，只有在示意答案众所周知时，才说 of course 或 of course not，隐含反诘的意思：“当然（不）是这样啦！”certainly 一般用在句中作副词，表示确知某事、确定会做。如：我肯定会再光顾那家旅店的。I'll certainly stay in that hotel again.

请问 sure 和 certainly 两个词有区别吗？当然有区别啦！Of course! There is certainly a difference between them!

12. 你觉得这个计划如何？

Chinglish: How do you feel about the plan?

English: How do you like the plan?

提示：一般要问别人对某人或某事物的看法或意见时应该用 How do you like …? 或 What do you think of / about …? 这两个句式才对。

当使用 think (of / about…) 这个动词时，疑问词要用 what 而不能用 how。例如：What do you think about the plan?

13. 我把午餐忘在家里了。

Chinglish: I've forgotten my lunch at home.

English: I've left my lunch at home.

提示：forgotten中文是遗忘，但把东西落在某处，应该用 leave。或者只说：I forgot to bring my lunch. 我忘带午餐了，就可以啦！

14. 祝你有美好的一天！

Chinglish: I wish you have a nice/good day.

English: Enjoy your day! / Have a wonderful day! / Have a good one! /Have a nice/good day!

提示：I wish you have a nice/good day. 是纯粹的中式英语。在英语里，wish 后面只需加名词，即：I wish you a nice/good day. 不过，这个句式很古板，一般用于圣诞贺卡或节日歌词，如：I wish you a Merry Christmas. 日常只说：Enjoy your day! Have a wonderful day! 而Have a nice/good day! 是美国店员向顾客标准的道别语。流行的美式道别语（也用作回应）则是：Have a good one!

15. 再见啦！

Chinglish: Bye-bye!

English: Bye. /See you. /Later. 或：I'll see you later.

提示：“Bye-bye!”比较孩子气，或带调侃。

◇ 更多中式英语

1. 黄头发：在英语中是金发，即 blond / blonde。

2. 真遗憾：It's a pity. 是老式表达，更常用的是：That's too bad. / It's a shame.

3. 厕所：不说WC，一般常说 restroom。

4. 裤子：很少说大陆英语课本上的 trousers，通常说 pants 或 jeans（休闲裤、牛仔裤）。

◇ 英语的丰富性

英语表达力之丰富，从一句简单的问候就可以看出：你好吗？

How are you doing? How's it going? 很普遍的问候语。回答一般是：Good. 甚或是：Awesome.（很棒。）