在国外要慎用的8个英语单词

2014-04-15 10:10:58来源：中国日报网站

　　You may think it's easy to communicate when you're visiting another English-speaking country, but think again! Certain words mean something entirely different on the other side of the world. Read on to see which eight words could cause you embarrassment across the pond or down under.

　　也许你以为置身另一个讲英语的国家交流起来会很容易，不过别想得太简单了!有些词在美国是这个意思，但是在地球的另外半边却完全是另外一个意思。看看哪8个单词会令你在世界另一端感到尴尬吧。

　　1. Pants 长裤还是内裤?

　　Be careful who you tell in the U.K. that you have to go pants shopping—across the pond, "pants" means "underwear." When you're talking about jeans and khakis, you should call them "trousers."

　　Avoid Using In: The U.K., Ireland

　　在英国你如果和人家说你要去买pants(美国英语：长裤)，那意思是你要买“内裤”。如果你要买的是牛仔裤或卡其裤这种裤子，你应该用trousers这个词。

　　避免使用的国家：英国，爱尔兰

　　2. Fanny 屁股还是私处?

　　Own a fanny pack? In most other English-speaking countries, they're called "bum bags" because "fanny" is slang for a part of the female anatomy (and no, we're not talking about the rear end). So don't tell someone to stop being lazy and get off their fanny, either!

　　Avoid Using In: The U.K., Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa

　　你有腰包吗?在大多数讲英语的国家，人们把腰包称作bum bags，因为fanny是对女性私处的俚语说法(没错，我们说的不是屁股)。所以千万不要对别人说：别懒了，抬起fanny(屁股)干活吧!

　　避免使用的国家：英国，爱尔兰，澳大利亚，新西兰，南非

　　3. Pissed 生气还是喝醉?

　　In America, we may get "pissed off" when we're angry, but the Brits and Irish who are "pissed" are extremely intoxicated. "Taking the piss," however, means "to make fun of," not "to get drunk."

　　Avoid Using In: The U.K., Ireland, Australia, New Zealand

　　在美国，我们生气时会说get pissed off，但是英国人和爱尔兰人如果说pissed，意思是烂醉如泥。不过taking the piss意思是“取笑”，而不是“喝醉”。

　　避免使用的国家：英国，爱尔兰，澳大利亚，新西兰

　　4. Bangs 刘海还是刘海?

　　Prepare for weird looks if you're bragging about your new "bangs" in England. A forehead-covering haircut over there is referred to as a "fringe" instead. Overseas, "bangs" is more commonly used as the somewhat vulgar slang that it is interchangeable with in America.

　　Avoid Using In: Anywhere outside of North America

　　如果你在英国吹嘘自己的新bangs(刘海)，少不了有人会向你投去怪怪的眼神。在那里刘海被叫做fringe而不是bangs。在美国以外的地方，bangs是一种粗俗的俚语说法。

　　避免使用的国家：北美以外的任何国家

　　5. Knob 门把手还是生殖器?

　　Americans hear the word "knob" and think "doorknob" or "lever." It has a much dirtier meaning in other countries, like Australia and the U.K., where it's an insult or slang for a part of the male anatomy. Now you'll know to be offended if someone calls you a "knob head."

　　Avoid Using In: The U.K., Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa

　　美国人听到knob这个词想到的是“门把手”。但是在澳大利亚和英国等其他国家，knob的意思要“黄”得多。在那里knob指的是男子生殖器的一部分。现在你知道别人叫你knob head你应该是什么反应了吧。

　　避免使用的国家：英国，爱尔兰，澳大利亚，新西兰，南非

　　6. Root 根还是性?

　　Americans may "root around" looking for a lost object, but Australians and New Zealanders use the term to refer to having sex.

　　Avoid Using In: Australia, New Zealand

　　美国人也许用root around来指“寻找”失物，但澳大利亚人和新西兰人用它指代做爱。

　　避免使用的国家：澳大利亚，新西兰

　　7. Pull 拉还是泡妞成功?

　　If someone "pulled" last night in the U.K., they're probably not talking about pulling a muscle or drawing something apart. It's commonly used as slang for successfully picking up someone while out on the town. Likewise, "going on the pull" means that someone is going out with the express goal of getting some action.

　　Avoid Using In: The U.K., Ireland

　　如果在英国某人昨晚pulled，他们很可能不是在说拉胡子或是别的什么东西。这通常指的是去市中心玩时成功“钓”到某人。同样，going on the pull意思是某人为了猎艳而出动。

　　避免使用的国家：英国，爱尔兰

　　8. Bugger 昵称还是骂人的话?

　　If you affectionately call your child or pet "little bugger," you might want to reconsider doing so in pretty much any other English-speaking country. In most other places, from Canada to Australia, it is commonly used as an expletive similar to the f-word.

　　Avoid Using In: Most places outside of America

　　如果你亲切地叫你的孩子或宠物little bugger(小家伙)，到其他讲英语的国家可千万别这么说。在大多数其他国家，从加拿大到澳大利亚，bugger都是骂人的话，相当于fuck。

　　避免使用的国家：美国以外的其他国家

本文关键字: 英语单词慎用