黑色幽默(二)

上次有The Bug，今次則有Plotting Revenge。英文用詞上較淺白，不過意識就加倍不良…有同學沒有刻意聽歌詞時，還以為這是卡通片歌曲，但看到歌詞時…

I'm plotting revenge against my boss

I'm plotting revenge against my boss

I'm plotting revenge against my boss

Maybe it'll happen it'll happen sometime

Maybe it'll happen it'll happen sometime

I know when he leaves for work

Yes I know where he drops off his shirts

But he doesn't know

No he doesn't know

No he doesn't know

That I know all this!

I'm plotting revenge against my neighbor

I'm plotting revenge against my neighbor

I'm plotting revenge against my neighbor

Maybe it'll happen it'll happen sometime

Maybe it'll happen it'll happen sometime

He complains that my dog's too loud

Says he'll call the cops, he screams and shouts

But he doesn't know

No he doesn't know

No he doesn't know

That I don't like that!

I'm plotting revenge against myself

I'm plotting revenge against myself

I'm plotting revenge against myself

Maybe it'Ll happen it'll happen sometime

Maybe it'Ll happen it'll happen sometime

Plotted against everyone I know

The last on the list, is me, oh no!

But I don't know

No I don't know

No I don't know

That it must be done!

大家可以留意

• The last on the list - 這裡意思是指最後一個，但"the list"在此實屬虛詞，不一定是指有一張名單
• Cops - 警察，一個較通俗的說法
• "I know when he leaves for work, Yes I know where he drops off his shirts" - 按字面解釋應難不到大家，但留意這首歌是以誇張的說法講述對身邊的人報仇。所以，何時收工、何處掉下衣服也許只是借喻。

黑色幽默(一)

黑色幽默(Black Comedy)在美國較為常見。60－70年代產生併流行於美國的文學流派。受存在主義影響很大，主張用表面上輕鬆、調侃、玩世不恭的幽默態度來敘述沉鬱甚至可怖的故事，從而產生荒誕不經的喜劇效果，是以喜劇形式上演的荒誕的「悲劇」。

今日先送上一首帶點黑色幽默色彩的歌曲，由王若琳主唱的《The Bug》(竊聽蟲) ，以傳統歌劇配上意識陰深歌詞的一首歌。

Now that we've bugged your phone

We hear even your dial tone

We hear your every word

You didn't know could be heard

We know all about your moves

We know all about your plans

Yes, I'll get all your votes

This is my second chance

Now that I'm getting scared

What if I get found out

What am I suppose to do?

What am I suppose to do?

What am I suppose to do?

Maybe they've done the same

They're set to wreck my campaign

These narrow-minded fools

It's for the greater good

They'll do all that it takes

To have me be replaced

There's no one else stepping in

No, I'll never let them win

Now that I'm getting scared

What if I get found out

What am I suppose to do?

What am I suppose to do?

What am I suppose to do?

Now that we've bugged your phone

We hear even your dial tone

We hear your every word

You didn't know could be heard

We know all about your moves

We know all about your plans

Yes, I'll get all your votes

This is my second chance

本曲主要講述於選舉戰中，偷聽對手電話的事，大家可以留意以下字詞：

• Bug - 既可解作蟲，又可解作撰寫程式時所產生的問題，不過這裡則解作竊聽器，作動詞則解作竊聽。
• Wreck - 破壞，用作名詞時可譯作廢墟，可想以知，這詞所指的嚴重程度有多大。
• The greater good -這裡是指大眾的利益

Phrasal Verbs(片語) 9 - Going Out

今次是Janice 和 Pamela 兩個人在討論被男生約會的事情。這些經驗，筆者就沒有試過了，因為小弟是一名男人呢…

Janice : It’s a good job I was in when Alex phoned.
Pamela : Why?
Janice : He’s invited me out to dinner. He’s picking me up in fifteen minutes. What shall I Wear? Do you think I’ve got time to do my hair? Look, it’s ten past already.

Pamela : Well, slow down or you won’t be able to do anything.
Janice : Can you lend me a cigarette? I’ve run out. I must go and make up my eyes.
Pamela : Don’t panic so much. Make him wait. At this rate you’ll tire yourself out before he gets here.

Be in (!)- Janice was ín; she was at home.
Pick Up (N1 N2 P1) - Alex would go to home to pick her up and take her with him.
Slow Down (N1 N2 P1 !) - The opposite of speed up.
Tire out (N1 N2 P1) - You tire a person out. You can say 'I'm tired out,' at the end of a busy day.
Run out (!) - Left. Your have run out. (留意和Run out of 是不同的，可見Phrasal Verbs(片語) 5 - Running)
make up(N1 N2 P1 !)- You make your face up with cosmetics or make-up. You can also make (yourself) up.

N1 － 動詞與介詞可以分開 ／ 和物體名詞(Object Noun)或名詞詞組(Noun phrases)同用
N2 － 動詞與介詞不分開 ／ 和物體名詞(Object Noun)或名詞詞組(Noun phrases)同用
P1 － 動詞與介詞可以分開 ／ 和物件代名詞(Object pronoun)同用
P2 － 動詞與介詞不分開 ／ 和物件代名詞(Object pronoun)同用
G - 動名詞(Gerund)跟隨使用
! - 動詞與介詞不分開, 沒有直接的物件

P.S 對小弟來說，約會時不會太希望女生太花枝招展，重要是乾淨、整理和對自己的尊重。適當的化妝打扮可以是表達尊重的其中一種方法，但太過浮誇的話很有可能客怕男生 :)

You Shanghai Me?

今日是年初三赤口，傳統就指這日不要拜年，否則會有口角。今日小弟卻要和大家口角一下，介紹一個和侮辱人有關的字詞。

Shanghai是指上海，這可能是小學生也知道的。不過，原來shanghai 一字在英文也可作動詞用，意指以誘騙、恐嚇、暴力手段招募船員，從事此行為者稱為crimps（掮客）。

這些事情主要於在19世紀中葉發生，當時掮客最直接shanghai船員的方法是在他們在不自覺的情形下偽造他們的簽名來簽署船支合約，並拿下一筆「血腥錢」。

時至今日，Shanghai 則較多時候指日常交易買賣中的詐騙`，特別是指和中國人事務上的欺詐。我們在考試作文中或不宜使用此字，不過學懂了這用法時，在外國被人指罵也不會一頭無緒。

P.S 當我看到這篇文時，一部平凡不過的Android Tablet 竟賣萬元，真的想對賣機的人說一句：You Shanghai Me?
http://thosewerethedays.wordpress.com/2012/01/17/%E5%81%89%E5%A4%A7%E7%A5%96%E5%9C%8B%E9%A0%98%E5%B0%8E%E5%B0%88%E7%94%A8%E3%80%81%E8%B2%B4%E9%81%8Eipad2%E7%9A%84%E5%B9%B3%E6%9D%BF%E9%9B%BB%E8%85%A6%E3%80%8C%E7%B4%85%E6%B4%BE%E5%A3%B9%E8%99%9F/

Phrasal Verbs(片語) 8 - A Problem at the Airport

這個情況相信大家也不會想遇上，要麼突然有公共廣播系統讀你的名字出來，也不是甚麼好事…

When they arrived at the airport, they went straight to the desk, checked in and collected their boarding cards. Then, as they were buying a cup of coffee, the public address system called out Nigel’s name.
‘I wonder what they want,’ he said. ‘Can you look after the bags, Jill? I hope they get it sorted out before the plane takes off.’
He heard his name being called again.
‘Hold on,’ he said. ‘I'm coming.’

Check in ! - At the airport you go to the check-in desk to say you have arrived.
Call Out N1 N2 P1 - A public address system or a person calls out messages or
announcements.
look after N2 P2 - A babysitter looks after children.
sort out N1 N2 P1 - You sort out a problem which has to be solved.
hold on ! - This is usually used in conversation, when you want someone to wait e. g. ‘Tell him to hold on, I’m on my way.’
Take off -! 見On the plane

N1 － 動詞與介詞可以分開 ／ 和物體名詞(Object Noun)或名詞詞組(Noun phrases)同用
N2 － 動詞與介詞不分開 ／ 和物體名詞(Object Noun)或名詞詞組(Noun phrases)同用
P1 － 動詞與介詞可以分開 ／ 和物件代名詞(Object pronoun)同用
P2 － 動詞與介詞不分開 ／ 和物件代名詞(Object pronoun)同用
G - 動名詞(Gerund)跟隨使用
! - 動詞與介詞不分開, 沒有直接的物件

Phrasal Verbs(片語) 7 - Buying a Flat

講到買樓，也許不是人人買得起，卻是全民討論的問題…筆者暫時應該也買不到，不過在blog解說英文倒又可以，今日就看看一段講述買樓的對話…

‘So this will be your first home?’ asked the agent.
Jack said and Sylvia said ‘no’ at the same time. Jack explained. ‘We had been saving up to buy a house, but it all fell through because I lost my job.’
'1 see,’ said the agent. ‘Well, I can show you round some decent flats.’
’Good,' replied Sylvia. ’What’s the procedure?’
‘Every week we print a list of the flats we have for sale. Here's this week's. I want you to take it away and give it a good look over. And then let me know which ones you like.’
‘Do you want me to pay a deposit now?’ asked Jack.
‘Oh, don’t worry about that now. We'll get round to that sort of thing later.’

Save up N1 N2 P1 ! - If you wanted to buy a car, but did not have enough money, you would be able to afford it after after you had saved the money
fall through ! - Robert had planned to go to Turkey, but he was unable to go. His plans had fallen through.
show round N1 P1 - You show someone round a house, taking him from room to room.
take away N1 N2 P1 - In McDonald you either sit down to eat your food, or you take it away.
look over N1 N2 P1 P2 - You look over a room or a house if you want to inspect it before buying
get round to N2 P2 G - When he stopped delaying it, he would get round to applying for a job.

N1 － 動詞與介詞可以分開 ／ 和物體名詞(Object Noun)或名詞詞組(Noun phrases)同用
N2 － 動詞與介詞不分開 ／ 和物體名詞(Object Noun)或名詞詞組(Noun phrases)同用
P1 － 動詞與介詞可以分開 ／ 和物件代名詞(Object pronoun)同用
P2 － 動詞與介詞不分開 ／ 和物件代名詞(Object pronoun)同用
G - 動名詞(Gerund)跟隨使用
! - 動詞與介詞不分開, 沒有直接的物件

P.S 有些人指Year 1 時要申請公屋，到了畢業才有，那麼屆時就可以儲多些錢，做首期…你認同嗎？

For Crying It Loud後...我們是時候Cool it 了！

Cool 解作涼爽，或者形容事物 / 人很酷都可以。但其實叫人冷靜時，也可以用上Cool it一詞！

很明顯，在這裡cool是用做動詞。通常to cool it就是讓某樣東西涼一下。例如：剛出鍋的菜太燙，讓它先涼一下。但是作為俗語，to cool it的意思就是：冷靜一點兒，別發那麼大的火。

要是家裏兩個孩子在沒完沒了地吵吵鬧鬧，甚至打起來，在旁的父親就忍不住了。他可能會説：

You kids cool it and stop fighting right now! Not one single day goes by without fighting between the two of you. Can't you be more friendly to each other like Mike and Linda next door?

這位爸爸説：你們不許再打了，馬上給我停下來。沒有一天你們不打架的。你們能不能也像隔壁的Mike和Linda那樣友善點呢？

或者來個妻子發脾氣，老公勸說的例子吧。鄰居把她新買的汽車撞壞，她怒不可遏之時，於是當老公的對她説：

Cool it, honey! I've checked the car -- it's not as serious as you thought. Besides, their insurance company is going to pay for the repair.

這位丈夫説：“別發火，親愛的。我去檢查過那車了，情況並不像你想像的那麼嚴重。而且，他們的保險公司會負擔修理費的。