Informal Language
美語中的非正式用語
Ever go jogging in a business suit? What about going to a job interview in pajamas? Dressing appropriately is a lot like using a foreign language in the right way. It all depends on the situation. People in America use formal English for making speeches and writing business letters. But they prefer informal language when they talk to friends. Americans are fairly laid-back, both in styles of dress and in language. So to understand their culture, it pays to know something about informal language-in other words, English in blue jeans and a T-shirt.
你曾經穿著辦公的西裝慢跑嗎?或者穿著睡衣去應徵工作?得體的穿著很像正確地使用外國語言，都得視情境而變化。美國人使用正式的英文作演說和寫商務信件;但是當他們和朋友談話的時候，則較喜歡使用非正式的語言。美國人不論是在穿著的風格或是語言上，都是非常輕鬆自在的。所以要了解他們的文化，就得認識他們的非正式用語，換句話說，就像穿著牛仔褲和T恤的英文。
English, like every language, is always changing. New slang terms are created all the time. Often they're here today, gone tomorrow. For instance, if you wanted to call something exciting in the 1960s, you would say it was groovy or far out. Today you might describe it as cool or even bad. Each sub-group of American society-from teenagers to soldiers to thieves to ethnic groups-has its own slang. People who aren't a part of the "in-group" can't understand the meaning, even though the words are "English." So it's not easy for outsiders to use slang correctly.
英語就像每一種語言一樣是一直在變。新的俚語不斷地出現，常常今天還在使用的，明天就被淘汰了。例如，在一九六O年代你若要形容一件很興奮的事，你會說很「groovy」美好的，或是「far out」走在時代尖端的。而今天會形容為「cool」很酷，甚至「bad」好菜喔。從青少年、軍人、小偷、到少數民族，美國社會中每一種附屬團體都有自己的俚語。即使它們確實是英語，但是不屬於那個團體的人就不會明白它的意思。因此局外人要正確地使用俚語實在不容易。
Like many languages, American English has numerous idioms that paint word pictures. These colorful expressions come from everyday life and add spice to language. When Americans want to make a good first impression on someone, they try to put their best foot forward. That way, they won't get off on the wrong foot in their relationship. Learning about idioms in a language and culture can be difficult, but don't get cold feet. Just be careful when using these expressions. Otherwise, you might put your foot in your mouth.
就像許多的語言一樣，美語中也有許多的成語，刻畫出文字的圖像。這些多樣化的表達方式來自於每天的生活，並為語言增添了許多風味。當美國人想要給某人良好的第一印象時，他們會先「伸出最好的那一隻腳」(表現較好的一面);如此，在他們的關係上就不會「下錯腳」(搞砸)了。學習一個語言和文化中的成語可能相當困難，但是也不要「讓腳發寒了」(恐懼、受挫)，只要在用的時候小心一點就是了。否則你可能會「把腳放進嘴巴裡去了」(說錯話)。
Americans enjoy making things easy on themselves. Even their pronunciation is relaxed. Sounds or syllables that are not stressed are shortened or combined with other sounds. As a result, "What do you want to do?" becomes "Whaddaya wanna do?" And "I don't know" sounds like "I dunno." See if you can understand the following conversation:
Gene: Jeet yet?
Tim: No, ju?
Gene: Skoeet!
Now let's translate it into regular English:
Gene: Did you eat yet?
Tim: No, did you?
Gene: Let's go eat!
School teachers probably cringe at this kind of pronunciation. But the fact is, that's how Americans often talk in real-life situations.
美國人喜歡把事物簡化，甚至連他們的發音也很輕鬆自在，不是重音的發音或是音節，通常會被縮短或是和其它的音相連。因此，「What do you want to do?」就變成了「Whaddaya wanna do?」而「I don't know.」聽起來像「I dunno.」看看你能不能聽懂以下的對話：
吉妮: Jeet yet?
提姆: No, ju?
吉妮: Skoeet!
現在，我們來把它翻譯成一般的英文：
吉妮: Did you eat yet? (你吃過了沒?)
提姆: No, did you? (還沒有，你呢?)
吉妮: Let's go eat! (一塊兒去吃吧!)
學校的老師們對這樣的發音恐怕是不敢恭維。不過事實上，通常美國人在實際的生活中都是這麼說話的.
There's one type of informal language that you should avoid using, however. Swearwords offend many people in America. Sometimes people say "four-letter words" to express anger or pain. Many of these "curse words" are terms from the Bible that people have misused. For example, to damn means to punish forever in Hell, so "damn" and "hell" are strong curses. Using the names of God or Jesus without respect can also bother people. And one more thing: stay away from "dirty words"-vulgar descriptions of sex or the human body. True, some people talk like this, but such "gutter language" should stay in the gutter.
然而有一種非正式的語言是你應當避免使用的。在美國咒詛罵人的話是會得罪人的。有時候人們會說「四字經」來表達憤怒和痛楚。很多這類咒詛的字眼是取自聖經，但是被人誤用的。例如，「Damn」該死!指的是詛咒人在地獄裡受永遠的刑罰，所以「Damn」和「Hell」都是很強烈的詛咒。而毫不尊重地妄用上帝或耶穌的名字也會使人很不舒服。還有一件事：絕對不要講「髒話」--對性或是人體低俗的描述。沒錯，確實有人是那麼說話的，不過這種屬於陰溝的「髒話」就讓它歸於陰溝吧。
Americans enjoy being informal. They like making themselves comfortable, whether it's wearing blue jeans and a T-shirt or using informal language. So if you want to speak real American-style English, just go casual-especially if your English teacher isn't looking.
美國人非常喜愛非正式、輕鬆的感覺。不論是藉由穿牛仔褲、T恤還是使用通俗的語言，他們都喜歡讓自己輕鬆自在。所以如果你想說真正的美式英語，儘量隨意就是了，尤其是你的英文老師沒看著你的時候。