與美國人多次討論，認為coquettish在英語中幾乎很少聽到人說，像中國人說「嗲」，他們一般會說：clinger，當名詞用。例如：她好嗲呀，想讓她男朋友幫她買那個包。She is a clinger, trying to persuade her boy friend to buy her that bag.呵呵，英語學習真的太有趣，由於文化的原因、語言習慣的原因，雖然有的概念兩種語言中共存，但是用詞的差異很大，並且也無法找到絕對完全對應的翻譯。這裡的clinger，字面意思是「依靠、依賴、沒有主見」等，顯然無法傳神地解釋中文世界裡「嗲」的真正含義。
能不能說coquettish，我到現在還是沒有把握。
I was confronted with a big challenge yesterday when a pal asked me for the English equivalent of "嗲".First I thought of "flirtatious", then I strongly objected, for the original meaning of "嗲" is not all negative, and it is more than just flirting. It implies that the woman is lovely or adorable, and it seems to me a woman is quite attractive if she is 嗲 enough.Don't many men agree?Therefore I have to explore further about the correct translation.
Google.com did not provide me a good clue.Then I checked it out in PowerWord 2005, and it was even worse. Once again I had to admire my co-worker's wise decision of not even installing this jerk.At last I turned to the heavy dictionary on my desk - 漢英雙語現代漢語詞典.Bingo! 嗲 is right there and here is the definition:
嗲:
1) 形容撒嬌的聲音或姿態 (of voice or posture)
coquettishE.g. 嗲聲嗲氣 speak in the manner of a pampered child
2) 好，優異 good; excellent: 味道嗲! Yummy! Delicious!
Therefore, "coquettish" is the very term I am looking for. Immediately I checked it up in my favorite dictionary "朗文當代高級英語詞典":
Coquette: A woman who tries to attract the admiration of men without having sincere feelings for them; a woman who flirts 賣弄風情的女人
That's brilliant!And I had a good laugh at the English definition of a coquette.I believe "coquettish" is the right word to describe a 嗲 woman. Let's make a few sentences:
1)她好嗲啊，我骨頭都酥了。She is so coquettish that I am melted.
2)她總是嗲聲嗲氣的，有時挺煩的。Her being coquettish all the time is sometimes irritating.
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