單詞拼寫:unspoken rules
英語情景對話:潛規則用英語怎麼說
Jessica 在北京學漢語,她的中國朋友要是遇到了不知道用美語怎麼說的詞,就會來請教她。今天是楊林要問的:潛規則。
YL: Jessica! 上次我給你的籤名照呢?快還給我!
Jessica: Why? 你不是參加「陽光女生」的比賽,要當 super star了麼?
YL: 別提了! I got eliminated!
Jessica: 被刷下來了?!
YL: 是啊。雖然過了第一輪海選,可第二輪一上來就被刷了! 哼! 這裡面肯定有潛規則! 對了,潛規則美語怎麼說啊?
Jessica: Well, if you suspect the competition has some secret, back-door deals, you can say there are some "unspoken rules".
YL: 哦,unspoken, u-n-s-p-o-k-e-n, unspoken 就是「沒有明說的」,rules 規則;unspoken rules 就是「潛規則」嘍!
Jessica: That's right! So, you think you were cut because the selection process wasn't fair and open, like the competition is following some unspoken rules. Right?
YL: 沒錯! 我看,獲勝者可能是內定的!
Jessica: If that's true, then the whole competition is rigged!
YL: rigged?
Jessica: Yes! r-i-g-g-e-d, rigged 就是內定. It means the outcome has been predetermined by the producers.
YL: 哦,比賽結果被「內定」就是 rigged! 那還比個什麼勁兒啊!
Jessica: I agree. Rigged competitions aren't worth attending, because someone is pulling the strings from behind the scenes.
YL: 等會兒,你說 someone is pulling the strings from behind the scenes, 「從後面拉線」,就是有人幕後操縱的意思,對不對?
Jessica: Exactly! So tell me what you've learned today!
YL: 第一「潛規則」在美語裡叫 "unspoken rules";
第二,說比賽結果內定,可以說 rigged;
第三,幕後操縱,叫 pull the strings from behind the scenes.
(如有錯誤歡迎指正)
(責任編輯:郭英傑)