一名中国
留学生初到美国,在机场找厕所,问老外:「Where is W.C.?」老外听不懂。一名中国太太到医院生产,洋护士问她:「Did you have a bowel movement?」她却听不懂。还有人学了几十年的英语,还不晓得英语里的「大便」、「小便」、「放屁」真正应该怎么说......以下为一些「禁忌」(taboo)的美语之整理。毕竟这些都是咱们日常生活的一部分,说不定有一天这些「禁忌」之语还能「派上用场」呢!
一、厕所
在美国一般都叫rest room或bath room(男女厕均可)或分别叫做 men's room 或 ladies' room(=powder room),不过在飞机上,则叫 lavatory,在军中又叫 latrine。至于 W.C.(water closet)仍是过去英国人用的,在美国,几乎没有人使用。
二、解小便
最普通的说法是 to urinate(名词是 urination),如果去看病,护士为了化验小便,就会给你一个杯子说:
Will (could) you urinate in this cup?
医生或许也会问:
Do you have trouble urinating?
=Do you have difficulty voiding?(小便有困难吗?)
此外,还有其他的说法:
to piss = to take a piss = to take a leak = to void = to empty。 例如:
* I need to piss = I have to take a leak.
* How often do you get up at night to void?(晚上起床小便几次?)
此外,john(j 小写时,不是男人名字)是 bath room 或
toilet 的意思(也叫 outhouse),这通常是指在户外工作场地所使用的临时或流动性厕所(有时前面也加
portable 一字)。不过也有老外把家里的厕所叫做 john。 例如:
* There are several (
portable) johns in the construction site.
在建筑场地有几个临时厕所。
* He went to the john a few minutes ago.
他在几分钟前上了厕所。
* The
manual labours have to use (
portable) johns during their working hours.
劳动者在工作时间内需要使用流动性厕所。
不过,小孩多半用 to pee 。例如:
* The boy needs to pee.
然而,「小便检查」又叫做 urine test,因为这里的 urine 是化验的样品(specimen)。例如:
* Do I need a urine test?
注意:to piss off 是片语,又是指对人生气或对事物的不满。不过这是不礼貌的片语,少用为妙。 例如:
* He pissed me off. = He made me angry.
* He always pisses off (at) the society.(对社会不满)
如果「小便」有毛病,也可以告诉医生说:
* My urine is cloudy and it smells strong.(有浊尿,味道很重)
* I have pus (或air)in urine.(尿有泡沫) (pus = cloudy; air = bubble)
* I dribble a little urine after I have finished urinating.(小便后还会滴滴答答。)(即失禁毛病)
* I am passing less urine than usual.(小便的量比平时少)
三、解大便
一般是用 to make(或 have)a bowel movement 或 to take a shit。如果看病,医生常问:「Do you have regular bowel movement?」(大便正常吗?)(说得斯文些,就是大肠在转动)。此外,还有其他的说法:
to defecate =to discharge excrement(或 feces)
=to take feces (或 faeces)。 例如:
* The patient needs to take a shit. (=to make a bowel movement)
不过,小孩多半是用 to make a poo poo 或 to make a BM. 。 例如:
* The boy had a stinky BM.(大便奇臭。)
但是「大便检查」倒叫做 stool exam,因为 stool 也是一种化验的样品。 例如:
* The doctor has to exam his stool.(医生要检查他的大便。)
四、放屁
在美语里
最常用的是 to expel gas 或 to fart 或 to make (或 pass)gas。 医生有时问:
How often do you expel(或 make 或 pass)gas?
你放屁的次数很多吗?
* Is the gas expelled by belching?
是否打嗝后就会放屁呢?(动词是 belch)
* He said the more he ate, the more he farted.
吃的愈多,放屁也愈多。
* He has passed more gas than usual within the last two days.
过去两天中,他放屁比平常多。
* Be careful not to fart in the public.
注意在公共场所不可放屁?BR>
至于消化不良,大便不通或拉肚子,也有不同的说法。 例如:
* I have an upset stomach.(消化不良)
= I have heartburn. = I have indigestion.
注意:Heartburn 是指胃不舒服,不是「心痛」(heartache)
* Something has upset my stomach for two weeks.
胃不舒服有两星期了。)
* He has(persistent)constipation.(或 irregularity)
他经常便秘。) 或
* He has been
unusually constipated.(便秘很反常。)或
* He is having problem with irregularity.(或 constipation); 或
* He has no bowel movement for the past few days.
* He has bouts of diarrhea.=He is having trouble with diarrhea.
他拉了一阵肚子。
* He can see trace of blood and pus or mucus in his stool(或 bowel movement)
大便时可看到血丝和粘膜。转
关键字:
英语听力生词表: