几个英语中的外来词
1 Babushka (from Russian) 祖母,外婆,婆婆头巾(俄语)
在俄语中,这个词表示祖母,外婆,但在英语中它通常指一块围巾或头巾,你可以想象一下一位俄罗斯老婆婆戴的那种。所以一个女生或女士将围巾围在头上,有时候人们会戏称她们是老婆婆。
例句:
I saw an old lady wearing a babushka walking down the street. She was carrying many shopping bags and having trouble walking, so I offered to help her carry her bags.
我看到一位老太太戴着头巾走在街上。她正提着许多购物袋,走路都很困难。我主动帮她提了那些袋子。
2 Bossa nova (from Portuguese) 巴萨诺瓦(葡萄牙语)
在英语中有许多葡萄牙语的外来词。巴萨诺瓦,在巴西葡萄牙语种表示“新浪潮”。它指一种源自巴西的让人放松的音乐。
例句:
You may think that you don't know any bossa nova songs, but you almost certainly have heard a version of the "The Girl From Ipanema." It's a great bossa nova song, but it's also the stereotypical example of "elevator music."
你可能认为自己不知道任何巴萨诺瓦的歌曲,但大部分人肯定听过《来自伊帕内玛的女孩》这首歌。它是一首很棒的巴萨诺瓦歌曲,但是它也是一首老套的“电梯音乐”。
3 Moped (from Swedish) 机械自行车
moped由瑞典词汇“motor(汽车)”和“pedaler(骑脚踏车的人)”混合而成,这些词几乎和它们的英语对应词一样。它其实就是带发动机的自行车,许多人都称小型摩托车为moped,但严格按照事实来讲,这是不对的。
例句:
When I got my driver's license, I really wanted a car. But cars are too expensive, so I bought a moped from my friend Ronnie instead.
当我拿到驾驶证时,我真的很想要一辆小汽车。但是汽车太贵了,所以我从朋友罗尼那里买了一辆助动车。
4 Paparazzi (from Italian) 狗仔队
狗仔队实际上是意大利单词paparazzo的复数形式,在英语中它用来描述一个或一群给名人拍照的摄影师。然后他们会把照片卖给杂志或报纸。这不是个受欢迎的职业,因为他们窃取名人的隐私,几年前还有首歌以此为主题。
例句:
When Princess Diana died in 1999, many people believed that the paparazzi were responsible for her death. Those photographers were constantly following her everywhere.
1999年戴安娜王妃去世后,许多人认为狗仔队应该为她的离世负责任。这些拍照的人到处都跟着她。
5 Taekwondo (from Korean) 跆拳道
最后一个词,我们再来看一个武术词汇。在韩语中,跆拳道表示拳打脚踢,在英语中,它用来表示一种流行的武术。