protest too much是个极其容易被误解的短语。不信的话,我们可以做个试验。没有上下文,你会如何理解“I think you protest too much!,’这句话?如果回答“我觉得你太爱抗议/抱怨!”,那你的确误解了这个短语。它的真正意思是:to insist so strongly about something not being true that people begin to suspect maybe it is true(坚决否认某件事的真实性,反倒让人怀疑这件事
是真的),有点像中文里的“欲盖弥彰”。
会有这样的误解,关键原因在于protest这个词。我们太熟悉在父亲被谋杀后立刻就改嫁叔叔的做法,故意安排她观赏一出戏剧。剧中有个寡妇的角色对丈夫非常忠诚,再三发誓丈夫死后决不改嫁。这个角色果然让Gertrude觉得不舒服,她喊了一句:“The lady doth protest too much,methinks!”(我觉得这位女士表态得过分了!)言下之意就是“她肯定已经对丈夫不忠了,不然不会一天到晚表忠心!” doth和methinks都是莎士比亚经常使用的“文言文”用词,doth相当于现代英语里的do/does,methinks则是I think。因为这个Hamlet的典故,很多人在用到protest too much的时候,往往会加上doth或methinks。这样既可以起到比较幽默的效果,也算是对莎士比亚致敬。
比如: Bartholomew: You、want a beer?(要来杯啤酒吗?) Archibald:No,thanks.I absolutelv hate beer . Never touch the stuff.even .Ican't even imagine wanting to drink a single drop of that filthy mind numbing liquid .It's poison to me . i absolutely do not want a beer. (不要,谢谢。我非常讨厌啤酒。从来不碰这玩意儿。我根本不能想象自己想喝哪怕一滴这种肮脏的,让人神志不清的液体。他对我来说就是毒,我绝对不要喝啤酒。)
当然,如果你觉得thou、doth、methinks之类的文言文让你浑身不自在,你也可以用现代英语跟protest too much搭配,说完全符合21世纪风格的话。比如:Hannah: Kenneth is hot! Don't you just want a biyfrind like that!(Kenneth太帅了!要是有这么个男朋友多好!) PrisciIJa: What? Why? I mean ,no !He is an arrogant, insensitive male chauving pig!I would never exer want him to be my boyfriend .什么?为什么啊?我是说,才不呢!他是个目中无人、不懂得体贴女人、极度大男子主义的家伙!我绝对不要他当我的男朋友!) Hannah:Honey . you protest too much(亲爱的,你的态度已经出卖了你的真实想法,别再装了。)
上面的两个例子进一步说明了protest too much容易被误解的原因:“强烈否认”的常见方式之一是不停贬低某人或某物,以撇清自已和他/她/它的关系。正因如此,言不由衷(即“强烈否认”)的一方听起来的确像是“太喜欢抗议/抱怨”。我最早听到或见到别人用protest too much的时候,就属于这种情况,所以很长一段时间,我也一直误解了protest too much的意思。 不得不再次提到流行文化的功劳。著名歌手Alanis Morissette有一首作品叫Doth,Protest Too Much。在解释这首歌的创作初衷时,她说:“If you try too hard to tell people you are not afraid of something, then you are definitely afraid. That's what the song is all about.”(如果你想尽办法去说服别人说你不害怕某事,你肯定是害怕的。这首歌描述的就是这种矛盾做法。)
这番话点醒了我。一对照歌词,我终于知道了protest too much的真正意思:I'm not tortured by how of you are busy(你经常忙碌,但我并不觉得煎熬)Cause I'vegot things to do(因为我也有事做)
I'm not disappointed about how You don't miss me(你不想念我,但我并不失望)CauseI don't need you to(因为我不需要你想念我)I'm not needy(我没有太多的需要)I don't get clingy much(我也不缠人)I am not scared(我不害怕)l'm not afraid as such(我不畏惧)I an not dependent .(我不依赖人)Rock solid. (ration) stays in touch非常稳定,一直保持理And doth I protest too much'?(我是不是太欲盖弥彰了?)这首歌简直是protest too much的最佳范例。
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