Cry uncle
某日打开电视正换频道,看到电视上有两个小孩在打架,其中一个把另一个按在地上说:快叫叔叔!就饶了你!另一个挣扎了半天也起不来,只好叫叔叔!好叔叔!快饶了我吧!笑笑之余,突然想起英语中的一个表达:cry uncle 。
Cry uncle,叫叔叔,意为投降。这个表达的来历还真与小孩打架有关。罗马帝国时期,罗马的小孩打架如果打输了,就会被对方逼着说uncle, my best uncle,(叔叔,我的好叔叔!)不说就不放开。那么,为什么要叫叔叔呢?有猜测说,打输的小孩要向打赢的小孩表示尊敬,而叔叔和父亲的地位接近,所以就要叫叔叔。
英语中的Cry uncle,以其叫喊之程度不同而作 Say uncle,Yell uncle 以及Scream uncle-叫,大喊和尖声叫喊 。语言学家芬克(Charles Earle Funk)认为可能源于拉丁语。他说罗马时代儿童遇到困难时喊叫:Patrue mi Patruissime。(Uncle, my best of uncles.)可能是 Say uncle 的来源。
1992年克林顿竞选总统时的助手卡维尔(James Carville)谈到当时的老布什总统时说:He didnt yell uncle; he screamed it,就是说布什宣布投降也。形势不利,还是叫声爷叔的好。
[疯狂实战]
--- Are you going to cry uncle, or do I need to punish you some more?
你是投降呢,还是让我继续罚你?
--- Neither.
都不要!
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