放大圖片
■美國前總統布什的「金句」常教人哭笑不得,例如他曾說「buddy就是friend的意思」。 資料圖片
Bush系列之一
早前介紹了鐵娘子等「溝通達人」,都是大家在debate(辯論)和speech(演講)時可以偷師的對象。今天則為大家介紹一個反面教材(a bad example),他就是前美國總統George W. Bush(布什總統)。英語中有個字叫Bushism,意思是布什總統獨有的趣怪特別又不合邏輯的話語。香港之前有一位立法會議員向傳媒說了一句「Try my breast!」之後就「人氣急升」,請大家真的要原諒他,因為英文始終都是他的second language,就算英文是native language(母語)的President Bush都一樣錯到七彩!
President Bush是政治人物,但不知道為何他可以在演說時當聽眾是白癡:I guess it's ok to call the Secretary of Education here "buddy." That means friend. 喂大佬,其實幾乎個個都知道buddy是好朋友,為何你要解釋多一次?
I want to remind you right quick that this country has been through, and the challenges this economy had faced over the last three years. First, we went through a recession. That means we were going backwards.
經濟衰退(recession)就當然是倒退,還用你說嗎?■岑皓軒
騎呢領隊
作者簡介:岑皓軒, 畢業於英國Imperial College London,著有親子育兒書《辣媽潮爸哈哈B》及與馬漪楠合著暢銷書《Slang:屎爛英語1&2》等。
隔星期三見報
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