精美英文欣赏:怪诞的语言(在线收听

Let's face it: English is a stupid language.

不要怀疑:英语是一种愚蠢的语言。

There is no egg in the eggplant,no ham in the hamburger,and neither pine nor apple in the pineapple.English muffins were not invented in England;and French fries had nothing to do with France.

茄子里没有鸡蛋,汉堡里也没有火腿,在凤梨即没有松木也没有苹果。英国松饼不是在英国发明的;而炸薯条与法国一点关联都没有。

We sometimes take English for granted,but if we examine its paradoxes we find that quicksnad takes you down slowly,boxing rings are square,and a guinea pig is neither from Guinea nor is it a pig.

我们有时候习惯的以为英语就是这样说的,但如果我们探讨它似是而非的地方,我们会发现流沙是让你慢慢陷下去的,拳击场是方型的,而天竹鼠既不是来自几内亚,更不是猪。

You have to marvel at the unique lunacy of a language in which your house can burn up as it burns down,in which you fill in a form by filling it out,and in which an alarm clock goes off by going on.

你不是不惊讶于这种独特的疯癫语言,比如说你的房子被烧毁时,它是烧起来的,当你填表之时,是要填写出的,而闹钟响起来(go off)是因为它自己启动了(go on)。

English was invented by people,not computers,and it reflects the creativity of the human race(Which of course isn't a race at all).That is why when the stars are out they are visible,but when the lights are out they are invisible.And why is it that when I wind up my watch is starts but when I wind up this story it ends!

英语是由人而不是由电脑发明的,它反应的是人类的创造力(那当然根本就不是一种竞赛)。那就难怪当星星出来(out)时是看得见的,但是灯光减了(out)时是看不见的。为什么我给我的手表上紧发条时它就开始走了,而当我完结了这个故事时它结束了。

  原文地址:http://www.tingroom.com/lesson/jmywxs/508443.html