英式英语和美式英语地区别.docx
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英式英语和美式英语地区别
American:
elevator〔电梯〕
British:
lift
American:
sidewalk〔人行道〕
British:
pavement
American:
apartment〔公寓〕
British:
flat
American:
movietheater〔电影院〕
British:
cinema
American:
eggplant〔茄子〕
British:
aubergine
American:
cookie〔饼干〕
British:
biscuit
American:
frenchfries〔薯条〕
British:
chips
American:
chips〔薯条或薯片〕
British:
crisps
American:
pants〔裤子〕
British:
trousers
American:
trashcan,garbagecan〔垃圾桶〕
British:
dustbin
American:
twoweeks〔两周〕
British:
afortnight
语言提示:
pants〔裤子〕一词在英国有特殊含义,它指的是男士underwear〔内裤〕。
美式英语和英式英语的语法差异
美式英语和英式英语的语法大局部一样,不过还是有一些差异。
虽然这些差异不一定都很明显,但如果能认出它们是很有帮助的。
美国人通常用have来表示拥有〔财产〕;而说英国人有时会有havegot。
American:
I have acar.
British:
I'vegot acar.
American:
Doyouhave acellphone?
British:
Haveyougot amobilephone?
美国人经常用一般过去式表示最近发生的事。
相比之下,英国人常用现在完成时。
American:
Elijahalready returned fromLondon.
British:
Ella has already returned fromNewYork.
American:
Ijust went shopping.
British:
I've justbeenshopping.
在遇到例如 team 和 family 这样的集合名词时,说美式英语的人用动词的单数形式,而说英式英语的人如此用复数形式。
American:
Myson'steam is thebest.
British:
Mydaughter'steam are thebest.
American:
Herfamily volunteers atthelocallibrary.
British:
Herfamily volunteer atthelocallibrary.
美国人和英国人对于介词的用法也不尽一样。
American:
Mygrandparentsvisit on theweekends.
British:
Mygrandparentsvisit at theweekends.
American:
Sofiaplayed on oursoccerteam.
British:
Sofiaplayed in ourfootballteam.
美国人经常使用动词take+宾语表示日常活动。
相比之下,英国人通常使用动词have+宾语。
American:
Let's takeabreak.
British:
Let's haveabreak.
American:
I'mgoingto takeashower.
British:
I'mgoingto haveashower.
文化提示:
有时候人们会认为英式英语更正式,而美式英语更随意。
然而事实并非如此;它们只是某些方面不一样罢了。
讨论表述事物的方法
使用这些表达来询问和解释如何表述事物。
A:
What'stheBritishEnglishwordfor'eggplant'?
英式英语里“茄子〞用哪个词?
B:
TheBritishEnglishequivalentis'aubergine.'英式英语里“茄子〞是“aubergine〞。
A:
Howdoyousay'trashcan'inBritishEnglish?
英式英语里“垃圾桶〞怎么说?
B:
Wecallitthe'dustbin.'我们管它叫“dustbin〞。
A:
Isitcorrecttosay'attheweekend'inAmericanEnglish?
美式英语里“attheweekend〞〔在周末〕是正确的说法吗?
B:
No,wedon'treallysayitlikethat.Weuse'ontheweekend.'不是的,我们一般不这么说。
我们会说“ontheweekend〞〔在周末〕。
A:
Canyoutellmewheretheliftis?
你能告诉我lift〔电梯〕在哪吗?
B:
Sure,it'srightoverthere.But'lift'hasadifferentmeaningintheUS.Here,wesay'elevator.'当然,就在那边。
但是“lift〞在美国有不同的意思。
我们这管它叫“elevator〞。
IfyoutravelinChina,you'llcertainlyhearpeoplespeakingChinese.It'salsolikely,however,thatyouwillhearaforeignlanguage–English–spoken,forexample,betweenaBrazilianconsultantcollaboratingwithaChineseentrepreneur,oraSwedishtranslatormeetingaNigerianCEO.Englishisaworldlanguagethathascreatedanewglobalmunityofpeoplewhocanmunicatewitheachother.Nearly100countriesidentifyEnglishastheirmainlanguage,asanofficiallanguageorasalanguageofgovernment.About1billionpeopleworldwidesaytheyspeakEnglish.
MostpeoplewouldagreethatEnglishplaysamajorroleinthebusinessworld.ManypaniesrequireemployeestospeakEnglish;andinternationalmeetings,travelandcontractsareoftencarriedoutprimarilyinEnglish.PeoplewhospeakEnglishmayearnabetterlivingand,insomeindustries,mayworkinmoreinnovativeenvironments.
AlthoughbusinessEnglishhasdevelopedasatoolforsurvival,Englishalsoseemstohavebeenwillinglyadoptedintoworldculturethroughtheinternet,movies,TVshows,putergamesandadvertisements.Indeed,mostcountrieshave'borrowed'theEnglishword'internet'itself.InSpain,peoplemaysaytheyplay'basketball,'andKoreansgrabaquickcupof'coffee.'SomeUStelevisionprogramsthatarepopularintheStatesareevenmorepopularinothercountries.What'smore,English-languagemediapaintapositiveimageoftheUSandevenhavethepowertoimproveinternationalrelations,accordingtooneUStelevisionproducer.
Butisthispositiveimagealwaysaccurate,especiallywhenonelanguagedominatestosuchanextentthatitcansetaglobal,culturalagenda?
Bythenextcentury,halfoftheworld'sestimated7,000languagesmayalreadyhavedisappeared,aspeopleabandontheminfavorofagloballanguagesuchasEnglish,MandarinorSpanish.Althoughit'sconvenienttoshareaninternationallanguage,wemustn'tforgetthesmallerlanguages,andcultures,thatareindangerbecauseoftherapidrideofEnglish.
表示一个别人跟你讲过的故事
用诸如say、ask、tell和think这样的动词来帮助你表示别人跟你讲过的故事。
在这个例子中,请注意引号表示别人说过的话。
还要注意在表示时,过去时和现在时的不停转换。
Gavin,who'sfromtheUK,says,'Ijustboughtanewlorry.'加文是英国人,他说:
“我刚买了一台新lorry〔卡车〕。
〞
AndIthought,'What'salorry?
'我心想,“什么是lorry?
〞
你表示故事时还可以不直接引用别人的话。
请注意这时不能用引号。
So,Iaskedhimwhathemeant.所以我问他什么意思。
HebeginsbytellingmethatalorryistheBritishEnglishwordfortruck.他就开始跟我说lorry在英式英语里是卡车的意思。
你可以用不那么常用的动词,比如admit、claim、confirm、deny和insist来更准确地表述故事。
这类动词也可以让你的表示更加丰富多彩。
Then,Gavinclaimsthathecanuserecycledcookingoilfromrestaurantsas'petrol'inhisnewtruck.然后加文说他的新车可以用餐馆回收的食用油当“petrol〞〔汽油〕。
First,Iconfirmedthat'petrol'means'gas'inAmericanEnglish.首先,我确定“petrol〞就是美式英语里的“gas〞〔汽油〕。
Then,Iinsistedthatweuserealgasoline.然后,我坚持说我们要用真汽油。
AtfirstGavindeniedIhadapoint,buthelateradmittedit.起初加文不认为我的话有道理,但后来又承认了。
在表示中使用问句可以增加戏剧性和悬念。
Anyway,wedriveinhisnewtrucktograbsomefrenchfriesatthelocalburgerplace.Andguesswhat?
总之,我们开着他的新卡车去当地的汉堡店买薯条。
然后你猜怎么着?
Gavinasksthewaitress…um,whatwasit?
Oh,yeah:
'Canyoucookmyfriesinextraoil?
'加文问服务员……嗯,什么来着?
哦,对了:
“炸薯条时可以多放点油吗?
〞
AndIsaid,'Areyoukiddingme?
'我说:
“你开什么玩笑?
〞
Doyoueverfeellikesomeonemisunderstandsyouwhenyou'respeakingEnglish?
And,viceversa,doyoueverfeellikeyoudon'tunderstandsomeoneelse?
Guesswhat?
You'renotalone.Mostpeopleexperiencethesemisunderstandings,whicharealsoknownas'municationbreakdowns.'municationbreakdownsusuallyoccurbecauseofdifferencesinpronunciation,thewaywordsareusedorculturalmisunderstandings.
Fortunately,therearestrategiesyoucanusetohelpavoidorrepairamunicationbreakdownandkeepaconversationgoing.First,don'tworry.Everybodymakesmistakeswhenspeaking.Focusonthelanguageyoucansayinsteadofwhatyoucan'tsay.Forexample,ifyoucan'tthinkoftheword'hood'whentalkingaboutyourcar,simplydescribeit:
'It'sthethingyoupopopentoseethecarengine.'
Duringaconversation,remembertolookattheotherperson'sfacialexpressions.Doesheorsheseemconfused?
Hasthepersonsaid,'Sorry–I'mnotsurewhatyoumean?
'Ifso,makesureyouareclearlypronouncingyourwords.Repeatwhatyouhavesaid.Youcanalsorepeatitusingdifferentlanguagewiththesamemeaning.Let'ssayyoudescribeda'hood'as'thethingyoupopopentoseethecarengine.'Iftheotherpersonisconfused,youcouldsay:
'It'sthebigmetalcoveryouliftuptotrytofixthepartsofacar.'
Ontheotherhand,whenyou'rehavingtroubleunderstandingwhatsomeoneelseissaying,informthepersonofthis.Youcanlookconfused.Youcanpolitelyuseexpressionslike:
'I'mhavingtroubleunderstanding.Couldyoupleaseslowdown?
'
'Sorry–Ididn'tcatchthat.Wouldyoumindrepeatingwhatyoujustsaid?
'
'Sorry–whatwasthat?
'
'Imissedthat.Couldyousayitagain?
'
Ifyou'renotsureyouunderstandwhatthespeakerjustsaid,youcouldtrytoconfirmyourunderstandingbyparaphrasingwhatyouheard.Useexpressionslikethesetoconfirmyourunderstanding.
'IfIunderstandyoucorrectly,you'resayingthat_____.'
'IfI'mfollowingyoucorrectly,theyclaimthat_____.'
'JusttobesureIunderstand,she'sdenyingthat_____.'
Ifyou'refeelinguncertainaboutyourlanguageabilityduringaconversation,youmightwanttoavoidusinglanguagethatdependsonculture,likehumororcertainveryinformalwords.Languagethatdependsonculturecanmoreeasilycreateamunicationbreakdown.
Nexttimeyou'refeelingnervousaboutaconversationorexperienceamunicationbreakdown,trythesestrategies.Evenmoreimportant,perhapsjustrelaxandenjoytheconversation.
美国和英国的汽车词汇
从18世纪到20世纪,工业革命改造了产业界,但同时也改变了英语语言。
英国和美国是工业革命的两个领导者,两国的工程师不断发明成百上千的新机器,并为这些机器创造出新的词汇。
有时两个国家的工程师们会发明同一种机器,但是用不同的词命名。
这是汽车零件词汇差异的几个例子。
请注意美式英语tire和英式英语tyre的拼写差异。
American:
trunk
(后备箱)
American:
windshield
〔挡风玻璃〕
British:
boot
British:
windscreen
American:
hood
(引擎盖〕
American:
tire
〔轮胎〕
British:
bonnet
British:
tyre
更多汽车(vehicle)词汇差异的例子:
American:
gas,gasoline
〔汽油〕
American:
parkinglot
〔停车场〕
British:
petrol
British:
carpark
American:
truck
〔卡车〕
American:
highway,freeway
〔高速公路〕
British:
lorry
British:
motorway,dualcarriageway
在美国,highway和freeway路面宽、行驶速度快、有多条车道。
在英国,motorways是有六条道的高速路,而dualcarriageways有四条道。
有时同一个词在英式英语和美式英语中含义不同。
比如,美国人说的trunk可以指cartrunk也可以指elephanttrunk。
然而在英国trunk通常指的是elephanttrunk或clothestrunk。
更多美英两国含义的不同的词汇:
American:
A boot isapieceofclothingwornonyourfoot.
British:
A boot canbeacarbootorapieceofclothingwornonyourfoot.
American:
A hood isapieceofclothingwornoveryourheadorthehoodofacar.
British:
A hood isonlyapieceofclothingwornoveryourhead.
描述语言的术语
你从小开始学说的第一种语言通常被称为你的firstlanguage。
你的祖国使用的语言是你的nativelanguage。
你还可以用一个不那么常见的术语mothertongue。
ShewasborninJapan,soJapaneseishernativelanguage.她出生在日本,所以日语是她母语。
除firstlanguage以外你说得最流利、或者最经常说的语言叫做你的secondlanguage。
Englishishissecondlanguage.HisfirstlanguageisNorwegian.英语是他第二语言。
他的第一语言是挪威语。
如果你两种语言说得同样好,你就是bilingual。
He'sbilingual;hespeaksGermanandFrenchfluently.他是双语人士;他