“谈情说爱”专用英语 ?
美国人尽管喊了多少年的「性开放」,但很多美国人在谈情说爱方面,仍然喜欢采用一些含蓄保守的词 句或语句,表现文明和礼貌。以下举一些例句,或许能说明一二。
to have a crush on (someone);
to feel an instant magnetism1;
to catch one‘s eyes; to hit it off;
to have the hots for (someone);
to be attracted to each other.
这些片语,都是描写男女间互相倾慕,两情相悦,有吸引力或一见锺情。
例如:
* He (she) has a crush on her (him) (他对她十分爱慕) 。
* He felt an instant magnetism when their eyes met. (他们见面时,他立即感到磁性般的吸住)。
意指女的外表吸引; 如果是 she felt …… 那么就是指男的外表吸引。
* A nice-looking girl caught his eye.(漂亮的妞儿吸住)。 注意:不用 eyes
* He was introduced to a pretty woman and they seem to hit it off
immediately.(他被介绍给一位漂亮女子後,他们似乎就一见锺情)。 或
* They were attracted to each other the moment their eyes met.
* When he met her, he had the hots for her.(当他见到她,他就对她爱慕不已。)(多半指 sexual
attraction。)
例如说,女对男的没有兴趣,那么也可以说:
* She did not feel any attraction toward him.(她对他毫无兴趣); 或
* He is the man for whom she feels no attraction, catch or no
catch.(不管他的条件好或坏,她对他就是没有兴趣)。
这里的 catch,可指财富、地位、名望和外表。
to be a lady‘s man (或 ladies‘ man);
to be a prince on a white horse
to be a casanova;
to be a womanizer.
这些都是指男人英俊潇洒,作风奔放,野性旺盛,喜欢在「女人窝」里。例如:
* Mr. Lin has been considered a prince on a white horse.(林先生被认为是白马王子。)
这是中古时代女子对男人的梦中理想,然而现在也有老外认为美男子应该是:全身盔甲灿烂光辉的王子。
* He is a prince in a shining armour2.(动词时态:shine, shone 或 shined。)
* Many people think that Mr. Smith is a real lady‘s man.(或 a real
womanizer)(许多人认为史密斯先生喜欢在女人窝里。)
*As a casanova, he has many girl friends.(由於他是美男子,他有许多女友。)
(Casanova 是意大利人,据说是顶尖的美男子,他的全名是:Casanova de seingalt Giovanni Giacomo 在此
casanova 被当做普通名词,故 c 不必大写