场景1 When I just got in the classroom, I said "I'm so hot" and took off my coat…
我一走进教室就说“I'm so hot(我太性感啦)”,然后脱掉了我的外套……
这位同学实际上想表达的是“I feel so hot(我太热了)”。
场景2 Once in my English class in high school, when we just learned the grammar for "so is it" and "so it is", my teacher asked me to stand up to have a short conversation with her. She pointed at our monitor and said, "His English is good," expecting me to answer, "Yes, so he is." However, I replied proudly, "So am I."
一次在高中英语课上,我们在学习“so is it”和 “so it is”的用法。老师让我站起来和她进行一小段对话。她指着我们班长说:“His English is good(他英语很好)”,然后等着我回答,“Yes, so he is(是的,的确如此)”。然而,我骄傲的回答道:“So am I(我英语也很好)”。
场景3 Once when I talked with my American friends about something interesting in my family, I wanted to say that my mom would tell some lies to tease my dad. But I said my mom cheated on him… After a long time, I started to realize my mistake and understand the sympathy my friends showed me.
有一次我和我的美国朋友聊起我家的趣事,我原本想说,我妈会撒谎(lie)逗我爸玩儿。但是说出来的却是“My mom cheated on him(我妈对我爸不忠)”……很久之后,我才意识到自己的错误,终于明白为啥朋友们都对我表示同情。
很多人常常将cheat和lie混为一谈,但其实两者有很大区别。Lie表示说谎、撒谎,而cheat则指欺诈、欺骗,cheat on可表示对配偶或伴侣不忠。
场景4 The awkward experience when I tried to buy a snap-on case for my HTC in Oxford:
我的糗事是,当我在牛津给我的HTC手机**手机壳时: Me: Hey, I want a snap-on case for my HTC G qi (the Chinese pinyin for seven).
我:嗨,我想要一个HTC G七。 Salesman: For what?
**货员:啥? Me: G qi.
我:G七 Salesman: What?
**货员:啥? Me: G! Qi!
我:G!七! Salesman: G… what?
**货员:G啥? Me: … G seven.
我:……G seven
场景5 When I messaged my foreign professor, he always used some abbreviations. So sometimes I also used this form such as 3Q for thank you. ** day I suddenly realized that foreigners pronounce 3 as "three" rather than Chinese pinyin "san" (whose pronunciation sounds similar to "thank")…
当我给我的外国教授发信息时,他总是用缩写。所以我有时也会这样,比如用3Q代替thank you。有一天,我突然意识到老外的3是three,不是中文的“san(发音同thank接近)”。
场景6 When I traveled in Bali I wanted some matcha-flavored ice cream, but I didn't remember how to say matcha in English. At that moment, I saw the "mocha-flavored" ice cream on the menu and I was very excited, thinking, "Wow! Another Chinglish!" (Matcha in Chinese pinyin is "mocha".) But it turned out that it was the flavor of a kind of coffee…
我在巴厘岛旅行时,想点一份抹茶口味冰淇淋,但我不记得用英语如何说“抹茶(matcha)”。当时,我看见菜单上有“mocha-flavored(摩卡口味)”冰淇淋,于是我一激动,心想,“哇!又是一个中式英语(摩卡的英文拼写mocha和抹茶的中文拼音相同)”。结果,mocha-flavored实际上是一种咖啡口味……
场景7 - How are you?
你好吗?
- I'm fine, thank you. And you?
我很好,谢谢。你呢?
这种回答显然太尴尬了,一般可以简单回答“Good, thanks./I am good./Pretty good.”等,或者礼貌性的**How are you?
场景8 Whenever I get nervous speaking English, I will say "thank you" for no reason!
每当讲英语让我紧张时,我就会莫名其妙说“thank you(谢谢)”!
场景9 Passenger: Where is the gate?
路人:大门(gate)在哪里?(错:那个gay在哪里?) I: I'm not gay.
我:我不是gay。
???
这位同学,gate和gay也能听错???
场景10 Once when I went shopping and needed to pay, I took out my bank card.
有一次,****东西,**时我拿出**。 Salesgirl: Is this chip?
**货员:芯片卡吗?(chip发音同cheap接近) Me: No, it's expensive.
我:不,很贵 Salesgirl: What??
**货员:啥?