法國
Preservative:Avoid asking about preservatives in France; you’ll probably be met with strange looks. It means ‘condom’ in France.
Preservative:在法國不要詢問preservatives(防腐劑);別人會用奇怪的眼神看你。它在法語里的意思是“避孕套”。
French Letter: Don’t say french letter unlike in other nations of the world, it simply means a condom in France.
French Letter:不像在世界其他國家,在法國不要說french letter(法國的信)這個詞,在法語中這個詞就是“避孕套”的意思。
Bra: Do you sell luxury underwear? Whilst you and I might initially understand the word to mean a garment that covers the breasts, if you’re in France your French colleagues might think you’re selling arms. Literal
Bra:你是賣奢侈內衣的嗎?你我都首先把這個單詞理解為“覆蓋在胸部的衣服”,但是如果你在法國,那里的同行會以為你在賣武器,字面上是這個意思。
Norway
挪威
Pick: If you’re visiting Norway, don’t use the word ‘pick’. Your Norwegian colleague is unlikely to be impressed – it means ‘dick’ over there.
Pick:如果你去挪威,不要用pick(挑選)這個詞,挪威的同事不會對你有好的印象——在挪威它的意思是“男性生殖器”。
Fitter: Does your business specialise in fitness products? Be mindful that in Norway, the word ‘fitter’ refers to a woman’s genitals.
Fitter:你們公司專門經營健身產品?那在挪威你要注意了,fitter(更健康)指的是女人的生殖器。
Turkey
土耳其
Peach: Going to Turkey? Avoid asking for a peach in the supermarket or anywhere else for that matter. It means ‘bastard’ in Turkish.
Peach:要去土耳其?在超市不能索要peach(桃子),在任何其他地方也不能提到這個詞,它在土耳其的意思是“私生子”。
Germany
德國
Gift: 'Never look a gift horse in the mouth', we’re told; perhaps more so in Germany where the word means 'poison'.
Gift:我們都被教育“饋贈之物,切莫挑剔”;可能在德國更是這樣,在那兒,這個單詞的意思是“毒藥”。
Latte: In Germany,latte doesn't mean the frothy,milky concoction you get from your local Starbucks. It means 'erect penis'in some German quarters.
Latte:在德國,latte(拿鐵)不是指你從當地星巴克買到的泡沫多的、含牛奶的混合物,而是在一些地區(qū)指“勃起”。
Korea
韓國
Salsa: Out for a Mexican in Korea?It's probably best not to ask for salsa:it means 'diarrhoea'in Korean.
Salsa:在韓國想追求一個墨西哥人?最好不要請她跳salsa(薩爾薩舞),它在韓語中的意思是“腹瀉”。
Sweden
瑞典
Speed: Try not to talk about speed when in the company of others in Sweden. It means 'fart'.
Speed:在瑞典,和別人在一起時不要討論speed(速度),它的意思是“放屁”。
Bump: If you’ve had the misfortune of a bump on your car, note that the word ‘bump’ in Swedish means ‘dump’.
Bump:如果你不幸把車撞了,要注意在瑞典bump(碰撞)這個詞的意思是“倒垃圾”。
Speed bump: Put the above two words together and you have the phrase ‘speed bump’, which in Swedish means fart dump.
Speed bump:把上面兩個詞連一起,就是speed bump(減速帶),在瑞典語中的意思是“放屁倒垃圾”。
Kiss: If you ask your Swedish host or hostess for a kiss, they might very well direct you to the toilets. In Swedish, the word means 'pee'.
Kiss:如果你向瑞典的男女主人索吻的話,他們很有可能會帶你去廁所。在瑞典語中,這個詞是“尿”的意思。
Portugal
葡萄牙
Pay Day: If you’re in Portugal, refrain from singing with happiness that it’s ‘pay day’. No one will be impressed. In Portuguese it means “I farted”.
Pay Day:如果你在葡萄牙,不要聽到pay day(發(fā)薪水的日子)就開心得不得了,別人不會對你有好印象的,在葡萄牙語中,pay day 的意思是“我放屁了”。
Exquisite: Extend a compliment to your Portuguese host by describing something belonging to them as ‘exquisite’ and you might be met with askance looks: ‘esquisito’ in Portuguese means ‘weird’.
Exquisite:稱贊葡萄牙的男主人時,要是說他的某個東西很exquisite(精致),他會投來懷疑的目光:這個詞在葡萄牙語里的意思是“怪異的”。
Hungary
匈牙利
Cookie: If you’re visiting Hungary, whether on business or for pleasure, avoid asking for a cookie. It means ‘small penis’ in Hungarian.
Cookie:如果你正在匈牙利,無論是出差還是游玩,都不要索要cookie(餅干)。在匈牙利語中它的意思是“小陰莖”。
Japan
日本
Jerry: It’s perhaps a little late for Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, but if you’re in Japan, avoid using the word – it means ‘diarrhoea’ over there.
Jerry:現在買本·杰瑞的冰淇淋可能有點晚了,但如果你在日本,就不要用這個單詞——在那兒的意思是“腹瀉”。
Italy
意大利
Tremendous: Refrain from boasting about the tremendous prices you offer your clients. In this country, ‘tremendo’ is the word for ‘terrible’.
Tremendous:避免吹噓你給客戶報的價格是tremendous prices(高昂的價格),在這個國家里,tremendo是“糟糕”的意思。
Netherlands
荷蘭
Bill: Asking for the bill might raise a few guffaws in the Netherlands: ‘bill’ means ‘buttocks’ there.
Bill:在荷蘭索要bill(賬單)可能會引起哄堂大笑:在那兒的意思是“臀部”。
Lager: It might confuse your Dutch colleagues if you were to ask for a ‘lager’ when having a few drinks with them after work. Lager means ‘storage’ in Dutch.
Lager:如果你下班后和荷蘭的同事一起喝酒時索要lager(窖藏啤酒),他們可能會蒙了。這個詞在荷蘭語中的意思是“倉庫”。
Spain
西班牙
Cool: The word cool is too close for comfort to the Spanish word ‘culo'; a crude term for ‘bum’. Best avoided.
Cool:cool(涼爽)這個單詞的意思太接近西班牙語的單詞culo,是“流浪漢”的一種粗魯的說法,最好不要用。
So be careful when you make use of these words during communication so as not to get lost with contrary meaning and interpretation.
所以,在和別人交流時使用這些詞要注意,以便不會錯誤地表達成相反的意思或解釋。