當(dāng)我在英國讀書的時候,每個宿舍房間都配有一個煮茶用的水壺。
I foolishly asked the British students, “Why do youneed a kettle? Can’t you just make your tea in themicrowave?”
我當(dāng)時傻里傻氣地問我的英國同學(xué):“你們?yōu)槭裁匆盟畨?不能直接用微波爐來泡茶嗎?”
Their response:
而他們的反應(yīng)是:
At least they didn’t kill me.
謝天謝地,他們沒有處決我。
Never assume that a British person is English.
絕對不要想當(dāng)然地以為一個英國人是英格蘭人。
It will be highly resented by the Scottish, Welsh, and certain Irish people.
這會惹毛蘇格蘭人、威爾士人以及一部分愛爾蘭人。
And never assume that what English people do is typical of what British people do.
而且,也不要以為英格蘭人干的事就是全英國人都干的事。
There are over 130 languages spoken in Britain, and the Scottish, Welsh, and Irish have theirown languages, apart from that, they sometimes speak English in accents that areindecipherable to most English people.
英國總共有130多種語言,蘇格蘭人、威爾士人以及愛爾蘭人都有自己的語言;除此之外,他們有些人的英語口音是英格蘭人根本聽不懂的。
Also, there are very few English people who speak English in the way it is spoken by Newsreaders, actors, or politicians.
另外,實(shí)際上只有很少英格蘭人的英語聽起來像新聞播報員、演員和政客那樣。
‘Thanks’ or ‘That’s okay’ just after someone says ‘Sorry’ to you.
如果有人對你說“對不起”,不要回答“謝謝”或者“沒關(guān)系”。
The correct response is for both of you to say ‘Sorry’ and keep saying it until you’re well out ofearshot.
正確的做法應(yīng)該是雙方都說“對不起”,而且要一邊走遠(yuǎn)一邊說,一直到對方聽不見。