bitch 壞女人,賤貨
bitchiness 惡意
bitch 將……弄壞
bitch 對……抱怨
bitch(ing) 非常大的,范圍廣的
bitchy懷有惡意的
as(like,than)a bitch(強化比喻)
the bitch (of it)is… 障礙為……,困難在……
son of a bitch 狗東西,狗娘養(yǎng)的,混蛋,畜生,不是玩意,無情的男人
son of a bitching(-in’)(加強語氣)
Bitch一字可當名詞、形容詞、副詞、及物動詞和不及物動詞。當名詞時,后可隨of的短語,亦可隨動詞不定式(infinitive);當形容詞時,加后綴-ness使之成為名詞,具“刻薄、惡意”等的性質(zhì)或狀態(tài);當副詞時,后隨形容詞,意為“很”,“很夠”,“極”;當不及物動詞時,后隨介詞about、at;當及物動詞時,常系副詞-up (注意連字“-”符號)。當強化比喻用時,以動詞或比較級形容詞冠之,除含有諷刺語氣,表非凡人或物外,余均含負面意義——表“討厭,賤,可憎”等。Son of a bitch 當名詞時,除罵男人為“狗東西”,“狗娘養(yǎng)的”,“畜生”,“混蛋”,“可憐蟲”等外,也當“費解的事”或“難辦的事”解;當感嘆詞時,是“真泄氣”,“嚇死人” (表示 disappointment 或 surprise),其口語變化字是son-ovabitch,或縮寫成“s.o.b.”。Bitch及son of a bitch 雖是通俗語,在一般非正式場合可以使用,但仕人淑女仍應避免。
Bitch 當名詞時——罵女人,咒事物
1. the bitch,a bitch 壞女人、被譏笑的女子;泛指女子,騷貨
A. She whacked1 the old bird for his insurance money,then ran off with a younger guy.
她為了那怪老頭的保險金而謀害他后,勾搭上一個年輕小伙子跑掉了。
B. The bitch. May-December marriages2 do sometimes end up3 like that.
賤女人!老夫少妻的婚姻有時就是如此下場。
注:
1. whacked 重擊,用力打。此處乃俚語的“謀害”之意。
2. May-December marriage 指男女年齡懸殊的婚姻——老夫少妻。
3. do…end up end up(vi+adv)是“告終,收場,結(jié)束”。此句重音在do上,do是情態(tài)助動詞,用來強調(diào)后面的動詞。有“的確會如此地……”“常常會這樣……”之意。
A. (Store owner’s wife) Here come the motorcycle gang and their bitches.
(店主的太太)飆車族和他們的娘們來了。
B. (Store owner) Go inside. I don’t want any trouble from them.
(店主)進去吧,我不想惹麻煩。
2. a bitch 笨重物——如“船只、大卡車;激怒人的討厭東西”
A. Stretch limousines are great status symbols.
長體禮車很能代表身份。
B. But they are a bitch to park.
可是車體笨重,不易停泊。
A. This nail’s a real bitch. Can’t pull it Out.
鐵釘拔不出來,真討厭。
B. Try using a crowbar.
用個鐵橇試試。
3. a bitch,one bitch 艱苦差事,可憎的、不愉快的、不舒服的事物或處所
A. I have a bitch of a headache.
我頭疼得很厲害。
B. Try lying down. It just may go away.
躺下來吧,頭疼或許就會消除。
A. Life is a bitch.
人生常不如意。
B. Only if you are a pessimist.
只有悲觀者這么想。
A. Putting out the oil well fires in Kuwait was one bitch of a job.
將科威特油井的大火撲滅,是一樁很艱苦的工作。
B. I hope you’ll never have to do it again.
但愿你以后不再有這個麻煩了。
4. a bitch 非凡的,了不起的,意外的,或驚奇的人、事、物
A. A laser-guided missile is a bitch of a weapon.
激光制導導彈是非凡的武器。
B. The U.S. used many in the Gulf War against Iraq.
在海灣戰(zhàn)爭時,美國打伊拉克用了許多枚。
A. The very day1 he bought his new Benz,he drove it into a tree.
他買了一輛新奔馳車,當天就撞到樹上。
B. Ain’t that a bitch!
真想不到啊!
注:
1. the very day = the day when… 是關系副詞,連接兩個從句。very在此是形容詞,表“就在那同一”,“恰好是”之意。
5. a bitch 抱怨
A. My boss is great. When I have a bitch,he’s always willing to listen.
我的老板很好。每當我有抱怨時,他都肯傾聽。
B. Unfortunately,mine isn’t.
可惜,我的老板就不肯了。
6. bitchiness 具刻薄或惡意的狀態(tài)或性質(zhì)
A. I detected a tinge of bitchiness in her voice.
我發(fā)現(xiàn)她話中有點帶刺。
B. She must be upset about something。
她一定是對什么事情不滿。
Bitch 當形容詞、副詞、動詞時
1. 當形容詞時——加 ing(in’)成為bitching(bitchin’),意為:“非常大的,范圍廣的;好極了,特棒,特別漂亮的(學生用語)”;加-y 成為 bitchy,意為:“刻薄的,有惡意的,艱苦的,難的”;“有誘惑力的”
A. I never thought you’d make it.
我想你一定趕不來了。
B. Neither did I. All planes were grounded because of1 a bitchin’ typhoon.
我也是認為來不及了。大臺風襲境,飛機都停飛了。
注:
1. because of 由于……原因,是介詞短語(preposition phrase)。本身是由介詞合成 (prepositional phrase),而又當介詞用,不像on the increase是當形容詞用,at times 當副詞用。
A. She had a car like mine. A bitchin’ BMW.
她從前的車跟我的一樣,一部很漂亮的寶馬。
B. Her dad gave it to her on her 18th birthday.
是她過十八歲生日時她老爸送的。
A. The photographs he took in Hawaii are bitchin’.
他在夏威夷拍的照片真漂亮。
B. Yeah. Especially those sunset shots.
是啊!尤其是日落的那些照片。
A. I like to attend fashion shows.
我喜歡參加服裝展示會。
B. Me too. You can watch1 the models strike those bitching poses.
我也是,可看到模特兒擺出誘人的姿勢。
注:
1. watch 在此為及物動詞,加了賓語且可跟動詞原形(主動)或過去分詞(被動),作賓語的補語。watch 這樣的動詞叫使役動詞 (causative verbs),為數(shù)不多,如 have,get,help,make 等。
A. Some jokes about President Clinton are really bitchy.
攻擊克林頓總統(tǒng)的笑話有些真刻薄。
B. But his job-approval rating1 is at an all-time high2.
可是他的工作評價已達最高峰。
注:
1. job-approval rating 工作評價(此處是由民意調(diào)查抽樣獲得)。
2. at an all-time high 達最高峰(指自克林頓任總統(tǒng)以來)。此處 high 是名詞。
A. That was a bitchy red number1 she wore to the award ceremony.
她參加頒獎典禮時穿了一件很迷人的紅色服裝。
B. It was designed especially for her.
是專門為她設計的。
注:
1. number在此處當“服裝”解,不是“數(shù)字”。Number 除了當數(shù)字解外,亦當“有誘惑力的異性”解,如 Who’s the hot number in the pink miniskirt?(穿粉紅色迷你裙的那個誘人的妞是誰啊?);In the lead role was a tall,dark number. (黑黑的高個子演男主角。);number 也當“一對情侶”解,如 His sister and Mark have been a number for months now. (他的妹妹和馬克是一對情侶已經(jīng)有幾個月了。);另當“例行工作或任務”解,如 She gets paid nicely for just doing her number (她只做她的例行工作也賺不少錢。);Watch how she does her number in the play. (看她如何扮演戲里的角色。);復數(shù) numbers 當“非法摸彩”解,如 He got three years for his involvement in the numbers racket. (他參與非法摸彩活動被判三年徒刑)。此外有number one products(一流的產(chǎn)品),a number one performance(一流的演出)等。
A. (About a certain movie star) She’s played many bitchy roles. But she has no regets。
(談某電影明星)她演的角色有很多是難演的,但她無怨無悔。
B. If only I had her money1!
但愿我有她那么多的錢!
注:
1. If only I had her money 是現(xiàn)在時的假設句(present subjunctive mood),用過去簡單動詞 had 表述現(xiàn)在的空想,過去時的假設用 had+P.P.。
2. 當副詞用時——后隨形容詞或副詞,意為“很、夠、極為”
A. Houston gets bitchin’ muggy in the summer.
夏天休士頓悶熱得難受。
B. But afternoon showers help1 cool things off.
但午后下過陣雨就會涼快些。
注:
1. help 此一及物動詞后不論有無賓語均可跟不定式免去“to”(infinitive without“to”),句中的cool off便是原形的動詞短語。
3. 當動詞時——后隨副詞、名詞、介詞短語,有“抱怨、訓斥、責罵、尋花問柳,弄壞、糟蹋、欺騙”諸意
A. If everyone spent half as much time writing complimentary letters about their favorite authors instead of bitching about the crap1 they don’t like,I’m sure everyone,authors and readers alike (editors don’t count;they thrive on controversy),would smile a little more.
(N.Y.Press,7/24-30/96,讀者投稿)
如果大家多投稿稱贊最喜愛的作家,少投稿抱怨不喜歡的狗屁文章,那樣,作家和讀者都會快樂些(編輯不算,這些人靠爭論走紅)。
注:
1. crap 是“廢話”或“狗屁不通的文章”(nonsense,rubbish);也指“糞便”,如 take a crap (大便);當不及物動詞時,是“拉屎”,如 The baby crapped in his diaper. (嬰兒拉屎在尿布上。)
A. What are they bitching about?
他們在抱怨什么?
B. Same old stuff. Long hours,low pay,poor working conditions.
還不是老套:工作時間過長,工資太低,工作環(huán)境又差。
A. You could hear his mom bitching at him1 clear across the street.
對街都聽得見他媽媽在訓他。
B. She should tone it down2 a little. It gets embarrassing.
她不應該這樣吼叫,聽起來令人不安。
注:
1. hear… bitching at him 在 hear,see,feel,watch 少數(shù)及物動詞加賓語后可跟現(xiàn)在分詞短語,做賓語補足語(objective complement),表示正在進行中,也可跟不定詞免“to”,表示曾發(fā)生之事。
2. tone (it) down 調(diào)低[收音機,講話等]音量,另有tone down one’s anger or criticism (緩和憤怒或批評)等。
A. She bitches and moans1 all day. Doesn’t matter about what.
她不管為了什么事,整天都抱怨不已。
B. Maybe she should see a psychiatrist.
也許她應該去看看心理醫(yī)生吧。
注:
1. bitch and moan 抱怨,這兩個不及物動詞常聯(lián)合使用。
A. Politicians who go bitching1 are eventually exposed.
尋花問柳的政客終會被揭發(fā)。
B. Their career inevitably goes down the tubes2.
這些人的政治生涯必然完蛋。
注:
1. go bitching 做“尋花問柳”之事。go后的V-ing多為運動及購物,go有l(wèi)inking verb的功能,如 go mad(瘋了),go bad(壞了)等,故go后面的V-ing有人主張是現(xiàn)在分詞。
2. go down the tubes (俚)等于 ruined。此語與沖浪有關,tube指大浪頭卷起時形成的空道就像水管管道,故有“沖下”、“沖走”、“毀滅”之意。
A. Don’t bitch-up my project with any of your wacky ideas.
別亂出餿主意,搞壞我這個計劃。
B. But boss,didn’t you say you wanted to save money?
可是老板啊,你不是說過要省錢嗎?
A. He tried to bitch me out of $10,000.
他企圖騙我一萬塊錢。
B. I never realized you had that much money!
沒想到你竟然有那么多錢啊!
Bitch 當強化比喻時——跟隨在as a…,like a…,than a…之后,形成副詞短語,表示“特……”,“極……”
A. It’s cold as a bitch today.
今天特別冷。
B. Put on an extra pair of gloves.
多戴一副手套吧!
A. It ran like a bitch when we chased it.
我們追它時,它跑得特別快。
B. Did you finally catch it?
最后抓到了沒有?
A. It’s hotter than a bitch in a sauna.
桑拿浴澡堂極熱。
B. But it’s so relaxing.
可是多么地舒服啊!
Bitch 當名詞——指“困擾的是……”,“障礙在……”
1. the bitch of it is…
A. We’d like to buy a new car and a bigger house.
我們想買一輛新車,買幢大點的房子。
B. The bitch of it is we can never save enough money.
困難的是,錢永遠存不夠。
2. the bitch is…
A. We must get the heads of these two nations together to negotiate.
我們得把這兩個國家的領袖湊在一起談判才是。
B. The bitch is,they never agree on anything.
困難的是,他們倆的話永不投機。
Son of a Bitch 罵男人,咒事
1. son of a bitch,sonovabitch 狗東西,狗娘養(yǎng)的,混蛋,畜生,殘忍的人,不是玩意,無情的人
A. (Sees1 a guy getting into his car and driving it off) Hey! You son of a bitch2! Come back here with my car!
(看到一男子坐進他的轎車而開走)喂!你這個狗東西!把我的車子給開回來!
注:
1. sees…是when he sees…的口語化,省去了主語。
2. You son of a bitch 是 You are the son of a bitch的口語化,且更有力,如對方是多數(shù)人時,須為 you sons of bitches。
A. What kind of a son of a bitch puts a snake in a man’s salad?
(Blindman(1971)影片中的對白)
把蛇放進人家的沙拉中算是什么玩藝兒?
A. The guy who shot me1? It’s the same…son of a bitch who did2 Hunsacker.
(Lethal Weapon(1987)影片中的對白)
你問我誰射傷我的嗎?與殺害翰薩克的是同……一個混蛋。
注:
1. The guy who shot me? 注意這種口語簡化的句型。完全的句型是 Who is the guy who shot me?
2. did 是黑道俚語,作“殺死”,“干掉”解。
A. Long before he hits 30,Peterson1 will be a free man. Still wealthy. Still cute. Prime time for the gifted sonovabitch to start a family.
(N.Y.Post,3/10/98)
皮得生在三十歲前就會期滿出獄,依然富有,仍逗人喜愛,正是那有天賦的混蛋成家的金色年華。
注:
1. Peterson 當年僅十九歲的皮得生,因被控將其女友所生的私生子殺害棄尸而坐牢兩年。
2. s.o.b.,S.O.B. 無情的人,畜生,惡人
A. “In my book1,” he writes,“an S.O.B. is someone who uses whatever tactics it takes to get the job done—to rise to the top.”
(Fortune雜志,10/23/89)
他寫道:“我的書上寫著,為了達到目的——能夠出人頭地,唯利是圖的男人是不擇手段的那種人?!?
注:
1. 文中的書系指Al Neuharth的自傳“Confessions of an S.O.B.”(惡人自白);in my book 也可當“依我的看法”解,此處或可視為雙關語。
A. I believe in practicing the S.O.B.’s Golden Rule2:Expect others to do unto you what yon would do to them.
(節(jié)錄自Confessions of an S.O.B.書中)
我認為實施唯利是圖的男人的金科玉律是對的:你怎么樣對待別人,別人理所當然地會以牙還牙。
注:
1. 文中主角 Al Neuharth. 是“今日美國”(USA Today) 日報的創(chuàng)辦人。
2. Golden Rule 原為《圣經(jīng)》的戒律:“自己愿人怎樣對待你,你也要怎樣對待人。”(Do to others as you would have them do to you.)
Son of a Bitch 可憐蟲、無辜者
A. Life is a banquet and most poor sons of bitches are starving to death.
(Village Voice 5/7/96)
人生如宴會,但多數(shù)可憐的人卻成了餓死鬼。
A. Hey,look man,I didn’t mean to shoot the son of a bitch! The gun went off. I don’t know why.
(Pulp Fiction (1994)影片中的對白)
你聽我說嘛!我無意開槍打那無辜的人,不知怎么,槍支走了火。
Son of a Bitch 當“難解釋”或“難辦的事”解
A. This calculus problem is a real son of a bitch.
這個微積分習題真費腦筋。
Son of a Bitch 當驚嘆詞或感嘆詞時——表示“生氣,吃驚”或“自怨”
A. Son of a bitch! I forgot my keys again!
氣不氣人!我又忘了帶鑰匙!
A. Son of a bitch! Next time,knock before you come in!
嚇死人了!下次進來,要先敲一下門。
Son of a Bitch 當虛詞或形容詞解時——bitch 加in’或 ing,以加強語氣
A. I can’t get this son of a bitchin’ car started1!
這混蛋車子發(fā)動不了呀!
注:
1. 此句 get this car+過去分詞 started,就是前面說的賓語的被動式補語。只有g(shù)et,have,see,hear,watch 等及物動詞有此特性。