英美人的"面包文化"(二)

面包既然是英美人的主要食物,"黄油"自然就是她的孪生姐妹,在西方人的眼里,"涂着黄油的面包"(bread and butter)这对双胞胎,"一个都不能少".面包和黄油这对"老搭档"在英美国家历史悠久,所以,关于两者的转义也就特别多,归纳起来,主要有以下几种:

1. bread and butter在俚语中指"事情,干系".如:It's no bread and butter of mine.这事与我无关.

2. bread and butter还常用作感叹词,表示"老天保佑".如:Bread and butter! I've passed the exam.老天保佑,我及格了.

3. bread-and-butter表示"与谋生有关的,有实际用处的".如:What you need, I reckon, is less book learning and more bread-and-butter learning. 我想你需要少学些书本知识,多学些有实用价值的知识.

4. bread-and-butter还表示"对所受款待表示感谢的".如:After spending the weekend as a guest in the Jones' home, Alice wrote the Jones the usual bread-and-butter letter. 爱丽丝周末在琼斯家里作客后,给琼斯夫妇写了封例行的感谢款待的信.

5. bread-and

-butter还表示"平凡的,平庸的".如:They asked some bread-and-

butter questions.他们问了几个很普通的问题.

6. bread-and-butter还表示"稚气的,女学生派头的".如bread-and-butter miss表示"女学生派头十足的姑娘".

7. bread buttered on both sides指"幸运的处境,安适的境遇;鸿运高照".如:Wherever Walter goes he is sure to find his bread buttered on both sides.沃尔特无论到什么地方去,总是鸿运高照.

8. know which side one's bread is buttered on 指"明白自己的利益所在,知道怎么维护自己的利益,善为个人利益谋算".如:He was a hard-boiled businessman. He knew which side his bread was buttered on.他是一个不动感情、注重实际的商人,深知自己的利益所在.

西方人的"面包文化"在《圣经》里多有体现,面包在《圣经》里一般指食物.如:ask for bread and be given a stone即求面包而得石头,表示"求怜悯却遇到铁石心肠";break bread with sb. 表示"与某人共餐;受某人的款待".如:"I little thought," retorted Martin, "but a month ago, that I should be breaking bread and pouring wine with you. I drink to you." 马丁回答道,"我一个月以前还想不到现在会跟你在一起共餐饮酒,我为你干杯."cast one's bread upon the waters表示"真心行善不望报,不期望报答地做好事".如:I gave each of them a five-dollar tip, that's called bread cast on the waters.我给他们每人5美元的小费,这叫"真心行善不望报".

看来英美人的"面包"不如形象中的那样好啃,这其中的文化可不是三口两口就能吃下肚的,唯有细嚼慢咽,才能得其营养,取其精华.