bonehead 笨蛋、蠢貨(戲稱)補(bǔ)習(xí)課程;補(bǔ)習(xí)性的
boneheaded 蠢的,笨的
Bonehead用為名詞及形容詞,作“笨瓜”及“笨的”解,是在 1909年始見于英文文獻(xiàn);其作“補(bǔ)習(xí)的”解,乃戲稱“補(bǔ)習(xí)課程”。在美國(guó),高中大學(xué)所設(shè)置的給程度較差學(xué)生上的課程,如 bonehead English(基礎(chǔ)英文),bonehead Math (基礎(chǔ)數(shù)學(xué))等。bonehead 是俚語(yǔ),并不粗俗,正式社交場(chǎng)所使用無(wú)妨。
Bonehead 當(dāng)名詞
1. Bonehead 笨蛋、蠢貨
A. He1 sold Seagram’s2 giant stake in DuPont3,which has gone through the roof4. He sold a good chunk of his stake in Time Warner5—right before the stock took off like a rocket6… He merged his TV business with those of his friend and mentor, Barry Diller7,giving up control over8 TV assets that many consider essential. What a bonehead!
(N.Y.Post,5/12/98)
他賣掉西格拉姆斯公司擁有的杜邦公司龐大股份后,杜邦的股價(jià)猛漲;他在時(shí)代華納股價(jià)一飛沖天前,賣掉他在該公司的股份;他將他的電視事業(yè)與友人又是師傅的迪勒爾的企業(yè)合并,[結(jié)果]把多數(shù)人覺得重要的電視資產(chǎn)的控制權(quán)拱手讓人。多笨的人啊!
注:
1. he 指布郎夫曼(Edgar Bronfman,Jr.),是西格拉姆斯公司總裁。
2. Seagram 西格拉姆斯公司,乃美國(guó)的大型釀酒公司之一。
3. DuPont 指杜邦化學(xué)公司,聞名全球。
4. has gone through the roof (成語(yǔ))以“沖出屋頂”喻“猛漲”。
5. Time Warner 指時(shí)代華納媒體企業(yè)。
6. took off like a rocket (成語(yǔ))以“火箭發(fā)射”喻“一飛沖天”。 take off(vi+adv.)飛機(jī)起飛。
7. Barry Diller 迪勒爾,住在紐約市的一名富商,擁有電視購(gòu)物中心(TV Shopping Network)等事業(yè)。
8. give up control over… 放棄對(duì)……的控制。在此處 giving up 是現(xiàn)在分詞短語(yǔ),動(dòng)作時(shí)間與 merge同時(shí),或緊隨其后。共同主語(yǔ)是he,control為其賓語(yǔ),over為對(duì)……控制之固定介詞,以便后跟適當(dāng)受控制對(duì)象。
A. Just about every woman here,Connie Chaney says,… belongs to the Family2. At the Port of Los Angeles,you’re either descended from longshoremen or you’re not. And her father was a mail driver. Doesn’t bother me. Chaney shrugs. Just let me do my job. But more than a few bonebeads around here aren’t always so open-minded.
(L.A.Times,1/24/99)
據(jù)柴妮女士說(shuō),此地女士幾乎全是……大家族的一員。在洛杉磯港務(wù)局[任職的女性有兩種人]:碼頭工人的后代,與非碼頭工人的后代。她的父親是郵件卡車駕駛,柴妮聳聳肩說(shuō),我不因此而煩惱,只要讓我好好上班就行,不過(guò),此地有不少笨家伙總是不夠開朗。
注:
1. 文中主角是男人世界中的女性,不以門第卑下為恥。
2. Family 字首大寫,旨在強(qiáng)調(diào)。
A. But the cafe has its regulars. Like Bonehead,nicknamed for his penchant for doing so many stupid things,such as standing outside the cafe,taunting the bouncers until they call the cops to haul him away. Bonehead goes to jail1,but he’s right back hours later.
(L.A.Times,Home Edition,8/24/97)
但是那家咖啡館有常客,如那個(gè)呆子,以做蠢事聞名,他站在咖啡館外嘲罵保鏢,直到警察被叫來(lái)把他帶走。呆子坐了牢,但是幾個(gè)小時(shí)以后又回來(lái)了。
注:
1. go to jail 坐牢。在 jail 前不用冠詞,代表一定含意。這類特殊情形另如 go to church (做禮拜),go to market(買東西),go to school(上學(xué)),后面的名詞不是地點(diǎn),而是功能,否則就要加冠詞了,如 I am going to the jail to see a friend of mine. (我去監(jiān)獄探望一個(gè)朋友——而非坐牢。)
Bonehead 當(dāng)形容詞
A. “We1 have nights when the questions are great,I’m well prepared,our entire staff is well-prepared,and if we get deadhead,bonehead callers,the show doesn’t come off2.”
(Sports Illustrated,2/15/88)
有的晚上節(jié)目?jī)?nèi)容很棒,我有充分的準(zhǔn)備,我們?nèi)咳藛T有充分的準(zhǔn)備,然而打電話給我們的如果是死腦筋的人,節(jié)目就會(huì)失敗。
注:
1. we 指以運(yùn)動(dòng)為范圍的半小時(shí)有線電視的猜謎節(jié)目,主持人發(fā)問(wèn),觀眾 call in 回答。
2. come off(vi.+adv.) 成功、舉行、脫落,多是不及物動(dòng)詞短語(yǔ),但有時(shí)off是介詞(vi.+介)后跟名詞,意思是“自……脫落”,如 This button came off my shirt.(此鈕扣自我的襯衫脫落)
A. Jack Breen taught me what used to be called “Bonehead English”1 at Marin Catholic High School 24 years ago. I was so boneheaded,in fact,that I had to take two of his classes back to back1 in my freshman year.
二十四年前念馬林天主教高中時(shí),杰克·布陵教我以前所謂的“笨人”英文補(bǔ)習(xí)課。實(shí)在說(shuō),我笨到一年級(jí)得連上他兩堂課的程度。
注:
1. Bonehead English 補(bǔ)強(qiáng)性的英文課程。
2. back to back 連續(xù)地,背靠背地(with)。