Donny在北京学汉语,她的中国朋友要是遇到了不知道用美语怎么说的词,就会来请教他。今天是吴琼要问的是:挂羊头卖狗肉。
Donny:Hey 吴琼, 你看,买这个可以赢200块现金奖!
WQ:200块?! 哪有这种好事?I mean....It's too...too 什么来着?
Donny:It's too good to be true!
WQ:没错,It's too good to be true. 哪有这种好事? 你仔细看看,抽奖细则里一定有什么附加条件。Donny, 这种附加条件英文怎么说?
Donny:It's called "catch." You can say:It's too good to be true. What's the catch?
WQ:Oh, catch, C-A-T-C-H, catch. What's the catch? 就是“有什么附加条件”?
Donny:对。Now 吴琼, tell me how I can win this.
WQ:你就别想了! 你看,你要先花五百块买这件产品,然后再去抽奖,中奖率千分之三!这根本就是挂羊头卖狗肉!
Donny:挂羊头卖狗肉!这种说法好,英文里叫:false advertising!
WQ:假广告?没错,就这意思。你别被忽悠啊!
Donny:I can't believe I almost got bamboozled!
WQ:Bamboo...竹子什么?
Donny:是 Bamboozle, B-A-M-B-O-O-Z-L-E, 就是骗人。
WQ:换句话说,Bamboozle 就是忽悠别人喽?
Donny:Exactly. I almost got bamboozled. 我差点就被忽悠了。
WQ:是啊,不是说 There is no such thing as a free lunch. 天下没有免费的午餐嘛!
Donny:Yea, you're right! Let's see what you've learned today.
第一,哪有那么好的事是 it's too good to be true;
第二,隐含的附加条件是 catch, as in "What's the catch?"
第三,挂羊头卖狗肉是 false advertising;
第四,忽悠是 bamboozle!