不久前,美国《纽约时报》公布了一项《2015年度最讨厌的10大英语词汇》,其中包括‘Manspreading’,‘Vape’,‘So’等。这些词汇大多是被滥用、误用的,看看哪些词汇是你经常爱使用的吧~
1.So
So the word that received the most nominations this year was already banished,but today it is being used differently than it was in 1999,when nominators were saying,“I am SO down with this list!” Nominations came from across the country。
So,这个单词是今年被提名最多的,现如今已经变成了一个贬义词。现在这个词的使用和1999年不同了,当时提名的人大(微博)多说:“我是列表这样下载的!”So的提名来自全国各地。
[上榜理由]
Tune in to any news channel and you‘ll hear it。 The word serves no purpose in the sentence and to me is like fingernails on a chalkboard。 So, I submit the extra, meaningless, and overused word “so。”-Scott Shackleton,Sault Ste.Marie,Mich。
几乎在所有新闻里你都能听到。这个单词对整个具体来说毫无意义,对我而言它就像指甲划过黑板那样刺耳。所以,我觉得“so”是个毫无意义,被滥用的单词。-Scott Shackleton,Sault Ste.Marie,Mich。
2.Conversation
Online publications invite us to “join the conversation,” which is usually more of a scream-fest。 Gayle wonders if “debate has become too harsh for our delicate sensibilities。 Now we are all encouraged to have a ‘conversation,’ and everything will somewhat be magically resolved。”
在线刊物邀请我们“加入对话”,而不是做一个屏幕观众。盖尔对“争论是否对细腻情感太过于苛刻”表示怀疑。“现在我们都被鼓励去参加谈话,然后所有事都神奇地被解决了。”
[上榜理由]
Over the past five years or so, this word has been increasingly used by talking heads on radio, television and in political circles to describe every form of verbal communication known to mankind。 It has replaced ‘discussion’, ‘debate’, ‘chat’ ,‘discourse’, ‘argument’, ‘lecture’, ‘talk’…。all of which can provide some context to the nature of the communication。 Perhaps the users feel that it is a word that is least likely to offend people, but I consider it to be imprecise language that, over time, dumbs down the art of effective discourse。-Richard Fry, Marathon,Ont。
近五年来,这个单词在广播、电视、政治圈中使用的频率持续上升,只要是人类用语言沟通的方面都会用“conversation”来表达。它已经代替了“discussion(讨论)”、“debate(辩论)”、“chat(聊天)”、“discourse(论述)”、“argument(争论)”、“lecture”(演讲)、“talk(说话)”等一切可以(在特定语境下)准确表现交流的含义的词汇。可能使用者觉得“conversation”这个单词是最不会冒犯别人的,但我认为这大大损害了语言的有效性和准确性。-Richard Fry, Marathon,Ont
3.Problematic
“A corporate-academic weasel word,” according to the Urban Dictionary。
根据城市词典(解释英语俚语词汇的词典),这是一个听起来很厉害,但却意义不明的单词。
[上榜理由]
Anything that the speaker finds vaguely inconvenient or undesirable, such as an opposing political belief or bad traffic。 Contrast things that are self-evidently taken to be problematic with, say, actual problems like a hole in the ozone layer or a job loss。-Adam Rosen, Asheville,N.C。
任何稍微觉得有些难表达或不受欢迎的就用这个词来形容,像发表政治观点,或者谈论交通堵塞。很多环境问题或者失业等事情,普遍都知道“是个问题”,也用“problematic”这个词,不是多此一举吗?-Adam Rosen, Asheville,N.C。
4.Stakeholder
A word that has expanded from describing someone who may actually have a stake in a situation or problem, now being over-used in business to describe customers and others。
这个词原来是描述那些在某个情况或问题有利害关系的人,现在商业中,被滥用在描述客户或其他(无关的)人。
[上榜理由]
Often used with “engagement。” If someone is disengaged, they‘re not really a stakeholder in the first place。 LSSU, please engage your stakeholders by adding this pretentious jargon to your list。-Gwendolyn Barlow, Portland,Ore。
“Stakeholder”这个单词常与“engagement”一起使用。如果某股东撤股了,那他当然就不是股东了。求LSSU大学的相关人员将这个浮夸的行话入选榜单!-Gwendolyn Barlow, Portland,Ore
5.Price point
Another example of using two words when one will do。
另一个明明一个词就能表达,却偏要用两个词解释的例子。
[上榜理由]
“This alliterative mutation seems to be replacing the word ‘price’ or ‘cost。’ It may be standard business-speak, but must it contaminate everyday speech?” says Kevin Carney of Chicago, who provided an example in the March 19,2015 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine,pg.1171, which says,“Although the ‘price point’ of effective new drugs。。。may initially be out of reach for many patients。。。”
来自芝加哥的Kevin Carney说:”这个押头韵的短语看似替代了“price”或“cost”。它是可以用于商务用语,但在日常用语中也非要这么用吗?“他还举例:“在2015年3月19日的医疗杂志中写道:Although the ‘price point’ of effective new drugs。。。may initially be out of reach for many patients。。。” 这里用price(价格)不就好了,何必用price point(价格点)呢?
6.Break the Internet
A phrase that is annoying online word-watchers around the world。
一个让全世界在线文字研究者都厌烦的词组。
[上榜理由]
An annoying bit of hyperbole about the latest saucy picture or controversy that is already becoming trite。
一个用来吸引眼球的短语,通常用来形容艳照或八卦,(殊不知)这个单词已是陈词滥调了。
7.Walk it back
A slower back-pedal?
更慢得往回走?
[上榜理由]
“It seems as if every politician who makes a statement has to ‘walk it back’, meaning retract the statement, or explain it in laborious detail to the extent that the statement no longer has any validity or meaning once it has been ‘walked back’”-Max Hill。
这个短语好像每个做陈述的政治家都会“walk it back”,意思就是撤回声明,或者非常详细的解释一旦被‘walked back’(撤回)这个声明不再有任何效力和意义。-Max Hill
8.Presser
This shortened form of ‘press release’ and ‘press conference’ is not so impressive。
“press release”(媒体报道)和“press conference”(新闻发布会)这两个简称不是那么深得人心。
[上榜理由]
Not only is there no intelligent connection between the word ‘presser’ and its supposed meaning, this word already has a definition: a person or device that removes wrinkles。 Let‘s either say ‘press conference’ or ‘press release’ or come up with something more original, intelligent and interesting!-Constance Kelly。
“不但Presser和它想表明的含义之间没有什么明确联系,而且这个词原本已经有“压制工”或者“压榨机”的意思了。要么说“press release”(媒体报道)或“press conference”(新闻发布会)”,要么就和原始的、机智的和有趣的事物联系起来。-Constance Kelly
9.Giving me life
The phrase refers to anything that may excite a person, or something that causes one to laugh。
这个短语指那些能激发你兴趣、或让人发笑的东西或事情
[上榜理由]
投票人觉得这个词组被滥用了,也夸张过了头。
10.Physicality
We had to include one for the sports fans。 John Kollig of Jamestown, N.Y。, says this is overused by every sports broadcaster and writer。
我们得为体育爱好者选这个单词。John Kollig说,几乎每个体育播音员或撰稿人都爱滥用这个单词。
[上榜理由]
“I am not sure who is responsible, but over the last 12-18 months you cannot watch a sporting event, listen to a sports talk show on radio, or anything on ESPN without someone using this term to attempt to describe an athlete or a contest。”-Dan Beitzel。
不知道谁该为这个词负责。但在过去的一年多,只要你看体育赛事、听体育节目,任何体育频道里,都有人用这个词来形容某个运动员或比赛。-Dan Beitzel。:(来源:沪江英语)