选自英语实战训练营素材,作者为英语兔老师
我们经常会听外国人说:Thank you. I am so flattered.
遇到这句话,很多人摸不着头脑了。
如果你去查字典,flatter的解释是:奉承;讨好;向…谄媚;自命不凡
那么是翻译成:我被奉承了?
于是你就有疑问了:
这句话到底是好话,还是坏话?是褒义,还是贬义?为什么就怪怪的?
注意:
flattered不能直译为“我被奉承了”,可以翻译成“过奖了”,“我受宠若惊”、“我很荣幸”、“我很高兴”。这句话在英语中其实这是一个标准的说法而已。其实美国人偶尔也会讨论这句话会否产生歧义,看看他们是怎么理解的:
You ought to be safe enough responding to a compliment with 'I'm flattered' - it simply means that you're acknowledging their kindness with warmth (and it's fairly standard); it does not mean that you've interpreted their praise as insincerity.
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