Life and Language (West)

Mention America’s West to Sarah Ann McIntosh, and her face lights up like a jack-o-lantern. She becomes animated when talking about one of the largest, most diverse regions in the United States.“Wide open spaces. Cowboys. Movies. Music. Computer chips. Tacos. Espresso stands,” she says in rapid succession. “Beautiful people. Surfers. Mountain men. Buffaloes. Las Vegas strip. Blizzards. Icebergs.”
向莎拉‧安‧麥金塔談到美國西部，她的臉就會像南瓜燈般亮起來。一談到這個美國其中
一個最大、最多樣化的地區，她就顯得興緻勃勃。「寬闊的空間、牛仔、電影、音樂、電腦
晶片、炸玉米餅、e s p r e s so咖啡攤，」她一個接著一個地說：「還有美麗的居民、衝浪者
、山居人、水牛、拉斯維加斯的脫衣舞表演、暴風雪、冰山。」
As Ms. McIntosh shows, the West covers a vast expanse—not only the Pacific and Rocky
Mountain states, but Alaska as well. It is a territory that has held a mythical appeal for centuries and comprises what many consider America’s last frontier. For many, the American West is an idea, a promise, a seed of hope. Henry David Thoreau once wrote: “Eastward I go only by force; westward I go free.”
如同麥小姐所說的，西部涵蓋了一片廣大的地區，不只是瀕太平洋和洛磯山山區的各州，
也包括阿拉斯加。幾世紀以來，這個地區一直散發著神祕的吸引力，許多人認為西部是
美國最後的邊境。對許多人來說，美國西部是一個信念、一個應許、一粒希望的種子。亨
利‧梭羅曾寫過：「東行僅因被迫，西進卻為自由。」
In the 1800s, Horace Greeley exhorted

his countrymen to “Go west,” and
millions took up his call. The stoic individuals who ventured to the frontier were reverently referred to as pioneers, individuals who embodied the true character of the nation.
十九世紀時，格利禮力勸他的同胞們「西進」，數以百萬的人回應了這個呼召。那些前
往邊境冒險堅忍的民眾被景仰為先驅，他們具體表現了這個國家的真實性格。
The West today continues to be a magnet for immigrants and travelers alike. The pioneer days are gone, of course, but when it comes to language, the past is still very much evident in the present. The region became a hodgepodge of languages and dialects, some from the East, some from the South and some from other countries entirely.
對於移民者和旅行家而言，今天的西部仍像一塊大磁鐵吸引著他們。當
然，拓荒的日子已經過了，但談論到語言時，便能非常清楚地看見昔日對今日
的影響。這個地區成為語言和方言的大雜燴，有些來自東部，有些來自南部，
而有些完全是來自別的國家。
Spanish words and phrases crept into the language of the West, eventually entering the American language mainstream. Terms such as canyon, plaza, sombrero, patio, burro, stampede, rodeo, bonanza and pronto all trace their origins to the Spaniards who owned the Southwest before the Americans did.
西班牙的字彙和片語悄悄進入西部的語言，最後進入了美國語言的主流。一些像是峽谷、
購物中心、墨西哥寬邊草帽、中庭（內院）、馱貨的小毛驢、狂衝的牛群、公開的牛仔競
技、走鴻運和立刻等字眼，都可以追本溯源到那些在美國人之前就擁有西南部的西班牙人。
The days of the “Wild, Wild West” also contributed to language in the western regions. Words and phrases like bogus, rip-roaring, joint (as in a place to gather with friends), gunplay, hold up and caught between a rock and a hard place came into the English language when life in the West was wild and peopled with outlaws, sheriffs and cowboys.
「西部拓荒」的日子也有助於西部地區的語言發展。在西部生活仍然狂野，並居住著一些
亡命之徒、警長和牛仔時，一些像是贗品、吵鬧喧嘩的、廉價酒館（一個朋友相聚的地方）、
槍戰、持槍搶劫以及進退維谷等字，也被收容於英語之中。
Hollywood greatly contributed to the cowboy culture and the cowboy legend as well. The producers and directors who churned out the Western flicks would have everyone believe that the West was filled mostly with cowboys, when in fact farmers outnumbered them almost 1,000 to one. Terms such as bounty hunter, gunslinger and to have an itchy trigger finger came from the pens of Hollywood scriptwriters rather than the dusty cattle drives.
對於牛仔文化和牛仔傳奇來說，好萊塢的貢獻也很大。拍攝西部電影的製
作人和導演會使大家相信西部最多的就是牛仔，然而事實上農夫與牛仔數目的
比例大約是1,000 比1。一些字彙像是追捕懸賞之罪犯者、槍戰者，以及愛扣板
機，都是出自好來塢劇本家的筆下，而非來自灰塵瀰漫的驅趕牛群隊伍之中。
Outside Hollywood, California itself is an incubator of American slang, producing phrases such as bodacious, awesome and many more. The state’s Silicon Valley also contributed to English’s high tech lingo: software, hardware and megabyte. And as the computer age has just begun, more are surely on the way.
出了好萊塢，加州本身就造就了美國俚語的普遍，創造了膽大包天的（很
棒的）、引人敬畏的以及許多其他的詞彙。這一州的矽谷也增加了英語的高科
技字彙：軟體、硬體及百萬位元。而因電腦時代剛剛開始，肯定還有很多高科
技字彙會出現。
No discussion of the West would be complete without mention of food. Words for foods of
immigrant cultures can now be found in many grocery stores. Typical American housewives
can buy pesto, tomatillos, focaccia, bok choy and tofu. As un-American as these may sound, foods such as these appear more and more often in dishes on menus in restaurants, particularly in California and the Pacific Northwest.
如果不提到食物，就無法完整的討論西部。現在在許多食品雜貨店，可以
發現移民文化帶來的飲食字眼。典型的美國家庭主婦可以買到p e s to醬（義大利
麵調味醬之一），墨西哥櫻桃，義大利圓麵包，白菜和豆腐。即使這些食物聽起來一點
也不美國化，但它們卻愈來愈常出現在餐廳的菜單上，特別是在加州和
西北太平洋區。
No discussion of the West would be complete without mention of food. Words for foods of
immigrant cultures can now be found in many grocery stores. Typical American housewives
can buy pesto, tomatillos, focaccia, bok choy and tofu. As un-American as these may sound, foods such as these appear more and more often in dishes on menus in restaurants, particularly in California and the Pacific Northwest.
如果不提到食物，就無法完整的討論西部。現在在許多食品雜貨店，可以
發現移民文化帶來的飲食字眼。典型的美國家庭主婦可以買到p e s to醬（義大利
麵調味醬之一），墨西哥櫻桃，義大利圓麵包，白菜和豆腐。即使這些食物聽起來一點
也不美國化，但它們卻愈來愈常出現在餐廳的菜單上，特別是在加州和
西北太平洋區。
As in every area of the United States, language and culture of the West ebb and flow as society changes. Whether it’s new groups of people adding their individual characteristics to the linguistic melting pot or Hollywood, popular novelists, and technological advances changing the lexicon, English continues to change. And as language changes, America changes with it.
如同美國的每個地區，西部的語言和文化隨著社會的改變而盛衰更迭。不
論是新的群體在這個語言鎔爐中加入個別的特性，或是好來塢、通俗小說作家及科技
進步改變了詞彙，英語繼續在變化。而在語言變化的同時，美國也隨之改變。
Nothing is more pleasant for a host than a well-mannered guest. But when you’re the guest, what do you say? How do you act? It’s really not too difficult to be a good guest if you follow a few simple rules. Sometimes children invite a friend over to play after school. Little guests should be well-behaved and respectful to their hosts. It’s OK to ask, “May I have a drink of water?” or “May I use the bathroom?” However, it’s best not to talk about personal matters, such as Mom’s age or Dad’s salary.
對一個主人而言，最愉快的事莫過於招待一個懂得禮數的客人了。但是當你身為客人
的時候，該怎麼應對進退呢？如果你能遵循幾個簡單的原則，要成為一個好客人實在不難。
有時候小孩子會在放學後，邀請朋友到家裡來玩，小客人們應該彬彬有禮，並且尊重主人。
可以問：「可以給我一杯水嗎？」或是：「我可以用你的洗手間嗎？但是最好不要問到私人
的問題，像是媽媽的年齡或是爸爸的薪水等。


⊙Word Bankjack-o-lantern (n) 南瓜燈
exhort (v) 勸告；勸誡

hodgepodge (n) 大雜燴

hodgepodge (n) 大雜燴
people (v) 居住於
outlaw (n) 亡命之徒；罪犯  

flick (n)（俚）電影

flick (n)（俚）電影
ebb and flow (n phr) 如潮汐變化，時漲時落
lexicon (n) 詞彙

well-mannered (adj) 懂禮節、很得體的

@The Day's Phrase

The BBC has been broadcasting news and entertainment for 90 years and counting
英國廣播公司BBC
英國廣播公司播報新聞及娛樂節目長達九十年後，仍持續向前邁進
"Have you seen my glasses?" "Here they are!"
"你有沒看到我的眼鏡?""在這兒!"

Don't miss a chance to see some of the world's most interesting tropical
plants and animals - all in one place!
溼地冒險之旅：潘塔納爾
別錯過這個機會，來見識世上一些最引人入勝的熱帶動、植物──全都齊聚一堂！
Did you remember to lock the door?
你記得鎖門了嗎?
I have to run. See you again on Monday.我得走了, 禮拜一見.

Some of these beautiful creatures are flying away, never to return
消失的彩翼：瀕臨絕種的蝴蝶
有些美麗的蝴蝶飛走了，永遠不再回來

Try not to eat too much. Overeating is not good for you.
試著別吃太多. 吃太多對你身體不好
Judy gave me a strang-looking shirt. I'll probably never wear it.茱蒂送我一件很古怪的襯衫, 我可能永遠都不會穿.

Meet the star of Thanksgiving Day
感恩節火雞
來見見感恩節的明星
You say I can improve my English by simply taking it easy? I don't think so.
你說我只要放輕鬆就可以把英語學好? 我不認為!
Celebrating 50 years of Bond, James Bond
○○七情報員的誕生
慶祝「龐德」詹姆士‧龐德問世五十週年
Take the stairs to my office everyday? That should be easy.
每天走樓梯到我的辦公室? 那應該很容易.
Serious filmmakers are experimenting with smartphones
用智慧型手機拍電影
認真的電影製作者用智慧型手機實驗拍電
Hay, that reminds me! I need to buy milk on my way home.
嘿! 那倒提醒了我, 我回家的時候得去買牛奶
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast. It is not proud.
愛是恆久忍耐, 又有恩慈. 愛是不嫉妒, 愛是不自誇, 不張狂.
Why did you decide not to go to the movies this weekend? Did somthing come up?
你為什麼決定這週末不去看電影? 有什麼事嗎?
This superhero keeps coming back for more
好萊塢最新超級英雄：克里斯‧漢斯沃
這位超級英雄要來拯救更多人
"I bet you'll have to pay a speeding fine!" "I sure hope not!"
"我敢說你一會被罰超速!""我當然希望不要被罰!"

I'm kind of busy right now. Can I call you back in 5 minutes?
我現在有點忙, 五分鐘後再回電給你好嗎?