看《摘星奇緣》學英語(2)：
「騎呢」、「另類」、「硬耳」和「似樣」的英文
Hugh Grant as William Thacker
![]()
- Rhys Ifans as Spike
So the story goes:
The following is one of Bella's favourite scenes from the movie.
This is the immediate scene after William’s opening monologue where we come to meet the funniest character of the film – Spike.
(William has just returned home and calls out to his offbeat and rather eccentric Welsh flatmate, Spike, who appears in an extremely tight pair of shorts obviously too small for him, at least one size smaller than his measurements. Spike's helpless but eager eyes greet William as he enters the hallway.)
Spike: Hey, you couldn't help me with an incredibly important decision, could you?
William: (Busy fixing himself a quick breakfast without giving Spike a single glance, obviously too used to his friend's alternative style and grotesque ideas.) This is important in comparison to, let's say, whether they should cancel Third World debt?
Spike: (Seriously, short of breath) That's right. I am at last going out on a date with the great Jenine and I just wanna be sure I've picked the right T-shirt.
William: (Still quite indifferently, obviously not taking him seriously) What are the choices?
Spike: Well, wait for it.
(William puts two slices of bread into the toaster, turns and waits for Spike.)
Spike: (Making his way down the stairs at a slightly hurried pace in his first T-shirt reading "I love blood") First, there's this one. [Growls] (Quite confidently, seeking approval) Cool, huh?
William: (Confused & struggling to tell him the truth tactfully without hurting his feelings by first showing his agreement to make his remark easier/ less hard on the ear.) Yeah, it might make it hard to strike a really romantic note.
Spike: (Not discouraged, still on a positive note) Point taken. Don't despair. (Scurrying upstairs again.) If it's romance we're looking for, I believe I have just the thing. (Coming down in the second T-shirt reading "Get it here" with an arrow pointing down at his -- you know what.)
William: Yeah, well, there again, she might not think you had true love on your mind.
Spike: (A shade of disappointment crosses his face. Smile disappears.) Right. Just one more.
(William walks away from the foot of the staircase, back to the open-plan kitchen, with an amused smile on his face, wondering what a cute flatmate he has.)
Spike: True love, here I come. (Appears in the third T-shirt printed with the words "You're the most beautiful women in the world" and hearts and an arrow over his left chest.)
William: (So surprised at the decent T-shirt which finally comes before him that he runs out of words at a stage, just looking for the right word to say) Well, yeah, yeah, that's -- that's, um, (sincerely) perfect.
Spike: (Relieved) Great. Thanks. Wish me luck.
William: Good luck.
(Just when all of us feel that Spike is really serious about his date this time, the following shot jolts us into laughter -- as Spike turns, his back reveals the words ' Fancy A Fuck?'.)
這是男主角 William 開場獨白後的第一幕戲, 對手正是電影中最搞鬼的角色—Spike。William 一進門, 他那「騎呢」又古怪的同屋馬上光著上身, 以無助而熱切的眼神歡迎他回家, 明顯有事相求。
Spike向來行徑怪異, 頭腦簡單, 做事直接, 故一開腔招呼也不打便老實不客氣地找William 幫忙。 (Spike 的問題運用了英語中的question tag, 前半句選用否定詞couldn’t, 心中已有答案, 預期友善的William 必會幫忙, 意思是「你能替我做個極之重要的決定, 是吧?」, 而非普通問句「你能否替我做個決定?」Could you help me with a decision?)
William 早已習慣他這個朋友的另類作風和奇怪主意, 沒有看他一眼, 逕自給自己做早餐, 幽Spike 一默, 問他那決定是不是跟取消第三世界債項與否同樣重要。怎料Spike 卻認真得上氣不接下氣地說, 就是了, 他正煩惱約會心儀對象時該穿哪件T-shirt 才好。William 明顯不當他一會事, 冷淡地問他有什麼選擇。接著Spike 的「另類」T-shirt 便逐一出場, William為人厚道, 為了不傷害朋友的感受, 竭力委婉進諫, 回應時先同意再說真話, 使不哪樣忠言逆耳(「冇咁硬耳」), 例如說「這樣很難造就浪漫的感覺」。
那邊廂頭腦簡單的Spike總是語帶積極, 叫自己別灰心, 快步跑上樓, 再接再厲。可是, 選擇二還是遭到同樣的命運, Spike面上也略過一抹失望。
正當William退回開放式廚房，給逗樂了發出會心微笑時，Spike終於穿著一件像樣（「似樣」）, 走到William 的跟前。William感到驚喜，一時說不出話來，最後由衷地說句「這時最好不過了」。Spike終於鬆了口氣，謝謝老友。豈了Spike一轉身才叫我們笑個人仰馬翻...
By the Way...
- 最近Bella 學習說話的藝術, 看電影時嘗試多留意戲中人的表情動作(non-verbal language) 和遣詞造句, 從而透視說話者的思想心理, 順道練習寫作。在這裡和大家分享我的學習筆記, 希望你們喜歡。
![]()
- 由於篇幅所限, 不能把字詞逐一介紹, 我把值得學習的都highlight 了, 你們自己在中英文裡對號入座查看解釋吧。
![]()
- 我把好些英文字連結至Cambridge Online Dictionary , 大家有時間可click 來看看例句, 學習詞語的用法。
