Gasped in horror
2021/01/21 04:12:37 網誌分類: 生活
A pharmacy is a store that sells prescription and non-prescription medicines as well as other things, such as cosmetics. They are called drug stores in the US. A chain store is one of a group of stores with the same name and owned by the same company. Chain stores sell similar things and have a similar look. I scanned my hand when I entered the chain store in Tseung Kwan O. It gave two beeps instead of one. People around me gasped in horror, making me feel like a walking virus. To "gasp in horror" means to suddenly inhale (breathe in) because you are shocked or surprised.
A "walking virus" is an informal term I made up to mean a human walking who is infected with a virus. It is common for fluent English speakers to make up slang expressions. There were also two beeps when I scanned my hand on the infrared palm thermometer at the Central chain store. What the people who gasped in horror didn't know was the temperature device beeped twice because I had a low temperature, not a high one indicating a fever. My temperature is always a bit low. A doctor I asked told me different people have different normal temperatures. Some are a bit above 37 degrees and some are a bit below. I don't know why this particular chain store device gives two beeps when other stores give only one beep for low temperatures.
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在上一個專欄中,我說最近乾燥的空氣令我渾身發癢。上星期,為了止癢我分別去了兩次藥房(pharmacy)去買潤膚霜。我去的那兩間藥房(pharmacies)在將軍澳和中環,附屬於同一連鎖藥房(pharmacy chain)。在香港,只有兩大連鎖藥房(pharmacy chains)。那兩間分店在入口處都設有為顧客量體溫的儀器。這些體溫探測器叫做thermal scanners(熱像體溫探測儀)或infrared palm thermometers(紅外線手掌測溫儀),這些儀器可透過掃描人的手掌或額頭,探測其體溫。
A pharmacy就是售賣處方或非處方藥物的藥房,也有售賣其他貨物如化妝品。它們在美國會叫drug stores。A chain store就是同一家公司持有、有着相同店名的連鎖店。連鎖店舖(chain stores)所賣的東西相似,店面亦相近。我進入將軍澳那間連鎖店(chain store)時,伸手掃過測溫儀,它發出兩下聲響而非一下,身邊的人都gasped in horror,令我覺得自己像個walking virus。To“gasp in horror”意即因為震驚或訝異而倒抽(inhale)一口涼氣。
A“walking virus”並非正式的用語,是我作的,用來形容感染了病毒的人,就像一個「活病毒」般四處行走。操流利英語的人很常會創作一些俚語的說法。當我在中環那間連鎖店(chain store),伸出手掌掃過那紅外線手掌測溫儀(infrared palm thermometer)時,同樣是兩下響聲。那些因驚訝而倒抽一口涼氣(gasped in horror)的人所不知道的是,那測溫儀響了兩聲,其實是因為我體溫低,而非顯示發燒的高溫。我的體溫常常偏低。我曾問過的一位醫生告訴我,不同人有不同的正常體溫,有些人會稍高於三十七度,另一些人則會稍低。我不知道為何獨獨這連鎖店的儀器,測到低溫會響兩下,而其他店舖的只會響一下。中譯:七刻
mickchug@gmail.com
Michael Chugani 褚簡寧
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