Cause a stink

2021/03/23 04:12:41 網誌分類: 生活

23 Mar

        　　North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un often uses his younger sister Kim Yo Jong to warn countries that are considered enemies of North Korea. Many countries in Asia and the West were taken aback last week when his younger sister issued an eerie statement to warn the US. She issued her message when two senior American officials travelled to Japan and South Korea for high-level talks that included North Korea's nuclear weapons. She said in her statement, which was translated into English, "If the U.S. wants to sleep in peace for the coming four years, it had better refrain from causing a stink at its first step".

        　　The message was intended to warn US President Joe Biden not to team up with Japan and South Korea to threaten North Korea. If you are taken aback, it means you are shocked, surprised, or startled by something unexpected. Many governments were startled by the statement's threatening language. The word "eerie" means strange, frightening, or chilling. The word "refrain" means to avoid or stop yourself from doing something. The word "stink" used as a noun means a very bad or unpleasant smell. Rotten eggs have a bad stink. If you say the toilet stinks (verb), it means the toilet smells bad. But Kim Yo Jong did not mean a bad smell when she used the word "stink".

        　　The expression "cause a stink" can be used in different ways. But Kim Yo Jong used it in a way that means to cause trouble and make people angry. She warned the US to refrain from causing trouble that will make North Korea angry. It was the first trip by the US secretary of state and defence secretary to Japan and South Korea since Biden became president. That's why she warned the US to refrain from causing a stink at its first step. The US doesn't want North Korea to threaten South Korea with nuclear weapons. That's why it will continue to pressure North Korea, or cause a stink.

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        　　北韓領導人金正恩不時透過其妹金與正，警告那些被他們視為北韓敵人的國家。當他的胞妹上星期發出一份怪異恐怖（eerie）的聲明去警告美國時，許多亞洲國家以至西方都大吃一驚（taken aback）。她發佈這個訊息，是當兩名美國高官訪問日本和南韓作高級別會議，當中包括談及北韓核武問題之時。把她的話翻譯過來，她在聲明中所說的是：「若美國希望在接下來的四年睡得安穩，最好別（refrain）一開始就製造麻煩（causing a stink）。」

        　　這個訊息意圖警告美國總統拜登，別拉日本和南韓合作去威脅北韓。若你是taken aback，意即你被某件意料之外的事情嚇一跳、大吃一驚，或倉皇失措。這份聲明的恐嚇性與嚴厲的措辭，確令許多政府都大感吃驚。Eerie解作怪誕、可怕或令人毛骨悚然的。Refrain是指避免又或克制自己去做某事。Stink作名詞用時，是指非常難聞的臭味，例如壞掉的蛋就有一股臭味（stink）。若你說the toilet stinks（動詞），意即那個廁所很臭。但金與正用上“stink”一字時，她的意思並非指臭味。

        　　習語“cause a stink”可以有許多用法，但金與正用這個習語的意思是指去製造麻煩、惹人生氣，引起軒然大波。她警告美國不要（refrain）製造甚麼會令北韓不快的麻煩。那是自拜登上任總統以來，美國國務卿和國防部長首度訪問日本和南韓。因此她警告美國，不要（refrain）一開始就製造麻煩（causing a stink）。然而，美國不希望北韓以核武威脅南韓，因此它會繼續向北韓施壓，或說cause a stink。中譯：七刻

        Michael Chugani 褚簡寧

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