又中又英
又中又英
又中又英

"Make my skin crawl"

2021/05/27 04:12:45 網誌分類: 生活
27 May
          A friend recently came across an English expression that confused him. He asked me what it meant. The expression he heard was "make my skin crawl". I can understand why this expression can confuse non-fluent English speakers because it contains the word "crawl". The word "crawl" can be used in several ways. It can mean to move on your hands and knees with your body close to the ground. Very young children crawl before they learn how to walk. Soldiers sometimes quietly crawl with their bellies when approaching their enemies. It can also mean to move very slowly. Vehicles crawl when there is a traffic jam. Caterpillars crawl when they move.

          The expression "make my skin crawl" can be confusing because a person's skin cannot crawl. The expression has nothing to do with crawling. If something makes your skin crawl, it means it makes you feel shocked, disgusted, or fearful. Some people are so fearful of spiders that they make their skin crawl. I am disgusted by the taste and sight of chicken feet. They make my skin crawl. I accidently ate a small piece from a Thai salad at a friend's home. I had to rush to the toilet to spit it out because it made me feel like vomiting. Some are shocked by people eating cat meat. It makes their skin crawl.

          Many people hate the sound of fingernails scratching on a chalkboard. It makes their skin crawl. The expression "make my flesh crawl" has the same meaning. Yet another similar expression is "make my skin creep". The word "creep" also has several meanings. It can mean moving very slowly, quietly, and carefully to avoid being noticed. As a noun, it means an unpleasant person, particularly a man who stares at pretty women. It can also mean a person who kowtows to influential people in the hope of advancement. Some people shoeshine their bosses in the hope of being promoted. They are called creeps.

        *****

          最近一位朋友碰到一個英文習語,令他頗為困惑,便問我那個習語是甚麼意思。他聽到的習語是“make my skin crawl”。我可以理解為何這個習語會令到不是操流利英語的人感到困惑,因為它含有“crawl”一字。

          Crawl可以有幾種用法,它可以指手腳並用在地上爬行。非常年幼的孩童學行之前就會在地上爬行(crawl)。士兵在接近敵軍的時候,有時也會靜靜地用肚貼地匍匐爬行(crawl)。這個字亦可以解作非常緩慢地前進;遇上交通擠塞之時,車輛只能徐徐行駛(crawl)。毛蟲蠕動也是crawl。

          習語“make my skin crawl”可以令人很費解,因為人的皮膚不會移動(crawl)啊!這個習語其實跟蠕動、爬行(crawling)毫無關係。若某物makes your skin crawl,意即它令你感到震驚、噁心或毛骨悚然。有些人害怕蜘蛛,蜘蛛會令他們起雞皮疙瘩(make their skin crawl)。我厭惡雞腳、鳳爪的味道,連看到也會感到噁心,令我毛管直豎(make my skin crawl)。

          有一次我在朋友家中,吃着泰式沙律時不小心吃了一小塊雞腳,我立時衝進廁所吐出來,因它令我反胃欲嘔。一些人非常驚訝有人會吃貓肉,這也令他們感到噁心(make their skin crawl)。

          許多人討厭指甲刮黑板的刺耳之聲,這也令他們雞皮疙瘩、毛骨悚然(make their skin crawl)。習語“make my flesh crawl”的意思亦一樣。然而還有另一個相近的習語,是“make my skin creep”。

          Creep同樣有幾個意思,它可以指緩慢、悄悄行進,為了避人耳目而躡手躡腳。作名詞用時,它則指討厭鬼,特別是盯着美女看的變態佬;它也可以解作馬屁精,為了晉升而趨炎附勢、阿諛奉承的人。有些人愛擦老闆鞋,指望可以藉此升職加薪,他們就被稱為creeps。

        中譯:七刻

        Michael Chugani 褚簡寧

        
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