又中又英
又中又英
又中又英

“fieldday”

2018/06/07 04:12:16 網誌分類: 生活
07 Jun
          Social media users in the US had a field day last week trying to figure out (understand) why North Korean strongman Kim Jong-un used an oversized(very large) envelope for his letter to President Donald Trump. The expression “field day” has several meanings but used this way it means to use an opportunity to tease or mock (make fun of) others. The word “strongman” used this way means a leader who uses force and violence to rule. Was Kim’s oversized envelope intended to be a subtle insult against Trump? The word “subtle” used this way means to achieve something in a quiet way to avoid attention.

          Many people say Trump has smaller than normal hands. Social media users and TV comedians often mock his small hands. One Twitter user wondered if Kim had used a subtle prank (trick, joke) to make Trump’s hands look even smaller by using an oversized envelope for his letter to Trump. Another Twitter user had a field day using a picture of Trump holding the oversized envelope next to a picture of former President Barack Obama holding an undersized envelope to make his hands look very big. The word “undersized” is the opposite of “oversized”. Maybe Kim’s oversized envelope was a subtle punch at Trump for mocking him as Little Rocket Man several months ago when the two leaders were having a war of words.

          Trump called him Little Rocket Man because Kim’s height is 5’ 7” but Trump is nearly 6’ 3”. Other social media users had a field day speculating that Kim deliberately used an oversized envelope because Trump had once mocked Kim by saying he had a much bigger nuclear button than Kim. One headline writer cleverly used the expression “push the envelope” for the newspaper’s article about Kim’s oversized envelope. To push the envelope means to do something or behave in a way that is more extreme than normal, or to try to do something new or dangerous that has not been done before. Athletes often push the envelope to improve themselves.

        ***

          上星期,美國的社交媒體使用者找着了個逗趣的樂子(field day),嘗試搞懂(figure out)為何北韓強人(strongman)金正恩會用一個超大型(oversized)的信封致函總統特朗普。習語“field day”有幾個意思,在這裏是指借機嘲弄或嘲笑(mock)他人。Strongman在這裏則解作用鐵腕和武力治國的獨裁者。金的特大(oversized)信封是否要給特朗普來個隱晦(subtle)的侮辱?Subtle在這裏是指隱約而低調地達成某事,以免引起關注。

          許多人說,特朗普的手比常人的細小。社交媒體使用者和電視喜劇藝人就不時嘲笑(mock)他那細小的雙手。一位推特使用者想知道,金用超大型(oversized)信封寄信給特朗普,是否開了個隱晦(subtle)的惡作劇(prank),去令特朗普的手顯得更細小?另一位推特使用者就找了個逗趣的樂子(field day),將特朗普手持特大(oversized)信封的照片,放在前總統奧巴馬手持偏小(undersized)信封的照片旁對照,令後者的雙手顯得非常大。 Undersized就是oversized的相反。在數月前兩位領袖的罵戰中,特朗普嘲諷(mocking)金是「小火箭人」,或許金的特大(oversized)信封是對特朗普的一下隱晦(subtle)的反擊。

          特朗普叫他做「小火箭人」,因為金是五呎七吋高,但特朗普的身高有近六呎三吋。其他社交媒體使用者也有了逗趣的樂子(field day),猜測金刻意用上超大型(oversized)信封,是因為特朗普有一次曾嘲笑(mocked)金,說其核彈按鈕比金的那個要大得多。有個給新聞報道起標題的,談到金的特大(oversized)信封時更用上了習語“push the envelope”。To push the envelope是指超乎常規、挑戰極限的意思。運動員就常常挑戰極限(push the envelope)以提升自己。

        中譯:七刻

        Michael Chugani 褚簡寧

        
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