mince their words

2018/10/02 04:12:25 網誌分類: 生活

02 Oct

        　　Hong Kong’s senior government officials often mince their words when they speak. Western politicians sometimes mince their words. US National Security Adviser John Bolton never minces his words when he speaks. His boss, President Donald Trump, seldom minces his words. If you mince your words, it means you speak in an indirect way or are careful about what you say to be polite and not to offend other people. Mincing words is common in Asian culture. If you don’t mince your words, it means you say what you mean clearly and directly even if it offends people. Bolton did not mince his words at all last week when he used tough language at the United Nations to warn Iran’s rulers against harming the US.

        　　This is what Bolton said: “If you cross us, our allies, or our partners; if you harm our citizens; if you continue to lie, cheat, and deceive, yes, there will indeed be hell to pay.” Senior government officials don’t often use such tough language but Bolton is known for saying exactly what he thinks even if it offends people. The word “cross” has many meanings but used this way as a verb it means to oppose, defy, or challenge someone. Trump often uses Twitter to fiercely criticize people who cross him. If you tell people there will be hell to pay, it means they will be in big trouble or face very serious consequences if they dare to cross you.

        　　Simply put, what Bolton said was Iran’s rulers will be in big trouble if they dare to defy or harm the US, its citizens, and its allies. Trump gave a similar warning to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un last year at the United Nations when he said North Korea would face fire and fury if it tried to threaten the US with nuclear weapons. He didn’t mince his words last year but minced his words last week at the United Nations when he thanked Kim for taking steps to denuclearize. But Trump didn’t mince his words when he accused China of interfering in US elections.

        *****

        　　香港的高官們說話時，常常閃爍其詞（mince their words）。西方的政客說話有時也會兜圈子（mince their words），但美國的國家安全顧問約翰．博爾頓說話時就從不吞吐、閃爍其詞（minces his words）。他的老闆，總統特朗普，說話亦很少轉彎抹角（minces his words）。若你mince your words，即是說你說話並非直截了當，又或者非常謹慎而客氣地說話，以免得罪他人。在亞洲文化裏，說話委婉（mincing words）是很常見的。若你不mince your words，即是說你直言不諱，即使那句說話會冒犯到別人。博爾頓上星期在聯合國用強硬措辭警告伊朗統治者勿傷害美國時，就完全沒有轉彎抹角（did not mince his words）。

        　　博爾頓是這樣說的：「若你跟我們、我們的盟友，又或我們的夥伴作對（cross）；若你傷害我們的公民；若你繼續撒謊、欺騙和誤導人——是的，你就必然有罪受了（hell to pay）。」政府高官們不常用到這般強硬的措辭，但人所共知博爾頓就是有話直說，即使他說的話會冒犯到人。Cross有許多意思，在這裏作動詞用，則解作反對、違抗或挑戰他人。特朗普不時會用推特猛烈地批評那些與他作對（cross）的人。若你跟人說there will be hell to pay，即是說他們若敢跟你作對（cross），將會惹上大麻煩，又或面臨非常嚴重的後果。

        　　簡而言之，博爾頓說的是，伊朗的統治者若敢對抗或傷害美國、其公民及其盟友，將會惹上大麻煩。特朗普上年亦曾在聯合國對北韓領袖金正恩予以類似的警告，他說北韓若嘗試用核武要脅美國，將會面臨炮火與怒火。他上年說話沒有兜圈子（didn’t mince his words），但上星期在聯合國多謝金正恩採取行動去核化，便用了委婉的說話（minced his words）。然而，當特朗普指責中國干預美國選舉時，就沒有轉彎抹角（didn’t mince his words）了。

        mickchug@gmail.com

        中譯:七刻

        Michael Chugani 褚簡寧

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