English - The Real Deal

前两天又遇到这个问题：该用“a historic (moment, event etc)”还是“an historic”？

我从来都只用a historic，而且一直想不通这有什么可争论的。h在这里根本不是元音，干吗要用an啊？在我看来，h只有在单独作为字母使用的时候，前面才会加an（因为字母h的确是元音打头）。比如：I can’t spell the word, but it definitely has an “h” in it somewhere.

但这回又遇到这个问题的时候，两个人异口同声地跟我说“是an historic，不用an根本读不顺畅。”其中一个还说语法书里明确提到过这一点，他肯定学过。这下不由我不动摇了。

找了一下，竟然发现这么个结论：Both usages are sufficiently common to be considered correct in modern English. 晕。

You probably know the grammar rule that says you use an before vowel sounds (e.g. an accident, an item, an hour) and a otherwise; e.g. a book, a report, a hotel.

Following this rule, we would say “a historic”, not “an historic”.

Words of three or more syllables that start with h are treated differently by some speakers, though. For example, which of these pairs of sentences sounds correct to you?

* It is a historic occasion.
* It is an historic occasion.

* We can’t agree on a hypothesis.
* We can’t agree on an hypothesis.

A quick bit of Googling reveals that — as of August 2007 — the phrase “a historic” is used on 2.47 million pages (51%), and “an historic” on 2.39 million pages (49%).

This is a very even split and supports the view that which form you use is little more than a personal preference. Both usages are thus sufficiently common to be considered correct in modern English.

P.S. For the record, I still prefer “a historic”. It doesn’t sound awkward or weird to me at all. Can’t say that about “an historic”.

更新：http://www.theslot.com/a-an.html（感谢aliensooner提供）

哇，有这么强大的后盾，我要百分百坚定地“a historic”下去！

Bonus video: Janet Jackson - Feedback

今天的内容涉及LOST第四季第一集的剧情。尽管不构成真正意义上的剧透，还是先警告一下各位：如果不想知道任何401的情节，请勿阅读此文。

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这集里，Hurley和Bernard之间有这么一段对话：

Hurley: I wanna do a cannonball. I’ve been walking up and down this beach every day and looking out at this water, and I wanna do a cannonball.

Bernard: Hurley, you wanna do a cannonball, cannonball.

接着，Hurley就紧抱双膝跳进了海里。显然，这个动作叫cannonball。我以前只知道它“炮弹”的意思。查了一下Merriam Webster，发现它还有更多的意思。

1 : a usually round solid missile made for firing from a cannon
2 : a jump into water made with the arms holding the knees tight against the chest
3 : a hard flat tennis service
4 : an express train

这个词真是奇怪，四个定义分别涉及炮弹、跳水、网球和火车，彼此完全不沾边。我还真没见过哪个名词属于这种情形的。

另外，Hurley和Jack打篮球的时候，玩的游戏叫H-O-R-S-E。很多人把它简单理解成“先中五球者赢”的投篮比赛，这其实是有些偏差的，因为参加H-O-R-S-E游戏的人并非统一站在某个点上投篮。有兴趣的朋友可以仔细研究研究，我把关键部分摘抄如下：

With 2 players competing, player #1 is allowed to shoot from anywhere on the court and, if he makes the shot, then player #2 must duplicate the same shot from the same position. If player #2 misses, he receives the first “letter” from the word “horse” (in this case - an “H”). However, if player #1 misses his original shot; then player #2 is now free to shoot from anywhere on the court and, hopefully, force player #1 to try and duplicate his made shots. A player is knocked out of the game once he has enough letters to spell out the word “horse.”

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P.S. Heath Ledger的死因报告已经出来，请大家不要再不负责任地随便说他“吸毒致死”。

So why did Heath die? According to Dr. Sophy, he did not die of chronic drug abuse. The fact that it says “acute” means that his death was sudden. He was clearly being treated for something and the way that he used the prescription drugs collided in a tragic result.

Bonus video: Lostprophets - 4 am forever

当广播里第4815162342次传来Carrie Underwood的那首Before He Cheats后，我终于忍不住去查了歌词。不查不知道，一查吓一跳。这首歌里包含着相当多的文化背景知识！我不熟悉的主要有两点：

1. Louisville slugger

这是美国职业棒球大联盟（Major League Baseball）的官方棒球棍。所以，歌里的I took a Louisville slugger to both headlights其实就等于I took a baseball bat to both headlights，是说她拿了棒球棍去砸花心男友的车前灯。

BTW，baseball bat中文到底叫什么啊？棒球拍/棍/棒？

2. bathroom polo

这个似乎很有争议，不少人认为她唱的是bathroom cologne。我仔细听了之后，确定是bathroom polo。不过，这里的polo和cologne其实是一回事。

When Underwood sings about her ex putting on “bathroom Polo,” she’s referring to vending machines found in the men’s rooms of certain US drinking establishments that dispense low-grade cologne. The guys who buy these fragrances often believe it will help them attract a mate in the bar, although many females are actually repelled by the scent.

另外，查了歌词后无意间发现一个英语母语者的常见错误：许多人把souped-up拼成suped-up（我查到的第一个版本写的就是suped-up 4-wheel drive）。这个误拼也算情有可原，毕竟souped-up的定义是enhanced or increased in appeal, power, performance, or intensity，也就是说souped-up car给人感觉很super，像是supered-up car。但实际上，souped-up和super/supered-up没有关系。

The car you’ve souped up may be super, but it’s not “suped up.”

末了，附上终极正确版歌词供大家参考。还有什么不懂的自己琢磨吧。

Right now he’s probably slow dancin’ with a bleached-blond tramp and she’s probably getting frisky
Right now, he’s probably buying her some fruity little drink ’cause she can’t shoot whiskey
Right now, he’s probably up behind her with a pool-stick showin’ her how to shoot a combo
And he don’t know…

I dug my key into the side of his pretty little souped-up 4-wheel drive
Carved my name into his leather seats
I took a Louisville slugger to both headlights
Slashed a hole in all 4 tires
Maybe next time he’ll think before he cheats

Right now, she’s probably up singin’ some white-trash version of Shania karaoke
Right now, she’s probably sayin’ “I’m drunk” and he’s a thinkin’ that he’s gonna get lucky
Right now, he’s probably dabbin’ on 3 dollars worth of that bathroom polo
Oh and he don’t know ohhh

That I dug my key into the side of his pretty little souped-up 4-wheel drive
Carved my name into his leather seats
I took a Louisville slugger to both headlights
Slashed a hole in all 4 tires
Maybe next time he’ll think before he cheats

I mighta saved a little trouble for the next girl
‘Cause the next time that he cheats
Oh, you know it won’t be on me
Nooo not on me

‘Cause I dug my key into the side of his pretty little souped-up 4-wheel drive
Carved my name into his leather seats
I took a Louisville slugger to both headlights
Slashed a hole in all 4 tires
Maybe next time he’ll think before he cheats
Oh maybe next time he’ll think… before he cheats
Oh before he cheats
Ohh

Bonus video: Carrie Underwood - Before He Cheats

今天真开心。澳网的混双决赛和男单决赛都很精彩，而且都是我希望看到的结果，爽也！昨天的女单决赛虽然没有如我所愿，但不得不承认Sharapova的表现很好，这个冠军实至名归。而且她的得奖感言相当感人，值得加分！（可惜在网上找不到完整的文字版。）

从新闻里摘抄一部分相关内容：

In her trophy acceptance speech, Sharapova spoke in heartfelt terms about the death last year of her coach’s mother after a lengthy battle with cancer.

“It completely changed my perspective on life,” Sharapova said. “I think the reason for that is because it’s one of the closest people in my team, in my family, that passed away. I’m lucky to have my grandparents and family and friends very healthy, knock on wood.”

She also talked about losing the final last year on her mother’s birthday, and how she would use some of her $1 million in winnings to send her roses this year under much happier circumstances.

And of waking up Saturday morning to a text message from King, the winner of 12 Grand Slam singles titles who has had an interest in Sharapova’s career since she was as junior. Part of it read: “Champions take chances, and pressure is a privilege.”

说实话，以前对knock on wood的用法真没什么印象。Sharapova无意间当了一回我的英语老师。

Some people say, “Knock on wood,” and then knock on something made of wood for good luck, when they have made a remark that has been true up to that point and they want it to continue to be true: “I’ve never had an accident yet, knock on wood.”

The expression alludes to an ancient superstition that touching wood would ward off evil spirits.

knock on wood还有对应的英式英语：touch wood。（I’ve never been in danger of drowning, touch wood.）

Bonus video: Backstreet Boys - Helpless When She Smiles

前几天看The L Word的时候，听到里面的角色去监狱探望朋友时反复强调“Don’t drop the soap.”，有点莫名其妙。经人点拨才恍然大悟，原来涉及成人内容。

A remark made to someone being hauled off to jail, particularly someone you dislike. Once in jail, you imply that if the person (a male) drops a bar of soap in the shower, they will be forced to bend over and retrieve it. Thus, with their buttocks spread and in clear sight, will be subject to anal rape by a fellow inmate.

看样子这种说法已经不再局限于男子监狱了。不过，The L Word里是女子监狱，真的掉了肥皂也没这种危险吧？（这是个rhetorical question，各位不用回答我，嘿嘿。）

这种说法还衍生出了肯定形式的drop the soap。我觉得前三个解释都还不错，尤其是第一个：

To do something horribly, horribly stupid that leaves you wide open to be screwed, like in a prison shower. Screwage may be figurative or literal.

“I dropped the soap! Now I’m as good as screwed!”

Bonus video: Sara Bareilles - Love Song

早就听说过news来源于north、east、west和south的首字母，因为来自四面八方的消息构成了“新闻”。一直觉得这理论不靠谱（虽然我挺希望它是真的），现在得到了证实。

People mention the points-of-the-compass story so often as the source of news that it’s not surprising it makes you wonder if it’s correct. For the record, it isn’t.

Where did this idea of its being an acronym come from? George A Thompson recently found the story falsely asserted in the Morning Courier & New-York Enquirer, dated 23 April 1842: “News is not, as many imagine, derived from the adjective New. In former times, it was a prevalent practice to put over the periodical publications of the day the initial letters of the cardinal points of the compass … importing that these papers contained intelligence from the four quarters of the globe; and from this practice is derived the term of newspaper.”

果然是误传，越传越流行，大家就都相信了。不过我倒是觉得，“东西南北”这个错误理论很生动，记一记也无妨。

另外，World Wide Words还提到了我不知道的一点：news以前是复数，16世纪开始单、复数并行使用，现在则是彻底演化为单数。

By the thirteenth century, news, while still being plural, had taken on its modern sense of reports or accounts of interesting or important events. But from the sixteenth century, this plural usage ran in parallel with our modern one of treating it as a singular mass noun, which has now, of course, prevailed.

Bonus video: Peter Cincotti - Goodbye Philadelphia