老美描述一個人的性格,所用的字眼,往往含有一些口語或俚語,似乎顯得「含蓄」、「細膩」,有時也較「簡潔」、「有力」。以下都是道地常用的美語,咱們有時也可派上用場。(例句中的主詞、動詞時態、單複數,都可隨意改變)
這裡我分兩方面來說:
(1)描述較差的品格或習性:
例如:
He constantly berates and belittles his wife for some trivial matter.
他常常為了芝麻小事,痛罵和貶低他的太座。
(berate 痛罵=scold;belittle貶低,小看)
She is self-centered, deceitful, manipulative, promiscuous and enjoys the chaos and drama caused by her bad choices.
她很自我中心,不老實,善於操縱,行為隨便,喜歡做些雜亂無章戲劇性的不好選擇。
(deceit n.欺騙;promiscuous多指男女亂交;chaos雜亂)
Mr. A always takes his anger out on his wife and children.
A先生常常拿他的太太和孩子出氣。
(to take one's anger out on someone拿某人出氣)
I don't believe them; they are up to their old tricks.
我不信任他們;他們在耍他們的老花招)
(to be up to one's tricks耍花招,惡作劇)
All he will do is to put bamboo shoots underneath your nails.
他的所作所為,就是要讓你受苦受罪。
(to put bamboo shoots underneath someone's nails 就是在某人的指甲下插入尖竹;= to torture someone 或 to give someone hard time)
She made herself a laughing stock to those around her.
她把自己成為她周圍人談話的笑柄。
(laughing stock 笑柄)
He is not only a penny-pincher, but also a very judgmental person.
他不但是位吝嗇鬼,也是位喜歡自作評價者。
(judgmental 自作判斷; penny-pincher 小氣鬼)
Mr. A created a circus, a humiliation and the embarrassment of all time.
A先生製造出一場如耍馬戲般的喧鬧場面,整個時間充滿了丟臉和尷尬。
(circus=mess; humiliation 蒙羞; embarrassment 難堪,窘迫)
As he is nasty, his wife is getting cross and downright hateful with him.
由於他很卑鄙難處,他太太開始不高興而且的確討厭他。
(to get cross = to get mad; downright 十足地 = absolutely)
He is insensitive, selfish and often just plain rude.
他是麻木不仁,自私自利,顯然地粗魯無禮。
(insensitive 無感覺的,麻木的; rude粗野的,無禮的)
Being drunk and belligerent, he turned the air (around them) blue with profanity.
他酒醉,好鬥,把周圍的氣氛變成下流不道德。
(blue = blue language下流語言 = profane language; to turn the air blue = to profane the air = to fill the air with profanity)
While I was talking he cut me short, it makes me feel like a freak.
當我說話時,他就插嘴打斷;讓我覺得自己很沒有用。
(to cut someone short 指打斷某人說話,老美認為很不禮貌。freak = useless person)
He is extremely narcissistic and passively aggressive and controlling as well as abusive.
他是非常自我陶醉和過份放肆,同時操縱控制,惡言謾罵。
(narcissist 自我陶醉者;narcissistic 孤芳自賞的;aggressive 帶有侵犯性的)
Mr. B refuses to part with a dime, unless it is for himself; he has always been a tightwad.
B先生除為自己外,不肯花一毛錢;他總是小氣兮兮。
(to part with = to spend; tightwad = penny-pincher = cheapskate吝嗇鬼)
As a heel, he has all kinds of tongue-in-cheek expressions.
他是位粗魯的人,總說許多不三不四的話。
(heel 卑鄙的傢伙;tongue-in-cheek 不可當真的,無誠意的 = not sincerely)
I am perplexed as to why he gave you such hardship.
我很難了解他為什麼給你這樣的難處。
(perplex v. 困惑,弄糊塗)
Her behavior has become exhibitionist and totally out of character.
她的行為變成愛出風頭,跟她正常的性格大不相同。
(exhibitionist 表現狂,當形容詞 = exhibitionistic; out of character = different from normal character)
Judging from her behavior, she seems to be the Wicked Witch of the West.
從她的行為來看,她似乎是位邪惡的女巫。
(wicked 邪惡的; witch 女巫;Wicked Witch of the West = troubled woman 這是專指女人,W都要大寫)
I make no bones about the fact that Mr. C is my least-admired public figure.
我直言不諱,事實上C先生是我最不羨慕的大眾人物。
(to make no bones about = frankly speaking)
(下期待續)