中文里不乏让人望文生义的词语,英文也不例外。对英文水平一般的中国人来说,受汉语文化影响,对很多英文的理解,往往不假思索,闹出笑话。举例来说,如果一个英国人说,“Iam going to spend a penny.”(字面意思是:我要去花—便士),你会认为他真的想去花一便士吗?如果这样想,笑话可就闹大了。其实,“spend a penny”指的是“上厕所”。旧时,英国公厕的自动 There is no shortage of Chinese words that make people literate, English is no exception. For Chinese, who are average English-speaking people, their understanding of many English is influenced by Chinese culture. They often make no joke about it without hesitation. For example, if an Englishman says, “I am going to spend a penny. ” (Literally: I’m going to spend pennies), do you think he really wants to spend a penny? Joke can make big trouble. In fact, “spend a penny ” refers to “toilet ”. Old, British public toilets automatically