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当你难以启齿时……(上)/怀中

一名中国留学生初到美国,在机场找厕所,问老外:「Where is W.C.?」老外听不懂。一名中国太太到医院生产,洋护士问她:「Did you have a bowel movement?」她却听不懂。还有人学了几十年的英语,还不晓得英语里的「大便」、「小便」、「放屁」真正应该怎么说……


至於性毛病,更是老中难於启齿、欲语还羞的尴尬。见到洋医生,窘迫万分,不知如何开口才是,真有「犹抱琵琶半遮面」的感受。


以下为一些「禁忌」(taboo)的美语之整理。毕竟这些都是咱们日常生活的一部分,说不定有一天这些「禁忌」之语还能「派上用场」呢!

厕所
在美国一般都叫rest room或bath room(男女厕均可)或分别叫做 men's room 或 ladies' room(=powder room),不过在飞机上,则叫 lavatory,在军中又叫 latrine。至於 W.C.(water closet)仍是过去英国人用的,在美国,几乎没有人使用。
解小便
最普通的说法是 to urinate(名词是 urination),如果去看病,护士为了化验小便,就会给你一个杯子说:「Will (could) you urinate in this cup?」医生或许也会问:「Do you have trouble urinating?」=Do you have difficulty voiding?(小便有困难吗?)

此外,还有其他的说法:to piss = to take a piss = to take a leak = to void = to empty。 例如:

* I need to piss = I have to take a leak.
* How often do you get up at night to void?(晚上起床小便几次?)

此外,john(j 小写时,不是男人名字)是 bath room 或 toilet 的意思(也叫 outhouse),这通常是指在户外工作场地所使用的临时或流动性厕所(有时前面也加 portable 一字)。不过也有老外把家里的厕所叫做 john。 例如:

* There are several (portable) johns in the construction site.(在建筑场地有几个临时厕所。)
* He went to the john a few minutes ago.(他在几分钟前上了厕所。)
* The manual labours have to use (portable) johns during their working hours.(劳动者在工作时间内需要使用流动性厕所。)

不过,小孩多半用 to pee 。例如: (来源:英语杂志 http://www.EnglishCN.com)

* The boy needs to pee.

然而,「小便检查」又叫做 urine test,因为这里的 urine 是化验的样品(specimen)。 例如:

* Do I need a urine test?

注意:to piss off 是片语,又是指对人生气或对事物的不满。不过这是不礼貌的片语,少用为妙。 例如:

* He pissed me off. = He made me angry.
* He always pisses off (at) the society.(对社会不满)

如果「小便」有毛病,也可以告诉医生说:
* My urine is cloudy and it smells strong.(有浊尿,味道很重)
* I have pus (或air)in urine.(尿有泡沫) (pus = cloudy; air = bubble)
* I dribble a little urine after I have finished urinating.(小便後还会滴滴答答。)(即失禁毛病)
* I am passing less urine than usual.(小便的量比平时少)
解大便
一般是用 to make(或 have)a bowel movement 或 to take a shit。如果看病,医生常问:「Do you have regular bowel movement?」(大便正常吗?)(说得斯文些,就是「大肠在转动」)

此外,还有其他的说法: to defecate =to discharge excrement(或 feces)=to take feces (或 faeces)。 例如:

* The patient needs to take a shit. (=to make a bowel movement)

不过,小孩多半是用 to make a poo poo 或 to make a BM. 。 例如:

* The boy had a stinky BM.(大便奇臭。)

但是「大便检查」倒叫做 stool exam,因为 stool 也是一种化验的样品。 例如:

* The doctor has to exam his stool.(医生要检查他的大便。)
放屁
在美语里最常用的是 to expel gas 或 to fart 或 to make (或 pass)gas。 例如:

* 医生有时问:「How often do you expel(或 make 或 pass)gas?」(你放屁的次数很多吗?)
* Is the gas expelled by belching?(是否打嗝後就会放屁呢?)(动词是 belch)
* He said the more he ate, the more he farted.(吃的愈多,放屁也愈多。)
* He has passed more gas than usual within the last two days.(过去两天中,他放屁比平常多。)
* Be careful not to fart in the public.(注意在公共场所不可放屁。)

至於消化不良,大便不通或拉肚子,也有不同的说法。 例如:

* I have an upset stomach.(消化不良) = I have heartburn. = I have indigestion.
(注意:Heartburn 是指胃不舒服,不是「心痛」(heartache)
* Something has upset my stomach for two weeks.(胃不舒服有两星期了。)
* He has(persistent)constipation.(或 irregularity)(他经常便秘。) 或
* He has been unusually constipated.(便秘很反常。)或
* He is having problem with irregularity.(或 constipation); 或
* He has no bowel movement for the past few days.
* He has bouts of diarrhea.=He is having trouble with diarrhea.(他拉了一阵肚子。)
* He can see trace of blood and pus or mucus in his stool(或 bowel movement)(大便时可看到血丝和粘膜。)

 
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