又中又英 | Nothingburger 非指漢堡包 | 褚簡寧
There are many different burgers, including the classic beef hamburger. The word “classic” has many different meanings, such as classic books. Classic books are high-quality books with lasting influence, such as Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. The word “classic” when used to describe a beef hamburger means traditional and always fashionable. The cheeseburger is also a classic burger. It has a slice of cheese added to the classic beef hamburger. Other burgers include turkey burgers, chicken burgers, and even rice burgers which use rice instead of a bun.
Have you eaten a nothingburger? You must be dreaming if you have! A nothingburger is not something you can eat. It is an American slang word to describe something that gets a lot of attention but is of very little or no real significance. Numerous American political commentators used the word “nothingburger” to describe last month’s meeting in Alaska between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Trump gave Putin a red-carpet welcome as the two leaders held talks to end the Russia-Ukraine war which has lasted for over three years.
Trump, who has often said he gets along very well with Putin, hyped up the meeting in a way intended to convince the world that he, Putin, and Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky will eventually reach a peace deal to end the war. To “hype up” used this way means to deliberately exaggerate something to make people excited or enthusiastic. But the meeting turned out to be a nothingburger. Instead of meeting with Zelensky to end the war, Putin, who ordered Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, has increased his attacks on Ukraine.
世上有許多不同種類的漢堡包，包括classic牛肉漢堡包。Classic這個字有許多不同的意思，例如classic books——classic books是經典名著，像珍．奧斯汀的《傲慢與偏見》，都是具長遠影響力的上乘之作。Classic用來形容一個牛肉漢堡包時，則是說它是傳統而歷久不衰的。芝士漢堡包就是一個經典（classic）的漢堡包。它是在經典（classic）牛肉漢堡包裏再加一片芝士。其他漢堡包則包括火雞漢堡包、雞肉漢堡包，甚至飯堡，就是用米飯代替麵包。
那你可有吃過一個nothingburger？如果你吃過，你一定是發夢了！A nothingburger並非你可以吃的漢堡，它是個美式俚語，用來形容某事物非常引人注意，卻又很少甚或沒有甚麼意義可言。許多美國政治評論員用了nothingburger這個字，去形容上個月美國總統特朗普與俄羅斯總統普京在阿拉斯加的會面。這是兩國元首就着結束那打了超過3年的俄烏戰爭所進行的會談，而特朗普亦給了普京紅地毯的歡迎。
特朗普常說自己跟普京相處非常融洽，大力吹捧（hyped up）這次會議，力圖說服全世界，他、普京以及烏克蘭總統澤連斯基終能達成和平協議，結束戰爭。To「hype up」在這裏是指刻意誇大某事情，令人感到雀躍或充滿熱情。然而，會面最終淪為一個「空心漢堡」（nothingburger）的泛泛之談。下令俄羅斯入侵烏克蘭的普京，反倒增加對烏克蘭的攻擊，而不是去跟澤連斯基會面商討結束戰爭。
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Michael Chugani褚簡寧
中譯：七刻
