又中又英——grown into the job
Michael Chugani 褚简宁
2020-08-27 04:16 HKT
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In my previous column I wrote about idioms and expressions some leading Democrats, including former President Barack Obama, used during last week’s Democratic Party convention. Both the Republican Party and Democratic Party hold conventions every four years to select their president and vice president candidates. It is uncommon for a former president to criticize the current president. Current presidents don’t normally criticize past presidents. But Trump has repeatedly criticized Obama, who stayed silent but used last week’s convention to fiercely criticize Trump. He said: “Donald Trump hasn’t grown into the job because he can’t”. The expression “grow into” something has several meanings but used this way it means to gradually learn how to do a job successfully.
When Obama said Trump hasn’t “grown into the job” because he can’t, he meant Trump hasn’t learned how to be a successful president because he doesn’t know how. The Democratic Party convention nominated Joe Biden as its presidential candidate for November’s election and Kamala Harris as the candidate for vice president. Biden, who will be 78 years old soon, is not as good a speaker as Obama or Harris. He looked old when he accepted the party’s nomination to be its presidential candidate but he spoke with emotion. He said: “All elections are important. We know in our bones this one is more consequential”. The expression “know in your bones” or “feel in your bones” means you believe strongly in something even though you have no proof.
The word “consequential” used this way means significant or important. When Biden said Americans knew “in their bones” this election is more “consequential”, he meant voters believed very strongly or knew in their hearts November’s election is more important than previous elections because Trump is a very unusual and divisive president. Biden said he had to speak up because “silence is complicity”. The word “complicity” means being involved with others in an illegal activity. But used this way it means silence is morally wrong. Biden meant it is morally wrong to not openly criticize what he believes is Trump’s failed presidency.
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在上一篇专栏中，我写到一些美国民主党领袖，包括前总统奥巴马，在上周的民主党大会中所用到的成语和习语。共和党与民主党皆每四年召开大会，去挑选他们的总统与副总统候选人。一位前总统开腔批评现任总统，并不常见；现任总统通常也不会批评历任的总统。然而，特朗普却一而再地批评奥巴马，而奥巴马一直以来都沉默以对，但就借着上周的大会猛烈地批评特朗普。他说：「特朗普并未grown into the job，因为他不能。」习语“grow into” something有几个意思，但在这里是指逐渐地熟习并胜任一份工作。
当奥巴马说特朗普因为不能而并未“grown into the job”，他的意思是特朗普还未懂得怎样去做一个成功的总统，因为他并不知道该怎样去做。民主党大会提名拜登作为代表其党的总统候选人，出战十一月的大选，而贺锦丽就是副总统候选人。拜登快将七十八岁了，在演说方面并不如奥巴马或贺锦丽般好。他接受党提名为总统候选人时，看上去颇苍老，但他致辞的时候却充满情感。他说：「所有的大选都重要；但我们骨子里都知道（know in our bones）这次是更为重大的（consequential）。」习语“know in your bones”或“feel in your bones”是指，即使你并无真凭实据，却仍深深相信某事。
Consequential在这里是指意义重大又或重要的。当拜登说，美国人“knew in their bones”今次选举是更为“consequential”，他的意思是选民强烈相信或心底里都知道，十一月大选比历届大选都要来得重要，因为特朗普是个很不寻常及会制造分裂的总统。拜登说，他要大声疾呼，因为“silence is complicity”。Complicity是串通他人去从事非法活动，但在这里它是指，沉默在道德上是错的。拜登的意思是，他相信特朗普当总统是失败的，而若他不就此公开批评，那就是不道德的。
[email protected] 中译：七刻
Michael Chugani 褚简宁
When Obama said Trump hasn’t “grown into the job” because he can’t, he meant Trump hasn’t learned how to be a successful president because he doesn’t know how. The Democratic Party convention nominated Joe Biden as its presidential candidate for November’s election and Kamala Harris as the candidate for vice president. Biden, who will be 78 years old soon, is not as good a speaker as Obama or Harris. He looked old when he accepted the party’s nomination to be its presidential candidate but he spoke with emotion. He said: “All elections are important. We know in our bones this one is more consequential”. The expression “know in your bones” or “feel in your bones” means you believe strongly in something even though you have no proof.
The word “consequential” used this way means significant or important. When Biden said Americans knew “in their bones” this election is more “consequential”, he meant voters believed very strongly or knew in their hearts November’s election is more important than previous elections because Trump is a very unusual and divisive president. Biden said he had to speak up because “silence is complicity”. The word “complicity” means being involved with others in an illegal activity. But used this way it means silence is morally wrong. Biden meant it is morally wrong to not openly criticize what he believes is Trump’s failed presidency.
＊ ＊ ＊ ＊ ＊
在上一篇专栏中，我写到一些美国民主党领袖，包括前总统奥巴马，在上周的民主党大会中所用到的成语和习语。共和党与民主党皆每四年召开大会，去挑选他们的总统与副总统候选人。一位前总统开腔批评现任总统，并不常见；现任总统通常也不会批评历任的总统。然而，特朗普却一而再地批评奥巴马，而奥巴马一直以来都沉默以对，但就借着上周的大会猛烈地批评特朗普。他说：「特朗普并未grown into the job，因为他不能。」习语“grow into” something有几个意思，但在这里是指逐渐地熟习并胜任一份工作。
当奥巴马说特朗普因为不能而并未“grown into the job”，他的意思是特朗普还未懂得怎样去做一个成功的总统，因为他并不知道该怎样去做。民主党大会提名拜登作为代表其党的总统候选人，出战十一月的大选，而贺锦丽就是副总统候选人。拜登快将七十八岁了，在演说方面并不如奥巴马或贺锦丽般好。他接受党提名为总统候选人时，看上去颇苍老，但他致辞的时候却充满情感。他说：「所有的大选都重要；但我们骨子里都知道（know in our bones）这次是更为重大的（consequential）。」习语“know in your bones”或“feel in your bones”是指，即使你并无真凭实据，却仍深深相信某事。
Consequential在这里是指意义重大又或重要的。当拜登说，美国人“knew in their bones”今次选举是更为“consequential”，他的意思是选民强烈相信或心底里都知道，十一月大选比历届大选都要来得重要，因为特朗普是个很不寻常及会制造分裂的总统。拜登说，他要大声疾呼，因为“silence is complicity”。Complicity是串通他人去从事非法活动，但在这里它是指，沉默在道德上是错的。拜登的意思是，他相信特朗普当总统是失败的，而若他不就此公开批评，那就是不道德的。
[email protected] 中译：七刻
Michael Chugani 褚简宁
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