又中又英——Late to the dance
Michael Chugani 褚简宁
2021-06-01 04:17 HKT
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It is common for Americans to tweak well-known English expressions without changing their meaning. I saw an American politician do this while watching a news item on Fox News. The host was interviewing James Comer, a Republican in the House of Representatives, about the theory the coronavirus leaked from a Wuhan lab. This theory has been debunked by many scientists although former US President Donald Trump supported the theory. The theory has now found credence after the US media revealed three researchers from the Wuhan lab were hospitalized in November 2019 with coronavirus symptoms. This was more than one month before China officially announced the outbreak in Wuhan.
President Joe Biden had not supported the theory before but has now ordered US intelligence agencies to investigate the origins of the coronavirus. When Comer was asked on Fox about Biden's order, he said "he's late to the dance" but "better now than never". The word "tweak" has several meanings but used this way it means to change something slightly. To "debunk" something means to show it is not as true or important as claimed. If something has "credence", it means people are willing to accept it as true or are ready to believe it. The original expression of "late to the dance" is "late to the party". This means to become aware of or become involved in something long after others have already become aware of it.
Comer tweaked the expression without changing its meaning. He said Biden was "late to the dance" because many others had long believed the theory the virus could have leaked from the Wuhan lab. But he said "better now than never." The original expression is "better late than never". This means it is better to do something late than not doing it at all. It can also mean it's better to arrive late at a meeting or party than not arrive at all. Comer meant even though Biden had ordered an investigation late, it was better than not having an investigation at all.
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美国人会将众所周知的英文习语微调（tweak）但不改其意思，这是很常见的。我就曾在霍士新闻一个时事节目上，见过一位美国政客这样做。当时主持人在访问众议院一位共和党人卡莫，关于有理论指新冠肺炎病毒是从武汉实验室泄漏的。即使前美国总统特朗普支持这一理论，但它被许多科学家驳斥（debunked）。但自从有美国传媒揭露，早于二○一九年十一月已有三名武汉实验室研究员，带有新冠肺炎症状需留院治疗之后，现在这一理论又变得可信（credence）了。那比中国官方宣布武汉爆发疫情的时间，足足早了超过一个月。
总统拜登之前并不支持此理论，但现在亦已下令美国情报机构调查新冠肺炎病毒来源。当卡莫在霍士节目上被问及对拜登下令的看法时，他说 "he's late to the dance" 但也 "better now than never"。Tweak一字有几个意思，在上文时指轻微改动某物。To "debunk" something即去揭穿某个真相，或驳斥某事并不如它所声称般真实或重要。若某事有 "credence"，意即人们愿意接受它是事实，或准备好去相信它了。"Late to the dance" 原本的写法是 "late to the party"，意即落伍、后知后觉、慢半拍，对于别人早已意识到的事，很晚才发觉或参与。
卡莫将习语略略改动（tweaked）但不改其意思。他说拜登「晚了到舞会」（"late to the dance"），因为其他人早已相信病毒是由武汉实验室泄漏出来的理论，但他说 "better now than never"，此习语原本的说法是 "better late than never"，意即亡羊补牢，迟做某事总比甚么也没做要好；它亦可以解作出席聚会或派对时，迟到总比不到好。卡莫的意思是，尽管拜登下令调查是迟了，也总比完全不展开调查要来得好。
中译：七刻
中译:七刻
Michael Chugani 褚简宁
President Joe Biden had not supported the theory before but has now ordered US intelligence agencies to investigate the origins of the coronavirus. When Comer was asked on Fox about Biden's order, he said "he's late to the dance" but "better now than never". The word "tweak" has several meanings but used this way it means to change something slightly. To "debunk" something means to show it is not as true or important as claimed. If something has "credence", it means people are willing to accept it as true or are ready to believe it. The original expression of "late to the dance" is "late to the party". This means to become aware of or become involved in something long after others have already become aware of it.
Comer tweaked the expression without changing its meaning. He said Biden was "late to the dance" because many others had long believed the theory the virus could have leaked from the Wuhan lab. But he said "better now than never." The original expression is "better late than never". This means it is better to do something late than not doing it at all. It can also mean it's better to arrive late at a meeting or party than not arrive at all. Comer meant even though Biden had ordered an investigation late, it was better than not having an investigation at all.
＊＊＊＊＊
美国人会将众所周知的英文习语微调（tweak）但不改其意思，这是很常见的。我就曾在霍士新闻一个时事节目上，见过一位美国政客这样做。当时主持人在访问众议院一位共和党人卡莫，关于有理论指新冠肺炎病毒是从武汉实验室泄漏的。即使前美国总统特朗普支持这一理论，但它被许多科学家驳斥（debunked）。但自从有美国传媒揭露，早于二○一九年十一月已有三名武汉实验室研究员，带有新冠肺炎症状需留院治疗之后，现在这一理论又变得可信（credence）了。那比中国官方宣布武汉爆发疫情的时间，足足早了超过一个月。
总统拜登之前并不支持此理论，但现在亦已下令美国情报机构调查新冠肺炎病毒来源。当卡莫在霍士节目上被问及对拜登下令的看法时，他说 "he's late to the dance" 但也 "better now than never"。Tweak一字有几个意思，在上文时指轻微改动某物。To "debunk" something即去揭穿某个真相，或驳斥某事并不如它所声称般真实或重要。若某事有 "credence"，意即人们愿意接受它是事实，或准备好去相信它了。"Late to the dance" 原本的写法是 "late to the party"，意即落伍、后知后觉、慢半拍，对于别人早已意识到的事，很晚才发觉或参与。
卡莫将习语略略改动（tweaked）但不改其意思。他说拜登「晚了到舞会」（"late to the dance"），因为其他人早已相信病毒是由武汉实验室泄漏出来的理论，但他说 "better now than never"，此习语原本的说法是 "better late than never"，意即亡羊补牢，迟做某事总比甚么也没做要好；它亦可以解作出席聚会或派对时，迟到总比不到好。卡莫的意思是，尽管拜登下令调查是迟了，也总比完全不展开调查要来得好。
中译：七刻
中译:七刻
Michael Chugani 褚简宁
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