又中又英 - Break a leg | 褚简宁

　　Some English words can mean one thing but also the opposite of it, as I explained in my previous column. Some English phrases can also have one meaning and the opposite of it. I came across one in a newspaper article. The expression I saw was "break a leg". I have not used this expression in a long time. It is an expression that can easily confuse people whose first language is not English. Athletes who play contact sports or collision sports can sometimes break a leg part, such as fracturing a bone. A contact sport involves physical contact between players, such as football and basketball.

　　A collision sport involves players who purposely collide with players from the other team, such as rugby and American football. But the expression "break a leg" has a completely different meaning from the literal meaning of breaking a leg. If you say "break a leg" to someone, such as a collision sport player, you are not telling the player to fracture a leg bone. You are saying "good luck" to the player. The idiom was originally used for theater performers or musicians before they got on the stage.

　　In the old days, superstitious directors of plays and musical managers believed that if they said "good luck" to performers before a show, it would bring bad luck. They said "break a leg" instead to wish the performers good luck even though "break a leg" sounds negative. Nowadays, the expression is used to wish people good luck before they take a difficult exam or go for a job interview with a big company that pays high salaries. Say it to wish your friend good luck.

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　　正如我上一次在专栏中解释过的，一些英语字词可以同时解作两个相反的意思。一些英文短语亦同时含有两个相反的意思。我在一则报章报道中就遇到了这么一个短语。我看到的那个习语就是「break a leg」。我已经很久没有用过这个习语了，它是一个很容易令那些母语非英语的人困惑的习语。那些玩contact sports或collision sports的运动员，有时会断了腿（break a leg）的某部位，例如骨折。Contact sport是接触性运动，球员间会有肢体触碰，例如足球和篮球。

　　Collision sport则是冲撞型运动，例如榄球和美式足球，球员需要有目的地冲撞拦截对方球员。但习语「break a leg」有着跟字面意思「断脚」截然不同的意思。若你跟某人如冲撞型运动（collision sport）的运动员说「break a leg」，你可不是叫那人弄断一根脚骨啊。你是在祝那名球员好运。这个习语原初是剧场表演者或音乐家上台表演前所用的。

　　在旧时，迷信的戏剧导演与音乐剧经理相信，若他们在演出前祝表演者「好运」，那就会带来衰运。反之他们会说「break a leg」来祝表演者好运，即使「break a leg」听来很负面。今天，这个习语是在人们要应考一个很难的试，又或到一间付高薪的大公司面试前，用来祝他们好运的。试试跟你朋友说，来祝他们好运吧。

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Michael Chugani褚简宁
中译：七刻

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