淫穢手勢惹禍

英文名詞bird是"鳥"的意思，但它還有另外一個淫穢的用法。老美喜歡做一種手勢，五指握拳，然後隻把中指伸出，這是罵人，等同於F打頭的四字母髒話。這個手勢，用話說就是bird。

在當今中國，正經英文長進不大，邪路英文倒是突飛猛進。體育比賽，運動員和國際接軌的機會更多，一些運動健將對這個bird手勢都已經能夠熟練運用，請看下麵的故事。Finger-flicking competitor handed ban in China

A leading Chinese speed skater has been banned for one year after he made obscene gestures towards spectators during a national tournament, local media reported Tuesday, citing sport authorities.

Song Xingyu became so frustrated by jeering aimed at him from the stands that he raised his middle finger to the crowd both during and after the 10,000 metre final at the winter session of China's National Games in Shenyang Sunday.

"They were too tenacious. As soon as I came yesterday, they were constantly yelling at me to make me slip up. It was the same in the 500 and 5,000 metre (races)," web portal Sports.cn quoted the 19-year-old as saying.

Local Chinese sport crowds can be fiercely partisan and home fans often give athletes from other provinces a harsh reception.

Photos attached to online media reports showed the young skater exchanging hand gestures with spectators.

Song, who holds the national record over the distance but finished sixth Sunday, would be banned from competition until Jan 6, 2010, the report said, citing the sport authority in the skater's home province of Heilongjiang.

"During the period of the ban, Song Xingyu is ordered to recognize the seriousness of his mistake, reflect on his improper behavior during the National Games and write a self-criticism," the report quoted the Heilongjiang Sport Bureau as saying.

這個bird手勢，也叫finger或finger-flicking，有時還叫middle finger。中國頂尖速滑運動員(leading Chinese speed skater)因在比賽中對觀眾(spectators)做這個淫穢手勢(obscene gesture)，被停賽一年。

這位運動員姓名的漢語拚音是Song Xingyu，在沈陽舉行的一萬米賽事中，觀眾席(the stands)對宋喝倒彩(jeering aimed at him)，宋還以手鳥。宋還抱怨說，在前一天的五百和五千米賽事中，觀眾也喝倒彩想讓宋摔倒。

說實在的，中國體育競技水平是高了，但觀眾檔次不升反降。過份偏袒(fiercely partsan)本地運動員，常對外地參賽者不友好(harsh reception)。宋是黑龍江人，按說和沈陽都屬於東北地區，張大帥在世時還是同一國呢，但遼寧觀眾對黑龍江選手也"照樣不尿"。

在宋對觀眾做了手鳥後，觀眾席也對宋還以手鳥。這幅氣象萬千的群鳥圖片還在網絡世界傳播，看來運動員和觀眾都對這鳥英語運用自如。

這種運動員素質差觀眾水平低的現象成了當今中國體育文化的一景。對這事中國體育官僚更是扯淡，還命令宋要"認識(recognize)錯誤的嚴重性，反省(reflect)比賽中的不當行為(improper behavior)，並寫自我批評(self-criticism )"。這引號中的英文無疑是中國體育當局的英文翻譯所為。這兒，需要用到正經英文時他們就不靈了。老外記者引出這段中國式英文本身就有調侃的意思，中文"反省"和英文"reflect"是驢唇對馬嘴，不是一回事。"這起事件反映(reflected)了中國體育當局管理水平的低下" --這樣用動詞reflect那還差不多。中國英文，真是邪路英文人人會，正經英文沒人懂。


無獨有偶。美國有位因給人手鳥，被罰一萬五。故事是這樣的:  兩個男人，A告B跟蹤騷擾，法院發出保護令不許B再跟蹤。不巧的是，二位在同一家飯店吃飯碰見，B就給了A一個手鳥。這樣就算觸犯了保護令。這最可大可小，市府的公訴辦公室打算從輕處治，算小罪，但要保釋金七千五外加個人責任金七千五，這一鳥就要了一萬五。請看故事報道:

Middle finger gesture results in arrest

A Portsmouth, N.H., man has been jailed on a felony charge of violating a protective order after he allegedly showed his middle finger to the person who filed it. The two were dining separately at a restaurant on Jan. 24 when police said a 42-year-old man made the gesture.

A police affidavit said the man eventually left "with some assistance from restaurant staff."

Police Sgt. Kuffer Kaltenborn said violation of protective order charges can be brought as felonies when the allegations are second offenses. However, he said, the city prosecution office is expected to dismiss the felony against the man on Monday, leaving a misdemeanor count of stalking.

The man was being held at the Rockingham County House of Corrections on $7,500 cash and $7,500 personal recognizance bail.

英文詞匯:

felony:  可判刑一年以上的大罪；
misdemeanor:  判刑一年一下的小罪；
middle finger:  手鳥
protective order:  保護令；
prosecution office:  公訴辦公室；
stalking:  跟蹤；
County House of Corrections:  縣教改所；
personal recognizance:  個人(法律)責任(obligation).