霧雨春秋
Just a place to 癡語夢囈...
幽默之一：
[讀者文摘 2007 三月號]
“說說你所期待的起薪數吧？”麵對求職的大學畢業生，人事部主任要結束這場麵試，便最後提了這個問題。
“嗯，先生，”年輕的畢業生順從地答道。“基於我考慮的福利待遇，這年薪該在$125,000左右吧。”
“很好，”主任說。“那福利待遇是第一年五個禮拜的休假、14天法定節日、免去一切個人費用的醫療與牙科保險、聯邦退休計劃存款百分之百的公司補給和一輛保時捷專用配車。你看如何？”
“老天！”年輕人受寵若驚。“這太好了。您不會是在開玩笑吧？”
“當然是，”主任答道。 “那可是由你先起的頭。”
[塞翁按]：這洋碼字到東土神州方塊字的翻譯轉換，的確是一門大學問。在洋文中，“起薪”用的是“starting salary”一詞。而結尾的 “那可是由你先起的頭”卻是 “But you started it.” 這其中的奧妙與幽默，也隻有讀了洋碼字本身才能體會得充分。
塞翁老矣，寶刀不再。 特抄錄洋碼全文如下望讀者朋友斧正。
“What starting salary are you looking for?” the head of human resources asks the newly graduated engineer at the end of a job interview.
Going for it, the guy says, “Well, sir, I was thinking about $125,000, depending on the benefits package.”
“Okay,” the HR director says. “How about five weeks’ vacation, 14 paid holidays, full medical and dental, 100% company match for your 401(k) and a Porsche for your company car?”
The engineer gasps and says, “Wow! Are you kidding?”
“Yeah,” he replies. “But you started it.”
[塞翁又按]：這主任也夠損的。年輕人對生活缺乏經驗，麵對此類公式化的官腔，便天真地認為別人也是如此當真。
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幽默之二：
[讀者文摘 2007 一月號]
當一個壞家夥將一座附有小商場的加油站炸得飛上天的時候，銀幕上出現的鏡頭異常壯觀：一團巨大的烈火將前景上幾個注油泵和後麵的商場平地裹起送上天空...然後再紛紛墜地粉碎。“哇...！”我的丈夫驚歎。
當我正想附和：那場景的確令人印象深刻；他繼續歎息不已，“你沒見爆炸前那注油泵上平價油的標價嗎？那可是八毛七分錢一加侖哪！”
[塞翁按]：為加強效果，塞翁擅自將平價油的標價從原文中的一加侖$1.89跌至每加侖$0.89。那價格在八十年代末和海灣戰爭前是常見的；南部諸州有比它更低的。這則幽默對三十幾歲以上的老美和在美十幾年以上的外來移民，最能體會其中的難言之苦。唉，好景不再...!
抄錄洋碼全文如下：
The action movie had a spectacular scene where the bad guy blew up a convenience store. The building and the gas pumps in front were engulfed in a huge ball of fire. "Wow!" My husband gasped.
I was about to say, "That was a pretty impressive explosion," when he continued, "Did you see the price of regular? A dollar eighty-nine a gallon."
時光不再，時光不再啊。。。嗬嗬。