一个单词的句子是怎样工作的？

 

无字幕版

1

You may think you know the words

that sit plainly in black on your page,

你可能觉得你

了解书面上的字

2

but don't be fooled.

但别太轻易相信。

3

Some words are capable of taking on

different guises,

有些字非常善变，

4

masquerading as nouns,

verbs and adjectives

伪装成名词，

动词或形容词

5

that alter their meanings entirely.

各持有完全不同的意思。

6

This seeming superpower is called

lexical ambiguity.

这种超能力我们称作

词汇歧义。

7

It can turn words and sentences

into mazes that mess with our minds.

它可以把字句转变成迷宫

扰乱我们的思维。

8

For example, consider the following:

好比这个句子：

9

Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo

buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo.

水牛水牛水牛水牛

水牛水牛水牛水牛。

10

That may sound like nonsense,

听起来好像

毫无意义，

11

but it's actually a grammatically

correct sentence.

但事实上是语法正确的句子。

12

How? Well, Buffalo is proper noun,

a noun, and a verb.

怎么说呢？水牛同时是专有名词，

名词和动词。

13

It refers to an animal

also known as a bison,

这单字指的是

美洲水牛，

14

an American city,

美国的一个州属，

15

and it can also mean to bully.

也可以是欺负的意思。

16

These different interpretations

create a sequence of words

这三种意思

形成一连串

17

that is grammatically

correct as it stands,

本质上语法正确

的句子，

18

though it helps to add in

a few implied phrases

虽然加上一些暗示性词语

19

and punctuation marks

to reveal what's really going on.

和标点符号

会让人更清楚它的意思。

20

Buffalo buffalo are bison

from the city of Buffalo,

『水牛水牛』指的是来自

水牛城的水牛，

21

and this sentence

has three groups of them.

而这句就有三组

水牛城的水牛。

22

Group A, which is bullied by Group B,

bullies Group C.

被B组欺负的A组欺负C组。

23

In other words, bison from Buffalo that

other bison from Buffalo bully

换句话说，被另一只水牛城的水牛欺负的

水牛城水牛

24

also bully bison from Buffalo.

也欺负另一只来自水牛城的水牛。

25

If you let each buffalo perform its role,

the meaning becomes apparent.

如果每一只水牛都扮演好自己的角色

那这句话就更清楚不过了。

26

What if the bunch of bullying buffalo

decides to cross the ocean?

如果这一群霸道的水牛

远渡重洋呢？

27

Not just on any ship,

那如果搭的不是一般的航船，

28

but a ship-shipping ship

shipping shipping-ships?

而是一艘运载著货船

的运载船的船？

29

That sentence sounds just as outrageous,

but there's logic to the babble.

尽管这句话令人发疯，

但其实乱中有序。

30

Ship can mean a vessel and to transport.

船(ship)可以是船只也可以是运载。

31

When we sub in those meanings,

a clearer picture emerges.

当我们加以解释，

整句话就更清楚了。

32

Here we have a huge ship-carrying vessel

我们有个巨大运载航船的船只

33

transporting ships that themselves are

designed to carry goods across the sea.

运载著本身能够运货的船只

远渡重洋。

34

A ship-shipping ship,

shipping shipping-ships.

运载著货船

的运载船的船。

35

How about some entertainment

on board this unusual vessel

那如果在这船上再加上

一些娱乐

36

to offset the scuffling buffalo?

来平衡一下

这群调皮水牛？

37

Consider the can-can.

来看看

可以-可以吧！

38

Can-can can-can can can

can can can-can.

可以-可以可以-可以可以可以

可以可以可以-可以。

39

Here, the word can comes in many guises.

在这裡，

这个字有带著很多意思。

40

There's can-can, the flamboyant dance,

当中有康康舞（可以-可以），

一种华丽的舞蹈，

41

can, that means able to,

可以，代表能够，

42

and can, figuratively

meaning to outperform.

还有可以带有超越的意思。

43

By sticking in a comma

and including the implied meanings,

带入逗号

和言下之意之后，

44

this sentence becomes clearer.

这句话的意思

便显而易见。

45

Can-can dances that can-can dances

are able to outperform,

康康舞者跳得康康舞

能够表现特出，

46

can also outperform other can-can dances.

也能够超越其他的康康舞。

47

You wouldn't necessarily use

any of these sentences in a conversation.

你在日常言谈中

不一定会用到这些句子。

48

They're just too ridiculous.

它们实在太扯了。

49

Yet they serve as an extreme example

然而它们是

日常言谈

50

on just how tangled

everyday language can be.

可以变得多拗口

的极端例子。

51

Lexical ambiguities sail into our speech

and writing all the time,

词汇歧义常在我们的言谈

和文笔中神出鬼没，

52

spreading confusion and misunderstanding

wherever they can-can.

带来疑惑和误会，

只要它们能够超越（可以-可以）。

中文字幕版

1、You may think you know the words

that sit plainly in black on your page,

2、but don't be fooled.

3、Some words are capable of taking on

different guises,

4、masquerading as nouns,

verbs and adjectives

5、that alter their meanings entirely.

6、This seeming superpower is called

lexical ambiguity.

7、It can turn words and sentences

into mazes that mess with our minds.

8、For example, consider the following:

9、Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo

buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo.

10、That may sound like nonsense,

11、but it's actually a grammatically

correct sentence.

12、How? Well, Buffalo is proper noun,

a noun, and a verb.

13、It refers to an animal

also known as a bison,

14、an American city,

15、and it can also mean to bully.

16、These different interpretations

create a sequence of words

17、that is grammatically

correct as it stands,

18、though it helps to add in

a few implied phrases

19、and punctuation marks

to reveal what's really going on.

20、Buffalo buffalo are bison

from the city of Buffalo,

21、and this sentence

has three groups of them.

22、Group A, which is bullied by Group B,

bullies Group C.

23、In other words, bison from Buffalo that

other bison from Buffalo bully

24、also bully bison from Buffalo.

25、If you let each buffalo perform its role,

the meaning becomes apparent.

26、What if the bunch of bullying buffalo

decides to cross the ocean?

27、Not just on any ship,

28、but a ship-shipping ship

shipping shipping-ships?

29、That sentence sounds just as outrageous,

but there's logic to the babble.

30、Ship can mean a vessel and to transport.

31、When we sub in those meanings,

a clearer picture emerges.

32、Here we have a huge ship-carrying vessel

33、transporting ships that themselves are

designed to carry goods across the sea.

34、A ship-shipping ship,

shipping shipping-ships.

35、How about some entertainment

on board this unusual vessel

36、to offset the scuffling buffalo?

37、Consider the can-can.

38、Can-can can-can can can

can can can-can.

39、Here, the word can comes in many guises.

40、There's can-can, the flamboyant dance,

41、can, that means able to,

42、and can, figuratively

meaning to outperform.

43、By sticking in a comma

and including the implied meanings,

44、this sentence becomes clearer.

45、Can-can dances that can-can dances

are able to outperform,

46、can also outperform other can-can dances.

47、You wouldn't necessarily use

any of these sentences in a conversation.

48、They're just too ridiculous.

49、Yet they serve as an extreme example

50、on just how tangled

everyday language can be.

51、Lexical ambiguities sail into our speech

and writing all the time,

52、spreading confusion and misunderstanding

wherever they can-can.

英文字幕版

1、你可能觉得你

了解书面上的字

2、但别太轻易相信。

3、有些字非常善变，

4、伪装成名词，

动词或形容词

5、各持有完全不同的意思。

6、这种超能力我们称作

词汇歧义。

7、它可以把字句转变成迷宫

扰乱我们的思维。

8、好比这个句子：

9、水牛水牛水牛水牛

水牛水牛水牛水牛。

10、听起来好像

毫无意义，

11、但事实上是语法正确的句子。

12、怎么说呢？水牛同时是专有名词，

名词和动词。

13、这单字指的是

美洲水牛，

14、美国的一个州属，

15、也可以是欺负的意思。

16、这三种意思

形成一连串

17、本质上语法正确

的句子，

18、虽然加上一些暗示性词语

19、和标点符号

会让人更清楚它的意思。

20、『水牛水牛』指的是来自

水牛城的水牛，

21、而这句就有三组

水牛城的水牛。

22、被B组欺负的A组欺负C组。

23、换句话说，被另一只水牛城的水牛欺负的

水牛城水牛

24、也欺负另一只来自水牛城的水牛。

25、如果每一只水牛都扮演好自己的角色

那这句话就更清楚不过了。

26、如果这一群霸道的水牛

远渡重洋呢？

27、那如果搭的不是一般的航船，

28、而是一艘运载著货船

的运载船的船？

29、尽管这句话令人发疯，

但其实乱中有序。

30、船(ship)可以是船只也可以是运载。

31、当我们加以解释，

整句话就更清楚了。

32、我们有个巨大运载航船的船只

33、运载著本身能够运货的船只

远渡重洋。

34、运载著货船

的运载船的船。

35、那如果在这船上再加上

一些娱乐

36、来平衡一下

这群调皮水牛？

37、来看看

可以-可以吧！

38、可以-可以可以-可以可以可以

可以可以可以-可以。

39、在这裡，

这个字有带著很多意思。

40、当中有康康舞（可以-可以），

一种华丽的舞蹈，

41、可以，代表能够，

42、还有可以带有超越的意思。

43、带入逗号

和言下之意之后，

44、这句话的意思

便显而易见。

45、康康舞者跳得康康舞

能够表现特出，

46、也能够超越其他的康康舞。

47、你在日常言谈中

不一定会用到这些句子。

48、它们实在太扯了。

49、然而它们是

日常言谈

50、可以变得多拗口

的极端例子。

51、词汇歧义常在我们的言谈

和文笔中神出鬼没，

52、带来疑惑和误会，

只要它们能够超越（可以-可以）。

最简洁的表达方式：只含一个单词的句子

Absolutely！—— 绝对正确！

Adorable! —— 可爱极了！

Amazing! —— 太神了！

Anytime! —— 随时吩咐！

Almost! —— 差不多了！

Awful! —— 好可怕呀！

After you. —— 您先。

About when? —— 大约何时？

All set? —— 一切妥当？

Allow me! —— 让我来！

Baloney! —— 胡扯！荒谬！

Behave! —— 放尊重点！

Bingo! —— 中了！

Boring! —— 真无聊！

Bravo! —— 太棒了！

Bullshit! —— 胡说！

Cheers! —— 干杯！

Congratulations! —— 恭喜啊！

Correct! —— 对的！

Crazy! —— 疯了