《牛津英語詞典》于2019年10月新收錄了203個詞匯。其中包括俚語 “chillax” 淡定，由動詞 “chill” 和 “relax” 組成；“sumfin”——“something” 的俚語拼法之一；“Jafaican” 牙買加腔口音，由單詞 “fake” 和 “Jamaican” 組合而成。

You may be listening to this report just to hear the dulcet tones of some received pronunciation – something like the word ‘something’, for example. If that’s the case, on this occasion you’re not in luck. What I’m proposing to give you is ‘sumthin’, ‘sumfin’ and even ‘sumink’. That’s because they’ve all been added to the list of slang words in the Oxford English Dictionary.

你也許只是為了聽到柔和又悅耳的英式標準發音才來聽這篇報道的——就如同單詞 “something” 的發音一樣。如果真是這樣，恐怕你這次運氣不佳。因為我正打算給你介紹的單詞是 “sumthin、sumfin”，甚至可以說成 “sumink”。這是因為它們都被收錄在了《牛津英語詞典》的俚語單詞表之中。

It might not always seem like it, but that dictionary is enriched by the terminology we employ.

雖然可能不總是這樣，但這本詞典正因錄入了我們平時使用的術語才變得豐富多彩。

There’s also ‘whatevs’ – that’s defined as being used in response to a question or statement to indicate that the speaker is disinclined to engage with or is indifferent to the matter.

詞典還收錄了 “whatevs” 無所謂——對這個詞的定義是：它用來回答問題或作陳述，以表明說話者不情愿參與這件事情的討論，或對此漠不關心。

Unfortunately, the new list has also led to a fair amount of criticism all about the lowering of standards. But maybe the opponents just aren’t fans of Star Wars! The new dictionary also includes several words and phrases from that film epic – lightsabre, Jedi, Padawan and what I’m trying on you now – a Jedi mind trick.

很遺憾，新詞列表也引發了大量關于降低詞匯收錄標準的批評意見。但也許這是因為反對者們不是《星球大戰》的影迷罷了。新詞典還收納了《星球大戰》中的一些單詞和詞組——“lightsabre” 光劍、“Jedi” 絕地武士、“Padawan” 絕地學徒，還有我正在你們身上施展的 “a Jedi mind trick” 絕地控心術。

詞匯

dulcet tones 柔和悅耳的發音
received pronunciation （英語）標準發音，英格蘭南部地區人的口音
proposing 打算，計劃
enriched 豐富多彩的
terminology 術語
disinclined 不想做，不愿意做
indifferent 漠然的
standards 標準
lightsabre 光劍
mind trick “控心術”，《星球大戰》電影中的能左右他人想法的法術

閱讀理解：請在讀完上文后，回答下列問題。

1. Which real English word is ‘sumfin’ a slang version of?

2. Which new word mentioned in the text can be used to show that someone doesn’t care about a statement or a question?

3. Why have some people criticised the inclusion of these slang words in the Oxford English dictionary?

4. True or false? Words taken from the Star Wars films, such as ‘slam dunk’ and ‘simples’, have been added to the Oxford English Dictionary.

答案

1. Which real English word is ‘sumfin’ a slang version of?
‘Sumfin’ is a slang version of the word ‘something’ and has been added to the Oxford English Dictionary.

2. Which new word mentioned in the text can be used to show that someone doesn’t care about a statement or a question?
‘Whatevs’, which is defined as being used in response to a question or statement to indicate that the speaker is disinclined to engage with or is indifferent to the matter.

3. Why have some people criticised the inclusion of these slang words in the Oxford English dictionary?
The new list of words has also led to a fair amount of criticism all about the lowering of standards.

4. True or false? Words taken from the Star Wars films, such as ‘slam dunk’ and ‘simples’, have been added to the Oxford English Dictionary.
False. These words don’t come from Star Wars films, but ‘lightsabre’, ‘Jedi’ and ‘Padawan’ do!