給孩子取名是很多做父母的人生命中最重要的決定之一，因為一個人的名字通常會伴隨其一生。本期 “隨身英語” 討論取個好名字究竟有多重要。

詞匯：naming 取名

New parents often spend a long time debating what to call their newborn. Should they name them after a relative, a famous person or just pick a name at random? For many of us it can be quite the gruelling task, but it’s our children who need to live with our choice. So, how important is the name you choose?

Names usually stay with us for a lifetime, unless we decide to change them. They become part of our identity. Quite often we hear stories of celebrities giving their children unusual names, while other people give their children names which have special meanings, for example, the name Sarah comes from a Hebrew word meaning ‘princess’. Sadly, though, our parents don’t always get it right.

So, what if you don’t like your given name? A study led by psychologist Jean Twenge found that a person who hates the moniker given to them is more likely to have greater psychological adjustment issues – possibly due to low self-esteem. This is because our title becomes a symbol of our self, and if we loathe our name, our confidence may be affected.

And what if your name is no longer popular? While names like Ethel and Gladys were once in fashion, they now sound a bit out of date, which can be embarrassing. And when it comes to unpopular names which aren’t trending, they may even affect our love lives. Studies have shown that people with old-fashioned names are more likely to be rejected on dating apps.

However, if you choose an unusual name, it’s not all bad news. According to a study conducted by Professor David Zhu, people with uncommon names can develop a sense of uniqueness and can often become more creative and open-minded.

So, when choosing your offspring’s name, there are a fair few things to consider – but going for something too common or too old-fashioned may not be a great choice. And, if your children hate your choice, they can always select a nickname.

詞匯表

debate 爭論，討論
newborn 新生兒
name someone after someone 以某人的名字給…命名
gruelling 累人的，使人筋疲力盡的
given name （與姓相對的）名
moniker 名字，綽號
adjustment 調整，適應（新情況）
self-esteem 自尊心
symbol 象征
out of date 過時的
trending （在一段時間內）流行的
old-fashioned 老式的，過時的
uniqueness 與眾不同，獨一無二
offspring 后代
nickname 綽號，昵稱

測驗與練習

1.  閱讀課文并回答問題。

1. What type of people often give their children unusual names?

2. Where does the name ‘Sarah’ come from?

3. What can happen to someone who hates their name?

4. True or false? Unpopular names can make you feel embarrassed.

5. What happens to people with unfashionable names on dating apps?

2.  選擇意思恰當的單詞或詞組來完成下列句子。

1. We spend most of our time _______ what to eat in a restaurant!

newborn                         gruelling                          trending                    debating

2. What did you decide to call your _______?

adjustment                     newborn                          out of date                trending

3. There’s a slight _______ period as you need to get used to the weather.

debating                         self-esteem                      gruelling                   adjustment     

4. Have you seen that video that’s _______ on social media?

symbol                            trending                          given name               debating

5. I think this is quite a _______ task.

gruelling                          adjustment                      out of date                newborn     

答案 

1.  閱讀課文并回答問題。

1. What type of people often give their children unusual names?
Celebrities often give their children extraordinary names.

2. Where does the name ‘Sarah’ come from?
The name Sarah comes from the Hebrew word for ‘princess’.

3. What can happen to someone who hates their name?
They can end up with low confidence.

4. True or false? Unpopular names can make you feel embarrassed.
True. People who have names that aren’t trending may feel embarrassed.

5. What happens to people with unfashionable names on dating apps?
People with old-fashioned names tend to get rejected more.

2.  選擇意思恰當的單詞或詞組來完成下列句子。

1. We spend most of our time debating what to eat in a restaurant!

2. What did you decide to call your newborn?

3. There’s a slight adjustment period as you need to get used to the weather.

4. Have you seen that video that’s trending on social media?

5. I think this is quite a gruelling task.