Re: Fudge the issue

Posted by futari on 2011/5/9 13:24:23

Quote:



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"fudge the issue" = "fudge (and mudge) the issue"
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("fudge and mudge" the matter/issue/topic)
= (對事情/話題/問題/議題"不表態/持迴避態度/搪塞/敷衍了事/不表態/態度曖昧/推諉/推托)

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[Binomials and Trinomials]
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In linguistics, a binomial pair or binomial is a sequence of two or more words or phrases belonging to the same grammatical category, having some semantic relationship and joined by some syntactic device such as AND, OR, NOR, BUT, or some type of implied conjunction. Examples in English include through and through, (without) let or hindrance, and chalk and cheese.

Several legal terms are binomial pairs, often (but not necessarily) consisting of one Germanic word and one Romance word, such as (last) will and testament or cease and desist.

Binomials are often irreversible; that is, they occur only in one order. For example, one says bow and arrow but not arrow and bow; one says here and there and that's neither here nor there, but not there and here or that's neither there nor here.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Binomial_pair
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在網路翻譯家英語成語園地單元中，在「安然無恙」(6畫) (safe and sound)這個成語底下附註說明了英文中有不少這種「成雙成對」的成語。這種成語在英文中叫做binomial pair或簡稱binomial。根據該附註說明，這種成語是使用兩個詞性相同的字、中間用 and 連接起來的固定搭配。在此要補充的是，binomial pair並非都是兩個字，有時會有更多字，且它們中間也不一定都是用and連接，有時是or甚至nor，如without let or hindrance (毫無阻礙地；順暢地 — 其中let為名詞，是個法律用語，意為「妨礙，阻礙」；當然，你也可以把without拿掉，變成「阻礙地；不順暢地」)，neither here nor there (與所述無關的；不相關的)。

既曰固定搭配，那就表示這些binomial pairs的順序是不可以改變的，如here and there (到處)不能寫成there and here；chalk and cheese (截然不同的東西)不能寫成cheese and chalk；aches and pains (疼痛)不能寫成pains and aches。但如果有人跟你說，有個binomial的順序是可以對調的，亦即through and through (徹底地；完全地)，那純屬抬槓之說，因為同一個字對調，結果還是一樣。至於有關binomial發音時應注意事項，請參考該附註說明。

http://blog.cybertranslator.idv.tw/archives/131
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More examples of binomials:

hustle and bustle, flotsam or jetsam, through and through, deaf and dumb, law and order, do or die, decline and fall, fish or/nor fowl, goose and gander, down-and-out, rain or shine, surf and turf, leaps and bounds, dead and gone, nip and tuck, now and then, cup and saucer, loud and clear, hit-and-run, half-and-half,
hammer and nails, down-and-out, more or less, long and short (of it), rain or shine, ...

http://blog.cybertranslator.idv.tw/archives/131
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Some examples of trinomials:

bacon, lettuce, and tomato;
blood, sweat, and tears;
coffee, tea, or milk;
lock, stock, and barrel;
here, there, and everywhere; ...
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More info:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siamese_twins_%28English_language%29


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