英语习语趣谈【51】红地毯待遇 Red carpet treatment & When in Rome, do as the Romans do

本栏目由李福兵原创编写,Eyre绘图。

我们经常在电视里看到外国领导人来我们国家进行国事访问的报道,他们一下飞机就踏上红地毯,这让我想起了一个片语:red carpet treatment or welcome.

它是什么意思呢,先看下面的例句:

Wherever the star went, he was given a red carpet welcome by his movie fans.
(译文:那明星所到之处,都受到影迷的热烈欢迎。)

Red carpet treatment意思是“贵宾式的待遇”,而red carpet welcome指“贵宾式的欢迎”。一般在接见重要人物时,接待单位总是铺上红地毯以表隆重和热烈,所以这种“红地毯待遇”就表示“贵宾式的待遇”了。英文老师这样解释:

In west culture, people roll out a red carpet for an important people to walk on when they arrive, for example, important people such as an ambassador, a movie star or an honorable guest. So to give someone the red carpet treatment means that you give him or her special treatment.

Let’s take a look at the following examples

Yangliwei, the first Chinese astronaut, was given the red-carpet treatment at the airport.
(译文:中国的第一位宇航员杨利伟在机场受到隆重而热烈的欢迎。)

注意,这个片语有时也用作roll out the red carpet to sb. 意思相同,上文中英文老师的解释里就这样用到。

朋友们是否习惯西方人的就餐礼仪?在美国,他们总是先上汤,后上主菜,而在我们中国,汤却是最后一道需要上的菜。不管怎样,如果我们到了一个陌生的国度,总得要“入乡随俗”,这就是when in Rome, do as the Romans do. 从字面意义上看,这个片语的意思是“当身处罗马时,要像罗马人那样做”,这就告诉我们,如果到了一个地方时,由于文化传统的差异,我们需要按照人家的风俗习惯行事。The sentence “When in Rome, do as the Romans do” means that we should obey its customs when we are entering a country. 看个例句:

The differences in customs and cultures in the world are really noticeable. We should learn more in order to avoid embarrassment. Please remember: When in Rome, do as the Romans do.
(译文:世界上的风俗和文化的不同很值得注意。我们应该多注意一点一,以避尴尬。所以请记住:入乡随俗。)

这个片语实际上是一个完整的句子,所以我们可以根据句子的需要适当的加上一个成分,意思也不会改变。如:

I know you have egg and milk for breakfast at home, but now you are in another country. When in Rome, you will do as the Romans do. Take coffee,please.
(译文:我知道你在家早餐是鸡蛋和牛奶,但现在你在另一个国家。入乡随俗嘛。请喝咖啡。)

结束语:目前正是西部大开发的重要时期,政府为吸引外资,对外商总是给予贵宾式的待遇(red carpet treatment)。许多企业为了引进先进设备,引进资金,常邀请外国企业家考察投资,不过这些外国朋友懂得入乡随俗(when in Rome, do as the Romans do)的道理,一个劲的夸奖说中国的茶味道很好。

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