世博英语札记【55】pick your brains

2000年7月19日

如今互联网上非法拷贝，抄袭现象还是满严重的。我觉得抄归抄，你得尊重作者的辛勤劳动。下面这段小对话说得就是这种现象：

Mark: I've come to pick your brains about translation.（请教问题）

John: What do you want to know?

Mark: I wonder if it is proper to use the translations of other people in my own paper.

John: Sort of sucking others' brains?（抄袭别人的成果）

Mark: Not exactly. I want to illustrate some points by using their examples.

John: You can, but you'll have to acknowledge the source.（注明出处）

其中Pick（suck) someone's brain 有褒贬两种意思。褒义时指“向某人请教”，“采用某人的想法”。贬义时指“抄袭，剽窃他人的成果”。