标题: Can You Speak Australian [打印本页] 作者: woody81 时间: 3-6-2008 15:31 标题: Can You Speak Australian http://www.sina.com.cn 2005/09/23 23:17 《第一英语》杂志
G’Day, mate!
People all over the world are familiar with this greeting. When we hear it, we know that we are hearing someone who comes from Australia. “G’day, mate!” is a good example of “Strine” English. This is what Australians themselves call their unique form of the English language. To understand where the term comes from, imagine someone saying the word “AuSTRAlian” in a thick Australian accent.
Of all the different English accents around the world, the Australian accent is often the one that gives non-native-English speakers the most difficulty. For example, if someone with the name Tony goes to Australia for a visit, he may hear his new friends referring to him as “Tiny”! But Tony shouldn’t be upset – it’s only his friends’ Australian twang (accent) speaking, not their opinions of his height.
Even if your ears are attuned to the Australian accent, you may still have difficulty understanding the locals. You must also know some important “Strine” English terminology. Australians love wordplay and have slang words for every occasion. They also like to simplify their speech by shortening words, like the term “Aussie”, which means “Australian.” But on other occasions, many Australians have the habit of referring to something using a convoluted rhyming slang such as “Steak and kidney”(Sydney), or even “Trouble ‘n’ strife” (wife) This type of rhyming slang is similar to Cockney English. Cockney is English spoken in the poor eastern neighbourhoods of London, England. Some say that Cockney was also used by small-time criminals to confuse the police. A couple of hundred years ago, England sent its prisoners to Australia to live out their prison sentences. Many people say Strine rhyming slang is evidence of Australia’s convict past!
You may be surprised to know the origin of one of the most popular and unusual “Strine” English terms: Fair Dinkum. Depending on the context, the term can mean “Honestly!” or “Yes, I’m telling you the truth!” Someone who is referred to as a “Dinkum Bloke” is reliable and straightforward, a real compliment. Some claim that this term is derived from a Chinese language. During the Australian gold rush in the 1880s, Chinese miners referred to real gold as “ding cum.”
Take a look at some examples of Strine English below:
让我们来看看下面的一些澳大利亚英语：
arvoafternoon: - as in “I’ll come by your place this arvo.”
Aussie - Australian
bluey - red-headed person
chook - chicken
crook - sick
cozzie - swimming costume
good on ya’ - good for you
narked - upset
no worries/ she’ll be right - no problem
Pom - British person
Sheila - woman/girlfriend
tough bikkies - bad luck
tucker - food
ute - pickup truck
Strine quiz:
Australians often shorten their words by taking the main syllable and adding -ie, -ey or -o at the end. Try your hand at Strine! Can you match the Strine English terms to the real thing?
A kiwi is an animal that eats roots and leaves. 作者: hidec 时间: 4-6-2008 10:19 作者: 蒙面超人 时间: 4-6-2008 12:43
UK的老外也是这么说的，还有不说“thanks”之类的一律说“Cheers”，嗜酒成性作者: Teleprince 时间: 4-6-2008 22:00
cheers is a more colloquial form of thankyou. nothing to do with alcohol though.作者: naughtybaby 时间: 7-6-2008 02:45
come up with another one: Kiwi=New zealander, not the fruit作者: woody81 时间: 7-6-2008 11:39
kiwi is a shybird.if u would be a newzealander, dont like a kiwi作者: naughtybaby 时间: 7-6-2008 17:09 标题: 回复 #23 woody81 的帖子 yup, tht's how the slang evolves
在澳洲的筒子一天要说几次G'Day, mate!
try to use and get it
