[單字學習] potluck 是「家常便飯」嗎?

回覆文章
頭像
Wayne
Member
文章: 1500
註冊時間: 週四 5月 13, 2004 10:53 am
來自: Taipei, Taiwan, Pandemonium

[單字學習] potluck 是「家常便飯」嗎?

文章 Wayne »

Potluck (0221 2006)

此字為美式文化下之產物,2006年版之Collins Cobuild Advanced Learner's English Dictionary仍無此字;牛津高階英漢雙解字典第四版初也未見,但2000年版Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary已收錄。以下是一些常用字典裡potluck的定義:

1. Longman Advanced American Dictionary: (n.) (adj.) a potluck meal: a meal in which everyone who is invited brings something to eat
2. Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English (3rd ed.): (n.) (AmE) a meal made up of dishes of food brought by many different people
3. Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary (2000):(AmE) a meal to which each guest brings some food, which is then shared out among the guests
4. Canadian Oxford Dictionary: (n.) (AmE) potluck supper, potluck dinner: a party to which each guest brings a dish to be shared
5. Oxford American Dictionary and Language Guide (n.) a meal to which each guest brings a dish to share
6. Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary: [pot luck] (n.) (mainly US) an informal meal where guests brings a different dish which is then shared with the other guests
7. Macmillan English Dictionary for advanced learners of American English: (n.) (AmE) an informal meal to which guests bring food

中文裡的「家常便飯」的原意是「簡便的菜、家中日常的飯食」,以有別於宴會的大菜。以下是一些漢英辭典的譯法: (括弧內為總編輯或出版社)

1. Matthews' Chinese-English Dictionary (R.H. Matthews): ordinary plain food, such as one gets at home
2. ABC Dictionary (John DeFrancis): home food; simple meal
3. 漢英大辭典(上海交大): homely food; ordinary fare; a common meal; simple meal
4. 漢英辭典(北京外研社):homely food; simple food
5. 遠東英漢大辭典(遠東):an ordinary plain meal (such as one gets at home)
6. 林語堂漢英辭典(讀者文摘):simple meal。

以上七本英英字典中potluck的中文意思大致都是「每位客人帶一道菜分享的一頓飯」。這樣看起來,potluck決不是中文的「家常便飯」(「簡便的菜」)了。但是漢英大辭典、遠東英漢大辭典、林語堂漢英辭典這三本國人所編的漢英辭典也將「家常便飯」譯成potluck。究竟他們有何所本呢?

根據Random House Webster's Advanced English Dictionary (2001),potluck的定義是(1) a meal that happens to be available without special preparation (毋需花太多時間準備的菜) (2) potluck supper: a meal, esp. for a large group, to which guests bring food to be shared(每位客人帶一道菜分享的一餐):We can have a big potluck supper and invite more people that way.。五南英漢活用辭典將potluck譯成「家常便飯,現成的食物」;文馨活用英漢辭典則譯成「便飯,現成菜飯」;兩本字典也都收錄了take potluck(「吃便飯」)的片語。Longman Advanced American Dictionary也有take potluck的片語,除了指「每位客人帶一道菜分享的一餐」,也指「家常便飯」。因此將potluck譯成「家常便飯」似乎也可以;但是,當我們聽到「家常便飯」時會立刻想到「每位客人帶一道菜分享的一餐」嗎?我很懷疑。所以我想將「家常便飯」(「簡便的菜」)譯成simple meal比較好。

那麼,potluck的中譯又該是什麼呢?朗文英英.英漢當代高級辭典將potluck譯為「百樂餐」,我覺得「百」字既有大家一起來的意思,而且「樂」也顧及了英文字中的luck,更有趣的是「百樂餐」與potluck還有也點諧音(也可以試著用粵語來發「百樂」)。

potluck還有「碰運氣」的意思。有些字典拼寫成兩個字,也有字典仍舊只拼成一個字:
1. Longman Advanced American Dictionary: (n.) take potluck: to choose something without knowing very much about it and hope it will be what you want: We hadn’t booked a hotel so we had to take potluck. (potluck拼成一字)
2. Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English (3rd ed.): (n.) (AmE) take pot luck: to choose something without knowing very much about it and hope it will be what you want: We hadn’t booked a hotel so we had to take potluck. (拼成pot luck)
3. Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary (2000):(僅收錄potluck,未收錄pot luck)
4. Canadian Oxford Dictionary: (n.) whatever is available; whatever comes one's way (拼成potluck)
5. Oxford American Dictionary and Language Guide (n.) whatever (hospitality, food, etc) is available (意為「將就著用之物」(拼成potluck)
6. Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary: [pot luck] (n.) anything that is available or is found by chance, rather than something is chosen, planned, or prepared: We had no idea which hotel would be best, so we just took pot luck with the first one on the list.。Mary's welcome to stay for dinner if she doesn’t mind taking pot luck. (拼成pot luck)
7. Macmillan English Dictionary for advanced learners of American English: (n.) a situation in which you do not know what to expect, but you hope that it will be good: take pot luck to choose something when you do not know what you will get and can only hope that it will be good: I've never heard of these restaurants. We'll have to take pot luck. (拼成pot luck)
8. Collins Cobuild Advanced Learner's English Dictionary:if you take pot luck, you decide to do something even though you do not know what you will get: If you haven't made an appointment, take pot luck and knock on the door…He scorns the "pot-luck" approach. (拼成pot luck)

但是中文的「家常便飯」除了指「簡單的食物」外當做比喻時,指的是「習以為常的事」。以下是一些漢英辭典的譯法:

1. ABC Dictionary (John DeFrancis): common occurrence; routine
2.'work; usual practice
3. 漢英辭典(北京外研社):common occurrence; routine; all in the day's work
4. 遠東英漢大辭典(遠東):a common occurrence; routine
5. 中英譯寫辭庫(劉雲适): a common fare

為什麼「碰運氣」與pot有關呢?原來,早年賭博的時候,都是將所有的彩金都放在pot「鍋」裡,賭贏的人自是抱得幸運「鍋」而歸。hit the jackpot就是中了特獎或是獨家贏得大筆彩金,後來hit the jackpot就成了「大獲成功」的代名詞。不過,hit the jackpot在十九世紀末還是「慘敗」的意思呢!

這篇文章自pot「鍋」裡而起,不曉得可不可以用「鍋」裡自有乾坤來形容英文的妙趣?
Knowledge is power -- when shared.
頭像
technobabel
YOYO member
文章: 1188
註冊時間: 週六 5月 14, 2005 8:42 pm
來自: Eastern Seaboard

文章 technobabel »

Potluck
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A potluck or potluck dinner is a gathering of people for a meal where the participants are expected to bring food to be shared among everyone at the gathering. These gatherings are often organized by churches and other community groups since they simplify the meal planning and distribute the costs among the participants. Smaller get-togethers may also occur in the form of potlucks.

Such events can also go by the name "Jacob's join", in which each participant brings along as much food as he or she is likely to want to eat, but puts it into a common stock for the communal meal.

There are no typical dishes in potlucks, the only commonality in dish is that they are large enough to be shared among a good portion (but not necessarilly all) of the anticipated guests.

A variation on potlucks is "rota" meals, short for rotation. With rota, rather than each person bringing a dish, participants take turns providing food for the entire group. For regular potlucks (e.g. daily, weekly or monthly) amongst a fairly consistent set of participants, this dramatically reduces the amount of preparation effort required. One popular and long-standing implementation of this approach can be found at Sirius, an intentional community in rural Massachusetts.

The purpose and benefits of potlucks include fun, socialising, good food, and building healthy community. Some of the most honest and meaningful communication can occur over a dinner table.

Potlucks can be combined with other events such as discussions, screenings, talking circles, walks, meetings, etc. This can increase the opportunity for effective communication and tangible outcomes, if that is what is desired.

The word potluck is erroneously said by some to originate from the Native American term potlatch.

The word potluck dates from the sixteenth century, and the earliest written citation is 1592 - in England. (NASHE Four Lett. Confut. Ded., "That that pure sanguine complexion of yours may never be famisht with pot lucke"). It is a portmanteau word formed from pot and luck.
I am not abandoning Yoyo, I am just dancing slowly away from it.
頭像
technobabel
YOYO member
文章: 1188
註冊時間: 週六 5月 14, 2005 8:42 pm
來自: Eastern Seaboard

文章 technobabel »

As far as I know, every "International Student Union" of a given university will try to have at least one potluck event. In an event like this there is a good chance that you will hear somebody say "dig-in". Under the circumstance, almost anybody can easily extrapolate the meaning of "dig-in". This slang will make perfect sense when you soon realize that spoons and forks are just like mini-shovels.
I am not abandoning Yoyo, I am just dancing slowly away from it.
頭像
djlin
YOYO member
文章: 58
註冊時間: 週五 2月 25, 2005 11:02 pm

Re: [單字學習] potluck 是「家常便飯」嗎?

文章 djlin »

Wayne 寫:Potluck (0221 2006)

此字為美式文化下之產物,2006年版之Collins Cobuild Advanced Learner's English Dictionary仍無此字;牛津高階英漢雙解字典第四版初也未見,但2000年版Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary已收錄。以下是一些常用字典裡potluck的定義:
(以下略)
原來potluck有這樣的典故~ 這邊有台灣人會戲稱potluck叫"打獵",因為發音會有點像台語的打獵^^
一般有活動的時候,除非是去餐廳吃大餐,大多都是大家出自己一道拿手好菜~ 這時候就可以看出大家的廚藝高低啦,呵~~ 算是蠻有意思的social activity
djlin, a.k.a. Robert
頭像
technobabel
YOYO member
文章: 1188
註冊時間: 週六 5月 14, 2005 8:42 pm
來自: Eastern Seaboard

文章 technobabel »

Unlike potluck, revenge is a dish best served cold.

Hence, for the ultimate potluck experience, this is what you need

http://www.premierpartyrentals.com/prod ... oblong.htm
I am not abandoning Yoyo, I am just dancing slowly away from it.
回覆文章