美国人尽管喊了多少年的「性开放」,但很多美国人在谈情说爱方面,仍然喜欢采用一些含蓄保守的词句或语句,表现文明和礼貌。以下举一些例句,或许能说明一二。
to have a crush on (someone);
to feel an instant magnetism;
to catch one's eyes; to hit it off;
to have the hots for (someone);
to be attracted to each other.
这些片语,都是描写男女间互相倾慕,两情相悦,有吸引力或一见锺情。
例如:
* He (she) has a crush on her (him) (他对她十分爱慕) 。
* He felt an instant magnetism when their eyes met.(他们见面时,他立即感到磁性般的吸住)。 意指女的外表吸引; 如果是 she felt …… 那么就是指男的外表吸引。
* A nice-looking girl caught his eye.(漂亮的妞儿吸住)。注意:不用eyes。
* He was introduced to a pretty woman and they seem to hit it off immediately.(他被介绍给一位漂亮女子後,他们似乎就一见锺情)。 或
* They were attracted to each other the moment their eyes met.
* When he met her, he had the hots for her.(当他见到她,他就对她爱慕不已。)(多半指 sexual attraction。)
例如说,女对男的没有兴趣,那么也可以说:
* She did not feel any attraction toward him.(她对他毫无兴趣); 或
* He is the man for whom she feels no attraction, catch or no catch.(不管他的条件好或坏,她对他就是没有兴趣)。
这里的 catch,可指财富、地位、名望和外表。
to be a lady's man (或 ladies' man);
to be a prince on a white horse;
to be a casanova;
to be a womanizer.
这些都是指男人英俊潇洒,作风奔放,野性旺盛,喜欢在「女人窝」里。例如:
* Mr. Lin has been considered a prince on a white horse.(林先生被认为是白马王子。)
这是中古时代女子对男人的梦中理想,然而现在也有老外认为美男子应该是:
全身盔甲灿烂光辉的王子。
* He is a prince in a shining armour.(动词时态:shine, shone 或 shined。)
* Many people think that Mr. Clinton is a real lady‘s man.(或 a real womanizer)(许多人认为柯林顿先生喜欢在女人窝里。)
*As a casanova, he has many girl friends.(由於他是美男子,他有许多女友。)
(Casanova 是意大利人,据说是顶尖的美男子,他的全名是:Casanova de seingalt Giovanni Giacomo 在此 casanova 被当做普通名词,故 c不必大写。
如果形容男人外表魅惑力大,能使女人「如饥似渴」般崇拜他,也可以说:
* He has melted her down and made her knees buckle.(他把她溶化了,使她拜倒他的西装裤下)。
这句话老外通常不用在男人身上,也许因为男子应该比较坚强些吧!或且说:
* So many women swarmed him like bees to the honey.(许多女人看到他,就像一群蜜蜂见到蜜那样蜂拥而至。)
倘若说:…… like flies to the garbage 指像一群苍蝇喜欢垃圾那样,当然就不是恭维了。
to be a beauty queen; to be a dream boat;
to be a cutie; to be a babe;
to be a fox.
这些都是形容女人漂亮,曲线玲珑,身材曼妙,挥身性感或散发一种性感的野性。
例如:
* She is a beauty queen.(= very beautiful)
* She is a cutie.(= pretty and attractive)(漂亮迷人)
* She is a dream boat.(= ideal type of woman)(理想女人)
* She is a babe.(= very beautiful and attractive)
* She is a fox.(= She is a foxy lady = She is sexy.)(她很性感)。
注意:如果说: She is as sneaky(或 cunning)as a fox.又是指她像狐狸一样的狡猾。