美國是盛產胖子的國家. 全國約有60%的人超重,比例排在全世界第一.很自然地,減肥產品廣告隨處可見.無論是減肥茶、減肥丸還是減肥儀,基本上老師同一個套路:想減肥,但不想控制包含.怎么辦?想減輕體重,但又不想堅持.怎么辦?問完了就開始自食,吹噓某某產品終于可以實現這俗人夢想,是您輕松減肥的最佳選擇.

每次看到這樣的廣告,我都會情不自禁想起那句諺語;You can’t have your cake and eat it too!” 這句話從字面上比較難以理解,但是把have和eat對調后就好理解了—“You can’t eat your cake and have it too!”(你不可以好既把蛋糕聽懂掉又完整地保留它.)用我們熟悉的話說,就是“魚與熊掌不可兼得”.那些廣告就是看準了觀眾既想減肥又不想努力的弱點,讓他們心甘情愿地扔錢.

人往往比較貪心,總想“魚與熊掌兼得”,所以這句諺語在生活中經常有機會用到.舉例如下:

Jake: So I hear you are looking for a celebrity to endorse your product in Hong Kong.(Jake:聽說你準備找一位明星做你們產品香港地區的代言人.)

Gareth: yeah. Gotta be a household name like Jackie CVhan or Stephen Chow. And he has to be cheap. (gereth:是啊,必須是像成龍、周星馳那樣家喻戶曉的明星,而且得便宜點兒.)

Jake: Duh! You can’t have your cake and eat it too! (Jake:拜托!魚與熊掌不可兼得!)

Scott: I’m finally moving out. No more nagging from my parents! (Sdott:我終于搬出來住 了.和父母的嘮叨說再見!)

Lance: That’s great, man! (Lance:很好啊!)

Scott: But the problem is, I kind fo with mom would still be around to prepare mny meals and wash my clothes. (Scott:問題是,我又有點兒希望媽媽還在身邊,可以幫我燒燒飯、洗洗衣服.)

Lance: You can’t have your and eat it too! (Lance: 魚與熊掌不可兼得!)

如果要表達“希望魚與熊掌兼得”，將原句稍加改動即可:You want to have your cake and it too.”這相當于中文里的”又想馬兒跑,又想馬兒不吃草”.就我個人感覺而言,它的使用頻率不如原句高.因為它往往帶有諷刺口吻(潛臺詞就是“想得美!”),不像“魚與熊掌不可兼得”那樣實話實說,比較容易讓人接受,