a greenhorn不懂事的小伙子
green在此處代表“年輕”(young)的意思,greenhorn 是指“新的犄角“,因此可以引申為”剛開始長犄角、蹦蹦跳跳的小牛“,再引申為”一個不懂事的小伙子“。此外,greenhorn 還有容易受騙(gullible)的涵義。至于老成世故(sophisticated)年輕人,英文里則稱之為a man/woman of the world或是men/women of the world,也就是“這個世界的人”。
★ Paul is very much a man of the world.
保羅是個很懂世故的人。
★ Compared with him, you are an utter greenhorn.
跟他相比之下,你簡直什么事都不懂。
The man in the street一般市民
在街上隨處可見的人,英文里稱之為the man in the street,亦即“一般市民(ordinary citizens)。其中有些人可能缺乏主見,只會隨著旁人的意思行動,‘無足輕重“,就如漂浮水面的稻草般,因而被稱之為a straw man.
★ After the election, the man in the street will have no choice but to trust the elected politicians to look after his interests.
選舉之后,一般民眾沒有別的選擇,只能委托他們選出的政客來看顧自身的利益。
★ The lawmakers are so well paid that nowadays even a straw man would like to think of having a try in the election.
因為立法者的待遇太好了,連草包都想出來競選。