[J-215] A Little Greater
大一点
An Englishman asked a Chinese hen-pecked husband, “Why are you so afraid of your wife?” The Chinese answered, “Well, you
know, a wife is always a little greater plus a little greater.” The Englishman could not understand the reason given for it and
asked for an explanation. The Chinese then explained: “In Chinese, a wife is called tai-tai. In writing, tai-tai (太太) is written as two identical characters, each with da (大) meaning great
plus a dot (、) meaning a little. So, the two
Chinese characters for a ‘wife’ naturally tell us that she is a little greater plus a little greater.”
[译注]
某英国人问一位怕老婆的中国丈夫：「你为什么那么怕你的太太？」那中国人回说：「呃，你晓得的，老婆总是大一点再加上大一点。」那英国人无法了解所给的理由而要求来个解释。于是那中国人说明：「在中文里，老婆被称为太太。在书写时，『太太』写成两个相同的字，每一个字都是『大』加上一点 (意思是一点点) 。所以，称老婆的那两个中国字自然地告诉我们：她是大一点再加上大一点。」
[复习填充]
An Englishman
asked a Chinese hen-____ husband, “Why are you so a____ of your wife?” The Chinese answered,
“Well, you know, a wife is always a little greater p____ a little
greater.” The Englishman could not understand the reason given ___ it
and asked for an explanation. The Chinese th___
explained: “In Chinese, a wife is called tai-tai. In writing, tai-tai
(太太) is written as two i____
characters, each with da (大)
meaning great plus a d____ (、) meaning a
little. So, the two Chinese ch____ for a
‘wife’ naturally t____ us that she is a little greater plus a little
greater.”