奇聞趣事

London Cash Machines Offer Cockney(倫敦方言的) Slang Option

From AFP

Would you Adam and Eve(相信) it? Cash machines in east London are offering customers the option of using the local Cockney rhyming slang(同韻俚語(yǔ)，即其中一個(gè)單詞被與它押韻的單詞或短語(yǔ)取代的俚語(yǔ)，如kiss，可由hit or miss代替) to get their hands on their sausage and mash(mash意為“土豆泥”，sausage and mash指代cash)， so to speak(可以說(shuō)).

Anyone opting for Cockney rhyming slang will be asked to enter their Huckleberry Finn(Huckleberry意為“越橘”，Huckleberry Finn指代PIN，即個(gè)人身份證號(hào)碼) before choosing how much sausage and mash they want. Those wanting to withdraw(提款) 10 pounds will have to ask for a speckled(有斑點(diǎn)的) hen， while the machine may inform users that it is contacting their rattle and tank， rather than bank.

“We wanted to introduce something fun and of local interest to our London machines，” said Ron Delnevo， managing director of operators Bank Machine. “Whilst we expect some residents will visit the machine to just have a butcher’s hook (look)， most will be genuinely pleased as this is the first time a financial services provider will have recognised the Cockney language in such a manner.”

Better-known Cockney rhyming slang includes dog and bone (phone)， apples and pears (stairs)， whistle and flute (suit)， Adam and Eve (believe)， Barnet Fair (hair)， trouble and strife(打斗) (wife)， loaf of bread (head) and boat race (face).

New Witch of Wookey Hole(“伍基山洞”，英格蘭南部一著名景區(qū))

From BBC

Do you ever fancy(設(shè)想) a career change? Well if you can cast spells(用符咒鎮(zhèn)住某人或某物)， fly on a broomstick and have a good cackle(尖笑)， then you might be interested in becoming a professional witch.

Legend has it that the haunted(鬧鬼的) caves of Wookey Hole in the south of England were home to a witch. These days， the caves are a tourist attraction， which brings in thousands of visitors a year. And recently， Carole Bonahan beat over 300 applicants with pointy(非常尖的) hats， capes(披風(fēng)) and hooked noses to win the pound;50，000(約等于55.73萬(wàn)元)-a-year post as Wookey Hole’s resident(常駐的) witch.

Carole， who will now be known by her witch’s name Carla Calamity， will give up her job as an estate agent in order to become a full-time witch. Her main duty will be welcoming visitors to the caves.

Handing over the broomstick was Jane Brenner who has been Wookey’s witch for the past six years. She said: “We didn’t want anyone who would scare the children. We wanted a good witch to meet and greet people and to act as an ambassador for the attraction. This isn’t a cushy(容易的) job.”