從Tarzan’s Room說起

文/王逢鑫

1973年，我與友人在倫敦游覽天然動物園（safari）。友人去洗手間，很快返回，說：“一個房間門上有Tarzan’s room幾個字，另一個房間門上有Jane’s room 幾個字，恐怕都是私人住處，沒敢進去。”我對友人說：“Tarzan 是美國電影《人猿泰山》的男主人公，他的妻子叫 Jane。他們生活在非洲叢林（African jungle）之中。今天我們來到safari，仿佛到了非洲叢林。Tarzan’s room肯定是男廁所，而Jane’s room一定是女廁所。”

廁所是人們日常生活不可或缺的地方。英語的廁所名稱多種多樣，有雅俗之分。弄不清廁所名稱，會遭遇我的友人那樣的尷尬。

英語表示廁所的名詞有些是用廁所設施名稱構成的，像toilet（馬桶）、lavatory（馬桶）、water closet / W.C.（馬桶）、can（液體容器）、potty（便壺）等。例如：

1.廁所有人。The toilet/lavatory is engaged/occupied.

2.街角處有一個公共廁所。There is a water closet / W.C.on the corner of the street.

3.媽媽問三歲女兒：“要上廁所嗎？咱們找一找附近的廁所。”Mother asked her three-year-old daughter, “Do you have to go potty? Let’s go find the potty nearby.”

英語表示廁所的名詞大都回避與排泄有關的詞匯，而利用其他具有相關功能的地點名詞，像bathroom（洗浴）、washroom / washing room（盥洗）、restroom（休息）、powder room（化妝）、cloakroom（存放衣帽）、comfort station（舒適設施）、public convenience（方便設施）等。例如：

4.這些護士每天在病人床邊連續待10至12個小時，經常連吃飯、坐坐的時間都沒有，甚至沒有時間上廁所。Every day these nurses spent 10 to 12 continuous hours at their patients’ bedsides, often without time to eat, sit down or even go to the bathroom.

5.洗手間在哪兒？Where is the washroom / washing room?

6.上吐下瀉使我在廁所里待了一整宿。Diarrhea and vomiting made me stay in the restroom all night.

7.請問女廁所在哪里？Can you tell me where the powder room is,please?

8.那位男士正在詢問男廁所在哪里。The man was inquiring where the Men’s cloakroom was.

9.公園里有一個公共廁所。There is a public comfort station in the park.

10.這個公園給游客提供避雨處和公共廁所。The park provides rain shelter and public convenience for the tourists.

英語有一些表示廁所的委婉說法，包括somewhere、the smallest room of the house、the Poets’ Corner等。例如：

11.我要上廁所。1) I want/need to go somewhere.2) I’d like to pay a visit to the smallest room of the house.

12.有些人上廁所時，喜歡在墻上亂涂打油詩，于是廁所被戲稱為“詩人角”。Some people liked to scribble a doggerel on the wall when they used the toilet.So the toilet is playfully called “the Poets’Corner”.

英語表示廁所的名詞有些是由姓氏人名構成的。除了上述的Tarzan’s room和Jane’s room以外，表示男廁所的名詞還有John/john、Jakes/jakes等；表示女廁所的名詞還有 Jane/jane等。例如：

13.這座辦公樓有三個男廁所和三個女廁所。There are three johns and three janes in this office building.

14.昨晚，我去了兩趟男廁所。Last night, I went to visit john twice.

15.這個醉漢踢開茅廁的門，踉踉蹌蹌走了進去。The drunken man kicked open the door of the jakes and staggered in.

16.19世紀末，托馬斯·克拉普在倫敦創辦了“托馬斯·克拉普公司”，生產潔具。據說第一次世界大戰期間，駐扎在英國的美國士兵見到沖廁水箱上有Crapper的商標名，就將其當作了軍隊俚語。當他們說“I’m going to the crapper.”時，意思是“我去上廁所”。In the late 1800s, Thomas Crapper (1836-1910) founded Thomas Crapper & Co in London, which produced sanitary ware.It is said that during World War I, American servicemen stationed in England saw his name as the trade mark on the flushing cisterns and used it as army slang.When they said, “I’m going to the crapper”, they meant“I’m going to the toilet”.

英語表示廁所的名詞，有些與數字相關，像the fourth、loo等。例如：

17.據說the fourth這個習語源于19世紀劍橋大學里流傳的笑話。每天早晨，那里的大學生們有四項常規活動：做禮拜、用早餐、吸煙和上廁所。于是，the fourth就代指“廁所”了。It is said that the idiom “the fourth” was originated from a joke spread in the 19th century University of Cambridge.Every morning, the students there had four regular activities: worship, having breakfast, smoking and going to the toilet.So “the fourth” can refer to “the toilet”.

18.英語loo這個詞的意思是“廁所”，因為廁所過去通常位于大樓的100號房間。此外，loo和100形狀非常相似。The English word “loo” means “toilet” because the toilet was commonly located in Room 100 of a building.Besides, loo and 100 look very much the same.