Singlish算是新加坡文化的表現之一, 有人以為Singlish 指的就是新加坡英文的特殊腔調, 其實不然. Singlish講得不只是腔調, 還有很多從不同語言中演變而來的當地英文用法. 而這些不同的語言, 包括:福建話(也是是台灣所謂的台語, 例外這裡很多的福建歌王, 其實指得是台語歌王, 像陳雷就是這裡著稱的建建歌王), 馬來話, 英文俚語, 口語.....
以下精選一些在新加坡常聽見的當地英文用法, 這些用語是生活在新加坡的人, 不可不知的喔.
1. Alamak,
meaning 'God be with you', 'God forgive you'.
例子: Alamak! Why you go and do this sort of stupid thing?
原意: Oh my god! why did you do such a stupid thing?
2. blur
Used to describe someone as unclear, inept, and in a world of his own.
例子: Such a simple thing also cannot do. Why you so blur?
原意: You can't do even this simple task? why are you so incompetent?
衍生相關用法 blur like sotong
'Sotong' is Malay for squid, and its blurness comes from the cloudy ink that squids squirt.
例子: Wah lau eh, I got this tuition student, hor, blur like sotong. Explain to him donno how many times also, he still catch no ball (福建話: 抓無球).
原意: Oh my god, I have this student who's really dense. No matter how many times I explain things to him, he still doesn't get it.
有人問過Straits Times的英文解說團, 有沒有a ’blurry’ person這樣的字眼. 得到的回答是沒有blurry這樣的字眼, 且blur也是Singlish expression, 英文中很少用到, 但在新加坡卻常聽到這樣嘲諷人的字眼, 講人髒, 搞自閉之類的.
3. buay sai
Hokkien for 'cannot' or 'incapable'.
例子: You want Ah Beng to help you with your maths? Buay sai! (Impossible!, or You can't!)
4. can
meaning: No problem
曾經聽過人說, 始終不解的是簡單的yes, no. 在新加坡就變成can, can not. 所以, 不用懷疑can經常會聽到喔.
例子:
Beng: 'Eh, Seng, lend me your car, leh.' (Hey, Seng, can I borrow your car?)
Seng: Can. (Sure.)
5. cheat my money
To be tricked into something.
例子: Wah lau, kway teow $25 one plate? Eh, hotel, no hotel, this is damn cheat my money one!
原意: What, $25 for a plate of kway teow? I know this is a hotel, but the prices are a real rip-off!
6. confirm/ confirm and guarantee
例子:
Ah Seng: Oi, you returing that VCD, not? (Hey, are you returing that VCD?)
Ah Beng: Aiyah, of course lah! Confirm plus gaurantee times 2, with 3-year warranty! (Of course! For sure@ definately!)
7. die-die
To go all out, with no possibility of noncompliance. The singlish equivalent of 'die trying'.
例子: I die die will pay you back tomorrow.
原意: I swear upon my grave that I will pay you back tomorrow.
8. dong dong chiang
Description of noisy Chinese New Year Celebration such as lion or dragon dances, and a traditional Chinese funeral as well.
"咚咚強" 也可以用在送葬儀式? 形容慶典用語可以理解, 倒是台灣古禮來說, 好像送葬不會有"咚咚強"之類的吵雜聲. 以向是例句將咚咚強用在形容葬禮, 只是好怪, 真得有人會這樣講嗎?!
例子: Boy-boy, dun go downstair and play. Today there got dong dong chiang.
原意: Son, don't go downstairs to play, because there's a funeral being held there today.
9. don't say I say
A very common way of prefacing a statement that could be controversial or sensitive. English equivalents include, 'Don't tell anyone I said so, but...'or 'Don't quote me on this, but...'
例子: Don't say I say ah, but Ah Lian's dressing is si beh obiang.
原意: Don't tell anyone I said so, but Ah Lian's dress sense is really tracky.
10. got~must~
Got food must eat. (If there is food, then you must eat it.)
Got show must see. (If there's a show on, then you must see it.)
11. how many money?
哇, 嘆為觀止. money 都變成可數了?!
A common substitiute for "How much is this?"
12. lelong
Malay for "auction". 有一次活動時, 只剩下不多的東西要賣, 其它義工媽媽們叫道"leong", 經詢問過後, 才知道那是"跳樓大拍賣", "大降價" 之類用語.
13. makan
Malay for "meal", or "to eat". 有一次去吃馬來餐時, 點了Misotong, 然後馬來人問我, makan, 當時心裡想說, 當然是吃飯了, 不然勒. 後來才知道, 他是問是不要要'have in'. 另外, take away也是我常懷疑的用法, 但是已經習慣不講'to go'了. 每次講完還要解釋, 所以, 當你聽到人家問'eat in' or 'eat out'時也要習慣了.
14. tution
tution也是一大發現, 很多singlish尾音直接刪掉, 幾乎是眾所皆知. tution的邏輯很簡單, 就是1+1=2. 當tutor遇到tuition當然應該要變成tution了. 英文的家教一事用tuition表示, 唸法上~ i ~的音, 當然要唸出來. 新加坡這裡的tuition就是把i直接略掉, 像把tutor後面的'or特'的音, 改成'tion遜'
15. Wah lan/ Wah lau
書上說是福建話衍生而來, 我一直以為是Malay衍生的. 始終不知哪句福建話是Wah Lau???
意思就是Damn it! Oh My God! 火星文就是OMG.
Reference: The Coxford Singlish Dicitionary, published by Angsana Books, 2009
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