美国是盛产胖子的国家. 全国约有60%的人超重,比例排在全世界第一.很自然地,减肥产品广告随处可见.无论是减肥茶、减肥丸还是减肥仪,基本上老师同一个套路:想减肥,但不想控制包含.怎么办?想减轻体重,但又不想坚持.怎么办?问完了就开始自食,吹嘘某某产品终于可以实现这俗人梦想,是您轻松减肥的最佳选择.

每次看到这样的广告,我都会情不自禁想起那句谚语;You can’t have your cake and eat it too!” 这句话从字面上比较难以理解,但是把have和eat对调后就好理解了—“You can’t eat your cake and have it too!”(你不可以好既把蛋糕听懂掉又完整地保留它.)用我们熟悉的话说,就是“鱼与熊掌不可兼得”.那些广告就是看准了观众既想减肥又不想努力的弱点,让他们心甘情愿地扔钱.

人往往比较贪心,总想“鱼与熊掌兼得”,所以这句谚语在生活中经常有机会用到.举例如下:

Jake: So I hear you are looking for a celebrity to endorse your product in Hong Kong.(Jake:听说你准备找一位明星做你们产品香港地区的代言人.)

Gareth: yeah. Gotta be a household name like Jackie CVhan or Stephen Chow. And he has to be cheap. (gereth:是啊,必须是像成龙、周星驰那样家喻户晓的明星,而且得便宜点儿.)

Jake: Duh! You can’t have your cake and eat it too! (Jake:拜托!鱼与熊掌不可兼得!)

Scott: I’m finally moving out. No more nagging from my parents! (Sdott:我终于搬出来住 了.和父母的唠叨说再见!)

Lance: That’s great, man! (Lance:很好啊!)

Scott: But the problem is, I kind fo with mom would still be around to prepare mny meals and wash my clothes. (Scott:问题是,我又有点儿希望妈妈还在身边,可以帮我烧烧饭、洗洗衣服.)

Lance: You can’t have your and eat it too! (Lance: 鱼与熊掌不可兼得!)

如果要表达“希望鱼与熊掌兼得”，将原句稍加改动即可:You want to have your cake and it too.”这相当于中文里的”又想马儿跑,又想马儿不吃草”.就我个人感觉而言,它的使用频率不如原句高.因为它往往带有讽刺口吻(潜台词就是“想得美!”),不像“鱼与熊掌不可兼得”那样实话实说,比较容易让人接受,