BBC地道英语:Yob 流氓暴徒

Li: 大家好我是杨莉。

Men: Come 'ere then! Oi! Come on then! Want a fight? Who are ya?!

Li: Callum, 我耳机里听到的是一片片吵吵闹闹要打架的声音，那都是什么人啊？

Callum: Well, Li, they are yobs.

Li: Yobs?

Callum: Yes, yobs. Yob is our phrase for today. It's an informal word that refers to a man who is loud and rude and possibly rather violent.

Li: I see. Yob 是口语，意思是流氓，暴徒。That sounds like you, Callum.

Callum: What you talking about, sounds like me?! What do you mean? Are you asking for a fight?!

The British press called the rioters 'yobs'.

Li: Oh no, no… 我不想打架，我可不是你的个! But do you see what I mean? You sound like a yob.

Callum: Erm... well, yes, OK. Sorry about that. Anyway, I chose this word because as many people will know the UK recently experienced some violence on the streets of London and other cities. The word 'yob' was used a great deal at this time.

Li: 你说的没错。在前不久英国的暴力骚乱事件中英国媒体多次使用了流氓暴徒这个词 yob. 下面是选自英国报纸上的一些标题:

UK riots: 11 councils to evict 'riot yobs'.

Ken Clarke blames 'feral' yobs.

600 riot yobs left DNA on windows.

Riot yobs filmed attacking cop cars.

Riot yobs can't hide.

UK riots: young yobs back on streets despite David Cameron's pledge.

Li: I'm not sure I remember seeing this word yob on the BBC sites.

Callum: Well no. It's a very negative and judgemental word. The BBC tends to avoid this kind of language in its reporting. But this is a piece of British slang that is very common in the UK. We also sometimes use the word yobbo.

Li: Yobbo 也是流氓，暴徒的意思。Hmm, 我想知道这些词语到底从哪里来的呢？

Callum: Well, interestingly what we have here is an example of backslang. If you read the word yob backwards, what do you get?

Li: Boy. 原来 yob 是男孩儿这个单词倒过来 Y.O.B., yob.

The word 'yob' is British slang for 'a rude and violent man'.

Callum: Exactly. So, in the past the word yob meant boy. However, now, as I mentioned, it refers to a rude and violent man, often a young man but not always.

Li: 对不起 Callum, 刚才我把你也叫成了无赖了，其实你并不是那样的人 a yob. 你是一个绅士 you are a gentleman.

Callum: Oh, thanks Li.

Li: 不过我是绝对打不过你的，see how fit and strong you are. So don't you ever frighten me again!

Callum: Alright. Well, you'd better be good then!