Section 51 Toilet
Do you know what euphemism is?
你知道隐喻是什么吗？
当然。它是指我们用一个礼貌用词来代替一个准确用词。
That’s right. And I was thinking that there are probably more euphemisms for toilet than any other word.
没错。我想有关“洗手间”一词的隐喻比其它词多得多。
Yeah. I can think of loads, like WC, washroom, bathroom, powder room, little boy’s room and lavatory, loo, bog and some words which are really not very polite at all.
对，我可以想出一大堆。像WC、洗手间、浴室、化妆间、小孩房以及一些实在不很雅致的词。
But do you know that the word toilet can also be a verb?
你知道“TOILET”也可作为动词吗？
No, I didn’t. How?
不知道。怎么用呢？
Well, many many years ago, people would say to do one’s toilet which meant to wash and dress.
很多年以前，人们说“to do one’s toilet”，指的是洗澡和更衣。
So which do you think is the best one to use?
那你觉得哪一个是最好的用法呢？
Well, I think it depends where you are.
我想它取决于你在哪里。
In China, for example, most people will call it the WC.
比如在中国，大多数人称之为“WC”。
Yeah. That’s short for water closet, isn’t it?
它是“water closet”的缩写，是吗？
Um. But the Americans seem to prefer to use bathroom or washroom or even restroom.
嗯。但是美国人喜欢称之为“浴室、洗涤间或是休息室”。
The British often use gents or ladies.
英国人常用“gents”或“ladies”。
And I have also seen the word lavatory used on some aeroplanes.
我也在一些飞机上见过“lavatory ”一词。
I think the best thing is to listen to what the people use in the country you are in, and copy that.
我想最好听听你所在国家的人们的用词习惯，并随着他们说。
