20歲的人能夠一個人旅行全世界

紐約--慾望城市，吻了再說　Sex and the City：Kiss and Tell

文/Wendy周

22歲那年，帶著對時尚的狂熱與對世界的好奇，一個城市接著一個城市旅行，也開始了我的碩士生涯，舊金山、紐約、伊斯坦堡、羅馬、巴黎…destination在台北，希望和讀者分享我的世界地圖，每一個文化驚奇和語言衝擊！

美國影集《慾望城市》（Sex and the City）成功的替人們對於紐約畫下一個夢想藍圖，它在全球賣的只是影集或電影，它行銷了紐約。

“Maybe I can't leave New York. I don't know how I'd do someplace else.” - Carrie Bradshaw

四個女人，四種紐約生活，讓許多人對這個土地懷抱夢想，希望有一天可以穿著華服、過著劇裡的紐約生活，找到自己的Mr. Big大人物。

對於一個時尚人而言，紐約是個必須朝聖地；對於一個藝術人而言，它是一個盡情揮灑創意的天地；對於一個表演者而言，它提供無數個站上國際舞台的機會；對於商人而言，眾多的人帶來無限的商機；對於一個紐約客而言，它是一種毒藥，又愛又恨；對於一個旅客而言，它是個謎。

所謂的時尚，在紐約是一種態度，是一種對於生活的品味，各國文化造就出專屬紐約的生活態度，所謂紐約的冷漠，不過是不懂得欣賞在一片黑色底下的精采熱情，如果沒有對於生命的熱情，那麼就不可能造就出每一齣經典Broadway劇，就醞釀不出Marc Jacobs這種設計鬼才，也不會有Wall Street裡每天跟股市打交道的一群金融高手，更不會有無數個廚師每天絞盡腦汁創造出無國界料理；在紐約，它的特別來自於一切生活習慣於創造藝術、欣賞文化。

New York- The Big Apple

It goes without saying that New York City is one of the most popular cities in the world. Is it for the reason that a lot of people want a taste of the Big Apple? Or is it that people just want to fit in the so-called trendy American lifestyle? Fashionably speaking, it is a city that tops all the cities in the States.

New York City is the place that combines the past, present, and future of the world. The vast numbers of museums in the city are what take people into history. From MOMA to street graffiti, you see art, you feel art, and then you understand art. From luxury dining to the famous chicken on rice in the financial district, you sense food is not just something to fulfill your physical hunger, but also a way of life. From taking a ride on the subway, you’ll see different expressions, different colors, and different cultures. From the stock markets on Wall Street, you predict future with numbers. From every New York fashion week, you forecast not only clothing and accessories, but movements in the world. There’s always something to do in the city. It isn’t just a city to travel to; it is a city to wander around for a lifetime.

Goes without saying的意思是不言而喻，所以在文章裡整句話的意思可解釋為：人人皆知紐約市是全世界最熱門的城市之一。
Example: It goes without saying that Steve Jobs is the coolest icon in the world.

So-called的意思為所謂的，在文章裡整句話可解釋為，還是人們只是想融入所謂的時尚美國生活？
Example: After seeing Avatar, I’m convinced once again that James Cameron is a so-called genius in the movie industry.

Fun Fact: 為什麼紐約又稱大蘋果?

Big Apple has been a nickname for New York City for as long as I remember. It was first popularized in the 1920s by John J. Fitz Gerald, a sports writer for the New York Morning Telegraph. It is rumored that Fitzgerald got the term from jockeys and trainers in New Orleans who aspired to race on New York City tracks, referring to the "Big Apple." He explained his use in a February 18, 1924, column under the headline "Around the Big Apple":

“The Big Apple. The dream of every lad that ever threw a leg over a thoroughbred and the goal of all horsemen. There's only one Big Apple. That's New York.”
原來是1920年代一位紐約早報的體育記者開始公開使用這個詞，讓世人對於紐約市和大蘋果做了連結。

Later on, in the late 1920s and early 1930s, New York City's jazz musicians started referring to New York City as the "Big Apple." An old saying in show business was "There are many apples on the tree, but only one Big Apple." The nickname hit off in the public in the 1970s, due to a promotional campaign by the New York Convention and Visitors Bureau.
一直到了1970年這個詞正式被紐約政府拿來當作一個行銷城市的說法。

紐約是什麼樣的謎呢？慾望城市的Carrie Bradshaw說，這個城市最大的矛盾就是：有這麼多未婚好女人，但怎麼就找不到個未婚好男人？
There are thousands, maybe tens of thousands of women like this in the city. We all know them, and we all agree they're great. They travel. They pay taxes. They'll spend $400 on a pair of Manolo Blahnik strappy sandals. And they're alone. It's like the riddle of the Sphinx. Why are there so many great unmarried women and no great unmarried men?

Sphinx是希臘神話中獅身人面怪獸，專出謎題害人。她給伊底帕斯出的謎題是：什麼東西早晨用四隻腳走路，中午用兩隻腳走路，傍晚用三隻腳走路？伊底帕斯回答：人。結果答對了，Sphinx羞愧墜崖而死。“riddle of the Sphinx”用來比喻複雜、神秘、難以理解的問題。

你夠紐約了嗎？測一測你的紐約指數：

1.Stand on line--請排隊，大部分美國人說：「stand in line」；紐約人會說：「stand on line」。＂If you're from the metro New York area you stand ON line. If you're from pretty much anywhere else you stand IN line. Except if you're from England, then you queue up.＂
2.Hero--跟英雄無關，紐約人超大義大利潛艇堡叫Hero。
3.Do me a solid--如果有人問你：「Hey can you do me a solid?」就是Can you do me a favor?請人幫忙的意思。
4.All right already!--這不是一句好話，意思是「That's enough! Stop it!」
5.Carded意思不是你收到了一張卡片。carded意思是到了法定可以喝酒的年齡！
6.Fuhhgeddaboutit--聽起來是不是有點無賴，紐約人就是這樣發音：「Forget about it!」、「You want me to do you a solid? Fuhhgeddaboutit!」

7.Don't jerk my chain--"jerk one's chain" 是一個紐約人有趣的俚語。假如你脖子上有條鏈子，有人幾分鐘就來像拉扯一下，你是不是覺得很煩呢？"Stop jerking my chain." 就是"Leave me alone." 不要吵我不要煩我的意思。

(小編悄悄話：這是今年1/30(六)刊登在工商時報”世界公民weekly”數個專欄文章之一。本專欄每次都會介紹一個有趣的城市，讓你以英文暢遊全世界！想要閱讀完整三個版面的精彩內容，您可以每週六買一份工商時報，或直接加入世界公民weekly讀者俱樂部，看一整年。）

從2008年8月10日起，只要繳交NT$1500，就能下載一年份在工商時報刊載的世界公民weekly。現在就加入世界公民weekly讀者俱樂部