绰号的奇妙作用

这罐火腿找不到买家。可能很难看到小黄瓜，因为对讲机和奶酪刮刀挡住了视线。

双语精读

The business of nicknames

绰号这件事

The Can of Ham cannot find a buyer. It may be hard to see the Gherkin because the Walkie-Talkie and the Cheesegrater get in the way. London's skyline is made of glass, steel and nicknames.

这罐火腿找不到买家。可能很难看到小黄瓜，因为对讲机和奶酪刮刀挡住了视线。伦敦的天际线是由玻璃、钢铁和绰号构成的。

Sometimes these names start out as criticism: the city's tallest building got its name when it was described as a "shard of glass through the heart of historic London" by a heritage group. But in time, they denote familiarity and, often, affection.

有些绰号起初表示的是批评：伦敦的最高建筑得名“碎片大厦”，是因为一个文化遗产组织称其为“刺穿历史古城伦敦心脏的一块玻璃碎片”。但随着时间的推移，绰号表示熟悉感，而且常常表示喜爱。

There are good reasons why buildings acquire monikers. The Bottle Opener resonates more than the World Financial Centre Shanghai; the Lipstick Building is easier to remember than 885 Third Avenue.

建筑物获得绰号是有充分理由的。“瓶起子”比“上海环球金融中心”更能引起共鸣，“口红大厦”比第三大道885号更好记。

Consumers give brands nicknames, too. BMW owners in Britain drive "beamers"; in America they might be at the wheel of a "bimmer".

消费者也会给品牌起绰号。英国的宝马车主开beamer，美国的宝马车主可能开的是bimmer。

If you're a high-roller, you might wear a Rollie on your wrist. You probably would not shop at Tarjay, an ironically Gallic pronunciation of Target, a mass-market retailer. Brand nicknames are not always flattering: Neiman Marcus, another retailer, was once christened "Needless Markup".

如果你是一个出手阔绰的人，你可能会在手腕上戴一块劳力士。你可能不会在“塔杰”购物，这是对平民超市零售商“塔吉特”的一种具有讽刺意味的法语发音。品牌的绰号并不总是好听的：另一家零售商“尼曼百货”曾被命名为“没必要的涨价”。

But usually they suggest that consumers feel a genuine connection to a product.

但通常情况下，绰号表明消费者对产品有真正的感情。

In a recent paper Zhe Zhang of Western University in Canada and Vanessa Patrick of the University of Houston looked at how people react to the use of nicknames by other consumers.

在最近的一篇论文中，加拿大韦仕敦大学的张哲（音译）和休斯顿大学的凡妮莎·帕特里克研究了人们对其他消费者叫绰号的反应。

In one experiment participants saw an online review of a new menu item at McDonald's; some saw a version in which the chain was referred to by that name and others saw one that called it "Mickey D's".

在一项实验中，参与者看到对麦当劳新品的网络评论，一些人看到的评论版本中，麦当劳就被称为麦当劳，而另一些人看到的版本中，麦当劳被称为“米奇D”。

The chances that the review would be reported as fake were much lower when the nickname was used. A nickname also made other people more likely to buy a product or pass on the review to a friend.

当使用绰号时，该评论被认为是虚假的可能性要低得多。绰号也会让其他人更有可能购买该产品或把评论分享给朋友。

Mr Zhang and Ms Patrick tested whether these same beneficial effects would also materialise if the firm used its nickname in its own communications (by showing people messages in which, among other things, Walmart referred to itself as Wally World).

张和帕特里克还测试了如果公司在自己发布的信息中使用绰号（向人们展示一些消息，其中沃尔玛将自己称为“沃里世界”），是否也会产生同样的有利效果。

The benefits disappeared. Nicknames that seem to genuinely reflect consumers' fondness for a brand can send a positive signal. But companies referring to themselves in this way feels inauthentic. Imagine someone called John saying that people call him "J-Dawg", and you can understand why.

有利作用消失了。看起来真诚地反映了消费者对品牌的喜爱的绰号可以发出积极信号。但如果公司以这种绰号称呼自己，就会让人感觉不真诚。想象一下，有个叫约翰的人说人们叫他“约狗哥”，你就明白了。

词汇预习

• historic [高考]
  美[hɪˈstɔːrɪk] | 英[hɪˈstɒrɪk]
  adj. 有历史意义的；历史的
• criticism [高考]
  美[ˈkrɪtɪsɪzəm] | 英[ˈkrɪtɪsɪzəm]
  n. 批评；评论
• nickname [高考]
  美[ˈnɪkneɪm] | 英[ˈnɪkneɪm]
  n. 绰号； 昵称
  v. 给 ... 取绰号
• heritage [高考]
  美[ˈherɪtɪdʒ] | 英[ˈherɪtɪdʒ]
  n. 遗产；继承物
• mass [高考]
  美[ mæs] | 英[mæs]
  n. 大量；块；众多
  adj. 大规模的；群众的
  v. 集中
  n. 弥撒曲；弥撒
• react [高考]
  美[riˈækt] | 英[riˈækt]
  v. 反应；反攻
• beneficial [高考]
  美[ˌbenɪˈfɪʃl] | 英[ˌbenɪˈfɪʃl]
  adj. 有利的；有益的
• brand [高考]
  美[brænd] | 英[brænd]
  n. 烙印；商标；牌子；标记
  vt. 加污名于；铭记；打烙印
• acquire [高考]
  美[əˈkwaɪər] | 英[əˈkwaɪə(r)]
  vt. 获得；学到；取得
• affection [高考]
  美[əˈfekʃn] | 英[əˈfekʃn]
  n. 影响；感情；喜爱；慈爱
• wrist [高考]
  美[rɪst] | 英[rɪst]
  n. 手腕；腕部
• lower [高考]
  美[ˈloʊər] | 英[ˈləʊə(r)]
  adj. 低的；下级的；下层的
  v. 降低；减弱；跌落
• genuine [高考]
  美[ˈdʒenjuɪn] | 英[ˈdʒenjuɪn]
  adj. 真诚的；真正的；真实的；地道的
• would [高考]
  美[wʊd , wəd] | 英[wʊd , wəd]
  aux. 将；可能；大概；总会；愿意；will的过去式
• roller [四级]
  美[ˈroʊlər] | 英[ˈrəʊlə(r)]
  n. 滚筒；滚轴；滚转机；巨浪
• retailer [四级]
  美[ˈritelɚ] | 英[ˈri:teɪlə(r)]
  n. 零售商(店)
• buyer [四级]
  美[ˈbaɪɚ] | 英[ˈbaɪə(r)]
  n. 买方
• genuinely [四级]
  美[ˈdʒɛnjʊɪnlɪ] | 英['dʒenjʊɪnlɪ]
  adv. 真正地；诚实地；由衷地
• made of [四级]
  美[med ʌv] | 英[meɪd ɔv]
  由 ... 制成； 由 ... 构成
• in the way [四级]
  美[ɪn ði we] | 英[in ðə wei]
  挡道，妨碍某人；[英]在场，在眼前，在附近
• react to [四级]
  美[riˈækt tu] | 英[riˈækt tu:]
  对 ... 起反应
• ironically [六级]
  美[aɪˈrɑːnɪkli] | 英[aɪˈrɒnɪkli]
  adv. 讽刺地；说反话地
• denote [六级]
  美[dɪˈnoʊt] | 英[dɪˈnəʊt]
  vt. 表示；象征
• saw [专八]
  美[sɔː] | 英[sɔː]
  n. 锯；谚语，格言
  v. 锯，用锯割开；看见，明白（see的过去式）
• skyline [专八]
  美[ˈskaɪˌlaɪn] | 英[ˈskaɪlaɪn]
  n. 地平线；以天空为背景的轮廓
• Shanghai [专八]
  美[ʃæŋˈhaɪ, ˈʃɑŋ-] | 英[ˈʃæŋhai]
  v. 诱拐；诱骗；强行使当水手
  n. 上海（中国城市）
• fondness [考研]
  美[ˈfɑndnɪs] | 英[fɒndnəs]
  n. 爱好；溺爱；喜爱
• familiarity [考研]
  美[fəˌmɪlˈjærɪti, -ˌmɪliˈær-] | 英[fəˌmɪliˈærəti]
  n. 亲密；熟悉；精通；不拘礼节

重点讲解

The business of nicknames

绰号这件事

get in the way  挡住路；妨碍

【例】He wouldn't allow emotions to get in the way of his job. 

他不会让感情妨碍自己的工作。

【近义词】block the way/view  挡住路；挡住视线

The Can of Ham cannot find a buyer. It may be hard to see the Gherkin because the Walkie-Talkie and the Cheesegrater get in the way. London’s skyline is made of glass, steel and nicknames.

这罐火腿找不到买家。可能很难看到小黄瓜，因为对讲机和奶酪刮刀挡住了视线。伦敦的天际线是由玻璃、钢铁和绰号构成的。

get in the way  挡住路；妨碍

【例】He wouldn't allow emotions to get in the way of his job. 

他不会让感情妨碍自己的工作。

【近义词】block the way/view  挡住路；挡住视线

Sometimes these names start out as criticism: the city’s tallest building got its name when it was described as a “shard of glass through the heart of historic London” by a heritage group. But in time, they denote familiarity and, often, affection.

有些绰号起初表示的是批评：伦敦的最高建筑得名“碎片大厦”，是因为一个文化遗产组织称其为“刺穿历史古城伦敦心脏的一块玻璃碎片”。但随着时间的推移，绰号表示熟悉感，而且常常表示喜爱。

shard  n. （玻璃、陶瓷等的）碎片

【例】shards of pottery  陶瓷碎片

【近义词】piece/fragment  n. 块；碎片

heritage  n. 文化遗产；血统

【例】China boasts a rich cultural heritage.

中国有丰富的文化遗产。

Joy is an American of Italian heritage.

乔伊是有意大利血统的美国人。

【辨析】legacy  n. 遗产；遗物

There are good reasons why buildings acquire monikers. The Bottle Opener resonates more than the World Financial Centre Shanghai; the Lipstick Building is easier to remember than 885 Third Avenue.

建筑物获得绰号是有充分理由的。“瓶起子”比“上海环球金融中心”更能引起共鸣，“口红大厦”比第三大道885号更好记。

resonate  v. 发出回响；产生共鸣

【例】The room resonated with his laughter. 

房间里回响着他的笑声。

These issues resonated with the voters. 

这些问题引起了投票者的共鸣。

【辨析】echo  v. 发出回声；重复

be at the wheel  驾驶；开车

【例】A car swept past with Laura at the wheel. 

劳拉驱车疾驰而过。

【近义词】take the wheel/behind the wheel 开车

【拓展】be at the helm 掌舵；掌管

Consumers give brands nicknames, too. BMW owners in Britain drive “beamers”; in America they might be at the wheel of a “bimmer”.

消费者也会给品牌起绰号。英国的宝马车主开beamer，美国的宝马车主可能开的是bimmer。

resonate  v. 发出回响；产生共鸣

【例】The room resonated with his laughter. 

房间里回响着他的笑声。

These issues resonated with the voters. 

这些问题引起了投票者的共鸣。

【辨析】echo  v. 发出回声；重复

be at the wheel  驾驶；开车

【例】A car swept past with Laura at the wheel. 

劳拉驱车疾驰而过。

【近义词】take the wheel/behind the wheel 开车

【拓展】be at the helm 掌舵；掌管

If you’re a high-roller, you might wear a Rollie on your wrist. You probably would not shop at Tarjay, an ironically Gallic pronunciation of Target, a mass-market retailer. Brand nicknames are not always flattering: Neiman Marcus, another retailer, was once christened “Needless Markup”.

如果你是一个出手阔绰的人，你可能会在手腕上戴一块劳力士。你可能不会在“塔杰”购物，这是对平民超市零售商“塔吉特”的一种具有讽刺意味的法语发音。品牌的绰号并不总是好听的：另一家零售商“尼曼百货”曾被命名为“没必要的涨价”。

flattering  adj. 奉承的；讨喜的

【例】flattering remarks 奉承话

a flattering dress  穿着好看的裙子

【拓展】flatter  v. 奉承；使显得更好

【例】The dress certainly flatters your figure.

这条裙子真的很衬你的身材。

But usually they suggest that consumers feel a genuine connection to a product.

但通常情况下，绰号表明消费者对产品有真正的感情。

refer to  谈及；提到

【例】He is stingy. You know who I'm referring to. 

他很小气。你知道我说的是谁。 

【近义词】mention  v. 谈及

In a recent paper Zhe Zhang of Western University in Canada and Vanessa Patrick of the University of Houston looked at how people react to the use of nicknames by other consumers.

在最近的一篇论文中，加拿大韦仕敦大学的张哲（音译）和休斯顿大学的凡妮莎·帕特里克研究了人们对其他消费者叫绰号的反应。

refer to  谈及；提到

【例】He is stingy. You know who I'm referring to. 

他很小气。你知道我说的是谁。 

【近义词】mention  v. 谈及

In one experiment participants saw an online review of a new menu item at McDonald’s; some saw a version in which the chain was referred to by that name and others saw one that called it “Mickey D’s”.

在一项实验中，参与者看到对麦当劳新品的网络评论，一些人看到的评论版本中，麦当劳就被称为麦当劳，而另一些人看到的版本中，麦当劳被称为“米奇D”。

refer to  谈及；提到

【例】He is stingy. You know who I'm referring to. 

他很小气。你知道我说的是谁。 

【近义词】mention  v. 谈及

The chances that the review would be reported as fake were much lower when the nickname was used. A nickname also made other people more likely to buy a product or pass on the review to a friend.

当使用绰号时，该评论被认为是虚假的可能性要低得多。绰号也会让其他人更有可能购买该产品或把评论分享给朋友。

refer to  谈及；提到

【例】He is stingy. You know who I'm referring to. 

他很小气。你知道我说的是谁。 

【近义词】mention  v. 谈及

Mr Zhang and Ms Patrick tested whether these same beneficial effects would also materialise if the firm used its nickname in its own communications (by showing people messages in which, among other things, Walmart referred to itself as Wally World).

张和帕特里克还测试了如果公司在自己发布的信息中使用绰号（向人们展示一些消息，其中沃尔玛将自己称为“沃里世界”），是否也会产生同样的有利效果。

materialise  v. 实现；变为现实

【例】His promise failed to materialise.

他做出的承诺没有兑现。

【近义词】realise  v. 实现

【拓展】material  n. 物质；材料

communication  n. 信息；消息

【例】a communication from the leader 领导发来的一条消息

【拓展】publications  n. 出版物；发表作品

writings  n. 著作；作品

The benefits disappeared. Nicknames that seem to genuinely reflect consumers’ fondness for a brand can send a positive signal. But companies referring to themselves in this way feels inauthentic. Imagine someone called John saying that people call him “J-Dawg”, and you can understand why.

有利作用消失了。看起来真诚地反映了消费者对品牌的喜爱的绰号可以发出积极信号。但如果公司以这种绰号称呼自己，就会让人感觉不真诚。想象一下，有个叫约翰的人说人们叫他“约狗哥”，你就明白了。

课后练习

• The many nicknames of London's buildings show that ____.

  A. Londoners dislike the buildings
  B. people are fond of the buildings
  C. the buildings have strange shapes
  D. the city is a popular tourist destination

• When consumers give brands nicknames, it often means that ____.

  A. they feel a connection and closeness to a product
  B. they dislike the brands and are being sarcastic
  C. they think the brands are too expensive
  D. they are rich and live a lavish lifestyle

• How do people feel when consumers call a brand by its nickname in a review?

  A. They are more likely to trust the review.
  B. They tend to think that the review is fake.
  C. They feel confused about the informal name.
  D. They think the brand is not professional enough.

• What may happen when a brand calls itself by nickname?

  A. It can leave a favourable impression on consumers.
  B. It may send positive signals and become attractive.
  C. It seems insincere and does itself a disservice.
  D. It will make the brand look more likable.