“Mamahuhu” taking root overseas“马马虎虎”闯出一片“江湖”

2022-05-30李全忠

疯狂英语·爱英语 2022年11期

李全忠

随着中国文化在世界各地传播，很多外国人也开始喜欢并使用“马马虎虎”这个词。它到底有怎样的精神气质呢？

主题语境：社会篇幅：341词建议用时：6分钟

As a kid， I spoke English to my Chinese immigrant parents， who replied to me and my siblings mostly in kind. My grandmother， who lived with us， was different. She could communicate with us only in Mandarin. A few phrases in Mandarin are particularly vivid to me and the most striking of all is mamahuhu.

Out of a sense of pride， my siblings and I transformed mamahuhu from an adjective into an ethos （精神气质）. It's the name we gave my mother's car， and it's the philosophy behind my brother's repairs around the house or on vehicles. “So?so， good enough，” he told me. “It took a lot of time to repair， but I eventually made it！”

Growing up， I talked about mamahuhu only at home. But lately， as elements of Chinese culture have spread throughout the world， I realize my family isn't alone in our affection for the term： A Michelin?starred chef playfully borrowed the expression for his restaurant in San Francisco， so did sketch comedians in Shanghai who specialized in videos， with their own line of mamahuhu?logoed clothes， throw pillows and face masks. Various accounts on online platforms used the word in their names.

My sons don't speak Mandarin， but they find mamahuhu kind of black humor. It's our family's practice to make do， and as the pandemic （流行病） set in—no in?person school， no travel possible—the philosophy helped us survive.

With this clear?eyed world view， my family don't rely on tradition or priority as their only guide. They understand that best?laid plans are no guarantee of safety or happiness. It's a lesson—one of mamahuhu's many—that I want to impress upon them most of all. Last summer， our family considered visiting Hawaii， but again for our spring break earlier this year， we repeatedly postponed the vacation because of the pandemic. In the end， we settled for a road trip to Southern California to see their grandparents and baby cousin. As we were driving along the highway， I asked the boys if they were excited. “This trip is mamahuhu，” one joked. Everyone laughed.

Reading Check

1. What can we know from paragraph 1？

A. The author's English was different from her parents'.

B. The author's parents encouraged her to say English.

C. The author's grandmother didn't speak English.

D. The author's grandmother only spoke phrases in Mandarin.

2. Why does the author mention a Michelin?starred chef in paragraph 3？

A. To prove culture shock can be accepted worldwide.

B. To convey a message that every culture has its own function.

C. To explain the Michelin?starred chef is good at advertising.

D. To show Chinese culture has an increasing influence on the world.

3. In the author's opinion， what does mamahuhu really mean？