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The“V”Sign

The palm-forward“V”sign, formed by raising andspreading the first two fingers1 ,has three differentmeanings in American culture.The most popularmeaning of the“V”sign was invented in 1941 by aBelgian, Victor De Lavalaye. Wanting a symbol forresistance to the Nazi2 occupation, he came upwith the single letter“V”, which stood not only for hisown first name3, but also for English victory, Flemish virijheid, and French victoire. Thesymbolism of the sign spread very quickly, and Winston Churchill4 used it constantly in publicappearance. Thus throughout the 1940 s and 1950 s, the gesture meant simply“victory”.Thesecond meaning came in the 1960 s. Because of its military implication, Americanantiwarprotestors used the sign sarcastically against the arms, so that it became known as the“ peacesign”. In the 1970s, the“V”sign , which had lost its military implication, was a commongreeting among freedom lovers, acid heads5, political radicals, and ultimately, young people ingeneral. So by about the middle of the 1970s, it ceased to give clue to the user’s philosophy.The third meaning is the oldest and least common. American children jokingly put “V”, whichresembles“ horns”, behind friends’heads in group snapshots. The are unknowingly reproducingsomething that southern Europeans would find highly offensive. This mischief, called“horns ofthe Devil”, is a variant of the European“ horns”gesture, which is obscene. Here the“V”signmeans“Your wife has been cheating on you ”or, when placed behind another’s head,“His wifehas been cheating on him”. In the United States, the gesture is typically given with the palmfacing the viewer. The British use both this version and an older, palm-backward version; thelatter is obscene in American culture, and corresponds to the American“ finger”6 . Churchill gotsome surprised stares in 1941 when, evidently unaware of the vulgar usage, he gave thepalm-backward“V”to British troops. In England today you could have to be a social hermit notto understand the distinction. Astonishingly, however, Margaret Thatcher7 repeatedChurchill’s error after her victory in the 1979 election.

阅读自测

Ⅰ. Fill in the blanks with proper words :

American children______________________ ( 开玩笑地) put“V”,which______________________ ( 类似)“ horns”,

behind friends’heads in group ______________________( 快照) . Theyare______________________ ( 无意中地) reproducing

something that southern Europeans would find highly______________________ ( 无礼的) .

This mischief, called“ horns of the Devil”, is a ______________________( 变体) of theEuropean

“ horns”gesture, which is______________________ ( 淫秽的) .

Ⅱ. Exp lain the fo llowing phras es in bold typ e in yo ur own words :

1. If you kee p yo ur fin ge rs crossed , you ______________________.

2. If you are all fin ge rs a nd thumbs , you ______________________ .

3. If you ha ve a finger in every pie , you______________________ .

4. If you thumb a lift, you______________________.

参考答案

1. jokingly / resembles / snapshots / unknowingly /offensive / variant / obscene

2. 1. hope that something will happen the way youwant2. are clumsy or awkward with your hands

3. are involved in everything that is happening

4. try to get a free ride in a motor vehicle ; hitchhike

参考译文

手势 “V”

掌 心向外, 竖起食指和中指, 并向两边展开, 这样就构成了一个V 形手势。V 形手势在美国文化中有三个不同的含义。V 形手势最为普及的一个意思是在1941 年由比利时人维克托· 德· 拉维雷创造发明的。他伸出双指, 作出字母V 的手势来表示他对纳粹占领比利时的反抗。这个V 不仅代表他的名字, 而且还象征英语victory ( 胜利) 、佛兰芒语virijheid ( 胜利) 和法语victoire ( 胜利) 这三个单词。这一手势的象征意义迅速地传播开来, 温斯顿· 邱吉尔在公众场合就曾多次使用。因此, 在20 世纪40 年代和50 年代, 这个手势只是表示“ 胜利”的意思。V 形手势的第二个意思出现在20 世纪60 年代。由于这个手势含有军事方面的意思,美国反战者就讽刺性地用这个手势来反对战争, 于是, 这个手势开始被称为“ 和平的标志”。20 世纪70 年代, V 形手势失去了军事方面的含义, 成为热爱自由的人、嗜用迷幻药的人、政治激进主义者们见面问候时常用的手势, 并最终在广大年轻人流传开来。也就是说, 大约到20 世纪70 年代中期, 这个手势就不再表示使用者的人生观了。V 形手势的第三个意思最为古老, 也少为人用。在集体照相的时候, 美国孩子常开玩。笑 地在朋友的脑袋后面摆出手势V, 样子就像动物的角一样。他们无意中做出了一个被南欧人视为相当无礼的动作。这种被称作“ 魔鬼之角”的恶作剧是欧洲“ 角形”手势的变体,这种手势被认为具有淫秽的意味。在南欧, 手势V 表示“ 你的老婆对你不忠”。在别人脑袋后面做出这种手势, 如同在说“ 他的老婆对他不忠”。

在美国, 人们通常将掌心向外, 面向对方做出这个手势; 而英国人有时将掌心对着别人, 有时则像前人那样, 掌心向内。掌心向内的V 形手势在美国文化里被看成是下流动作, 与美国人竖起中指一样具有淫秽的含义。1941 年, 邱吉尔掌心朝内, 向英国军队摆出了V 形手势。一些士兵吃惊地盯着他看, 显然他对这个手势的下流含义还全然不知。如今, 在英国, 如果你还不知道掌心向内和向外的差别的话, 你一定是个不问世事的隐士。然而, 令人惊讶的是, 玛格丽特· 撒切尔在赢得1979 年的选举之后, 又重蹈邱吉尔的覆辙, 做了一个掌心向内的V 形手势。