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——话说OED之四
今天接着说《牛津英语词典》（Oxford English Dictionary）中与汉语有渊源的词汇。我在前面博文中说过，《牛津英语词典》中一共收入了245个由汉语引进的英语词，这么说其实有点不准确，因为这245个词汇中，其实有一个句子，典型的 Chinglish（中式英语）。
这句中式英语不是我们大家所熟悉并津津乐道的Long time no see，更不是bu zhe teng，而是no can do。《牛津英语辞典》对no can do这句中式英语的解释是：
It is not possible, it cannot be done; ‘I can't do it.’
说来这句话进入英语的时间相当早，可以追溯到由美国幽默作家Charles Godfrey Leland (August 15, 1824 – March 20, 1903) 在1876年编辑出版的Pidgin English Sing-Song（《别琴英语歌谣集》）一书。顺便说，“别琴”（pidgin）这个词的来源据说与中国人有关。当初外国人带着中国梦来到广州做生意，张口闭口business，当地中国人也跟着学说business。但因为模仿的不准确，在老外听来好像是pidgin，于是就把pidgin这个词代表一种语法和词汇都大大简化了的英语。
此后，有多位作家在作品中提到或者用到了no can do这个词。比如英国罪案小说家Elizabeth Ferrars (6 September 1907 - 30 March 1995)1962年出版的Busy Body一书中有这么一句话：
Sorry, no can do—not tonight.
Sorry, no can do—not tonight.
No can do还有更简洁的形式no can。林语堂先生在1933年写过一篇In Defense of Pidgin English（为洋泾浜英语辩护）的文章（The China Critic, VI (July 22, 1933), p. 743），其中提到英国作家萧伯纳对洋泾浜英语的评价。据说萧伯纳在一次接受媒体采访时说，洋泾浜英语“no can”（不能）比正宗英语“unable”（不能）要清晰明了。比如一个女士告诉你她是unable to come（不能来），听者还会心存侥幸，说不定这位女士还会改变主意，但是要是她冷冷地说句no can，那就啥都别想了。
牛津词典专家严格把关，讨论是否同意将no can do收入牛津英语词典，最后结论是yes, we can，终于在1976年将no can do收入了《牛津英语词典》，成为目前唯一一句进入了大雅之堂的中式洋泾浜英语。
附：《牛津英语词典》no can do词条
no can do, phr.
Pronunciation: Brit. /?n?? kan ?du?/ , U.S. /?no? ?k?n ?du/
Etymology: < Chinese Pidgin English no can do( < no adv.1+ can v.1+ do v.), after Chinese bùkěyǐ(frequently used in the positive-negative cluster kěyǐ-bùkěyǐ, lit. ‘is that possible or not?’). Compare can do at can v.1 8c.
The popularity of the expression in Chinese Pidgin English is recorded in the following:
1876 C. G. Leland Pidgin-Eng. Sing-song 11 Can do is a simple expression of ability or power, and is often used as the synonym for yes, while no can do is a favourite negative.
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colloq.
Thesaurus ?
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It is not possible, it cannot be done; ‘I can't do it.’ Cf. can do at can v.1 8c.1868 W. Chanter Nautch Girl xix. 77 ‘Lay aloft there, you feller, and lash up that head rope to the yard, sabe!’ said the boatswain Speed to a Chinese.‥ ‘No can do,’ was the response.
1876 C. G. Leland Pidgin-Eng. Sing-song 78 No can do, Hab got too-plenty wata all-inside Top-side he cabin. No can catchee desk.
1892 R. L. Stevenson Beach of Falesá iv, in Illustr. London News 30 July 138/1 No can help you here in Falesá; no can do—too far off.
1914 ‘Saki’ Beasts & Super-beasts 289 Sorry, my dear, no can do.
1923 H. C. Witwer Fighting Blood v. 141 I've tried everything I know to get this gil to fight us and no can do!
1962 ‘E. Ferrars’ Busy Body v. 53 Sorry, no can do—not tonight.
1991 Mod. Railways Apr. 216/2 She asked the Travel Centre at Leicester to replace her Card so that she could get home. No can do, they said.
Pronunciation: Brit. /?n?? kan ?du?/ , U.S. /?no? ?k?n ?du/
Etymology: < Chinese Pidgin English no can do( < no adv.1+ can v.1+ do v.), after Chinese bùkěyǐ(frequently used in the positive-negative cluster kěyǐ-bùkěyǐ, lit. ‘is that possible or not?’). Compare can do at can v.1 8c.
The popularity of the expression in Chinese Pidgin English is recorded in the following:
1876 C. G. Leland Pidgin-Eng. Sing-song 11 Can do is a simple expression of ability or power, and is often used as the synonym for yes, while no can do is a favourite negative.
... (Show Less)
colloq.
Thesaurus ?
Categories ?
It is not possible, it cannot be done; ‘I can't do it.’ Cf. can do at can v.1 8c.1868 W. Chanter Nautch Girl xix. 77 ‘Lay aloft there, you feller, and lash up that head rope to the yard, sabe!’ said the boatswain Speed to a Chinese.‥ ‘No can do,’ was the response.
1876 C. G. Leland Pidgin-Eng. Sing-song 78 No can do, Hab got too-plenty wata all-inside Top-side he cabin. No can catchee desk.
1892 R. L. Stevenson Beach of Falesá iv, in Illustr. London News 30 July 138/1 No can help you here in Falesá; no can do—too far off.
1914 ‘Saki’ Beasts & Super-beasts 289 Sorry, my dear, no can do.
1923 H. C. Witwer Fighting Blood v. 141 I've tried everything I know to get this gil to fight us and no can do!
1962 ‘E. Ferrars’ Busy Body v. 53 Sorry, no can do—not tonight.
1991 Mod. Railways Apr. 216/2 She asked the Travel Centre at Leicester to replace her Card so that she could get home. No can do, they said.
no can do, phr.
Third edition, July 2009; online version November 2010. <http://www.oed.com:80/Entry/127508>; accessed 25 January 2011. An entry for this word was first included in A Supplement to the OED II, 1976.
Third edition, July 2009; online version November 2010. <http://www.oed.com:80/Entry/127508>; accessed 25 January 2011. An entry for this word was first included in A Supplement to the OED II, 1976.