AEE 2583：你是三明治吗？为什么母语者会这么说

这是《All Ears English》播客第2583期。

This is an All Ears English Podcast episode twenty five eighty three.

你是三明治吗？

Are you the sandwich?

为什么母语者会这么说？

Why native speakers say this?

欢迎收听《All Ears English》播客，该节目已被下载超过两亿次。

Welcome to the All Ears English Podcast downloaded more than 200,000,000 times.

你是否在英语学习上感到卡住了？

Are you feeling stuck with your English?

我们将教你如何通过注重交流而非完美，变得自信而流利。本节目由美国主持人奥布里·卡特、雅思达人琳赛·麦卡锡和英语冒险家共同为您呈现，他们来自美国亚利桑那州和科罗拉多州。

We'll show you how to become fearless and fluent by focusing on connection, not perfection with your American host, Aubrey Carter, the IELTS whiz, and Lindsay McMahon, the English adventurer, coming to you from Arizona and Colorado, USA.

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To get real time transcripts right on your phone and create your personalized vocabulary list, try the All Ears English app for iOS and Android.

前往 allearsenglish.com/app 开始您的七天免费试用。

Start your seven day free trial at allearsenglish.com forward /app.

有时候，当母语者想要建立联系时，他们会用一些有趣的方式来选择词汇。

Sometimes in moments when native speakers want to connect, they do something funny with their word choices.

听听看，你如何在下一次英语对话中也能成为‘三明治’。

Listen in to find out how you too could be a sandwich in your next English conversation.

英语是你在会议、面试和谈判中被评估的一部分，不管你喜不喜欢。

English is part of how you're evaluated, whether you like it or not, in meetings, in interviews, in negotiations.

问题不在于你的英语是否可以接受或足够好。

The question isn't whether your English is okay or good enough.

而在于它是否对你有用。

It's whether it's working for you.

它是否帮你获得了应得的晋升和加薪？

Is it getting you the promotions and the salary raises that you deserve?

如果没有，今年就该采取行动了。

If not, this is the year to do something about it.

我们的免费两分钟流利度测试能告诉你真实的英语水平——B1、B2还是C1，并指出你如何真正提升，以实现职业或全球生活中的成功。

Our free two minute fluency quiz shows you your true English level, b one, b two, or c one, and where you can level up for real world success for your career or your global life in English.

现在就免费前往 allearsenglish.com/fluencyscore 参加测验。

Take the quiz now for free at allearsenglish.com/fluencyscore.

网址是 allearsenglish.com/fluencyscore。

That's allearsenglish.com/fluencyscore.

嘿，奥布里。

Hey, Aubrey.

最近怎么样？

What's shaking?

有什么新鲜事？

What's going on?

没什么特别的。

Not too much.

你怎么样，林赛？

How are you, Lindsay?

挺好。

Good.

但今天我脑子里有点好奇。

But I had a a little bit of curiosity in my head today.

好的。

Okay.

我可以问你一个问题吗？

Can I ask you a question?

可以。

Yes.

好吧。

All right.

所以你有没有

So have you

听说过有人说‘我是个三明治’这句话吗？

ever heard anyone say the phrase I'm the sandwich?

我最近听到过这句话，但根本不知道它是什么意思。

I've heard that lately and I just don't even know what it means.

好的。

Okay.

我两天前刚说过这句话，然后我记起这个片段，因为当时我在吃午饭，服务员端来一份沙拉和一个三明治，我就说‘我就是三明治’。

So I just said this like two days ago and then I remembered this episode because I was at lunch and the server brought a salad and a sandwich and I said I'm the sandwich.

哦，我们说‘我就是三明治’真是太有趣了。

Oh, like that's so funny that we say I'm the sandwich.

哦，我……

Oh, I

我明白了。

got it now.

我点的是三明治。

Gotta I ordered the sandwich.

好的。

Okay.

因为一开始我心想：‘什么？’

Because when I first I was like, What?

那意味着什么

What does that

甚至还有这个标题，琳赛说：这到底讲的是什么？

even had this title and Lindsay was like, What is this about?

我有点困惑。

I'm confused.

这太有趣了，我很期待进入这个话题。

It's such a funny And I'm excited to go in this.

它实际上源于最近一次角色扮演中的一次误解。

It actually was inspired by a misunderstanding in a recent role play.

琳赛，你当时在读角色扮演的剧本，你说：我知道我有点偏离了，但你其实搞混了，因为你没意识到你指的是你的房子。

Lindsay, you were reading the role play and you said, I know I'm a bit out of the way, and you sort of got confused because you didn't realize you were referring to your house.

你本应

You were supposed

这指的是你的

This to be referring to your

很好。

is good.

这太有趣了。

It is so interesting.

在自然的英语中，尤其是在口语化的非正式对话中，我们经常说‘I’或‘me’，但它们实际上指代的是其他东西。

It's very common in natural English, especially in spoken informal conversations that we say I or me, but that stands for something else.

这个‘I’。

The I.

所以，这就是今天这一集的重点。

So that's the point of today's episode.

我很期待深入探讨这个话题。

I'm excited to get into this.

母语者会用‘I’或‘me’来指代像他们的房子、他们在餐厅点的菜、他们的（想法）之类的东西。

Native speakers use I or me to stand for things like their house, what they ordered at the restaurant, their Yeah.

我想任何代词都可以，比如我可以说‘他就是三明治’，然后指着我丈夫，因为是他点的三明治。

I guess any pronoun, because I could say he's the sandwich and point out my husband if he's the one that ordered the sandwich.

对吧？

Right?

对。

Right.

对。

Right.

或者我觉得，很多时候，如果你和别人一起坐公交车，到你站的时候，他们会说，‘到了，就是这儿了。’

Or I think about I feel like oftentimes, if you're on a bus with someone and you arrive at your bus stop, they'll say something like, oh, this is us.

对吧？

Right?

就是这儿了。

This is us.

就是这儿了。

This is us.

就是我了。

This is me.

我是

Is I

我会在那个公交站下车。

would get off of that bus stop.

你确实需要在那个公交站下车。

You do need to get off of that bus stop.

所以这就是我们要探讨的内容，朋友们。

So this is what we're getting into, guys.

今天这个主题非常好。

This is a great theme today.

这全部关乎连接，因为这些时刻真的很重要。

This is all about connection because these moments really do matter.

对吧？

Right?

所以，如果你喜欢我们这种注重连接而非完美的风格，就去点关注吧。

So go ahead and hit that follow button if you love our style of connection, not perfection.

或者记住，今天的节目在YouTube上也有视频版。

Or remember, today's episode is also on video over on YouTube.

你可以通过观看我们之间的视频对话来直观地学习。

You can learn visually by watching us talk to each other on video.

赶紧去YouTube频道订阅吧。

Go ahead and hit subscribe on the YouTube channel.

好吗？

Okay?

是的。

Yes.

太棒了。

Awesome.

那我们开始吧。

So let's dive into this.

这真的很有趣。

This is really fun.

也许你们以前注意过这一点，也许没有，但你们现在一定会听到。

Maybe you guys have noticed this before, maybe not, but you'll definitely hear it now.

这非常普遍。

It's extremely common.

母语者在做这件事时甚至意识不到自己在这么做。

Native speakers do it without even realizing they're doing it.

对。

Right.

我也在想，其他语言中是否也有这种现象？如果我们把它翻译过来，会是什么情况呢？

And I also wonder if this is done in other languages or not, and if we translated it, whether how that would work, right?

如果其他语言中有这种现象，而英语里没有，我们直接翻译的话，那就会出问题，对吧？

I could if it was done in other languages and we didn't do it in English and we directly translated, that would be a problem, right?

对，完全正确。

Right, totally.

实际上，回到YouTube，留下评论，告诉我们吧。

In fact, come back to YouTube, leave a comment, and let us know.

你在你的母语中也会这样做吗？

Do you also do this in your first language?

在我这里

Where I

我真的很想知道。

would be so curious to know.

是的。

Yeah.

确实如此。

It's true.

因为我不确定在西班牙语中我是否也会这样。

Because I don't actually know in Spanish if if I don't either.

我们

We

对。

Yeah.

我们知道我们都懂一些西班牙语。

Know we both speak some Spanish.

是的。

Yeah.

法语母语的朋友。

French speaking friends.

我不

I'm not

是的。

Yeah.

当然当然。

Sure sure.

好的。

Okay.

让我们深入细节吧。

Let's get into the nitty gritty here.

所以我们第一个方法是引用一个地点，比如家、办公室或位置。

So the first way we do it is referring to a place, and that's home, office, or location.

跟我们说说这个。

Tell us about this.

没错。

Exactly.

比如，有人可能会说：我有点远。

So for example, someone might say, I'm a bit far.

而他们可能就站在你旁边。

And they might be standing right next to you.

这说不通。

That doesn't make sense.

你离我很近，但他们在这段对话的语境中，意思是他们的家很远、办公室很远，或者你们讨论的任何地方都很远。

You're close to me, But what they mean in the context of the conversation, they might mean my place is far, my home is far, my office is far, whatever you're talking about.

他们是在说：我有点远，指的是那个地点。

They're saying, I'm far, I'm a bit far, referring to that place.

是的，这一点非常重要。

Yeah, this is so important to know.

当然，这只会出现在对话的上下文中。

Of course, it's only going to come up in the context of the conversation.

不可能有人突然走到茶室里说：我有点远。

Someone's not just going to walk up to you the tea room No.

说‘我有点远’，这毫无意义。

Say, I'm a bit It would make no sense.

对吧？

Right?

但如果你正在谈论你刚买的新家，那就有上下文了。

But you're talking about your new home maybe that you just bought, and that's in context.

是的，也许你刚参加完孩子的篮球比赛，他们说：咱们聚一聚吧。

Yeah, maybe you leave a kid's basketball game and they're like, Let's hang out.

去你家还是我家？

Should we go to your place or our place?

你说，我有点远。

You say, I'm a bit far.

意思是我的房子离这儿有点远。

It means my house is a bit far from here.

是的，没错。

Yes, exactly.

或者你可以说，我家就在高速公路旁边。

Or you could say, I'm right off the highway.

所以，再次强调，你家并不在高速公路旁边，对吧？

My So, again, you're not right off the highway, right?

没错。

Exactly.

你家就在高速公路旁边

Your house is right off

高速公路。

the highway.

你是在强调它离得很近，对吧？

You're trying to emphasize it's pretty close, right?

对。

Exactly.

或者当有人只是问，你知道的，你住哪儿？

Or like, if someone's just like, you know, where do you live?

或者你在哪里？

Or where are you located?

对吧？

Right?

哦，我就在高速公路旁边。

Oh, I'm right off the highway.

我就在湖边。

I'm right next to the lake.

是的。

Yes.

你就站在他们旁边。

You're standing right next to them.

这毫无道理。

That makes no sense.

他们知道你指的是你的房子。

That they would know you mean your house.

他们问过你的房子在哪里。

They've asked where your house is.

但你可以用代词‘我’。

But you can use the pronoun I'm.

我就在高速公路旁边。

I'm right off the highway.

没错。

Exactly.

或者我很难找。

Or I'm hard to find.

如果你无缘无故对一个迷路的人说这句话，也会非常令人困惑。

This also would be really confusing if you said this to someone out of nowhere and they were just lost.

是的。

Yeah.

所以，你并不是在说‘我很难找’。

So, you're not saying I'm hard to find.

你是在说‘我的地方、我的家’很难找。

You're saying my place, my home is hard to find.

所以，你正在家里给别人指路。

And so, you're at your house giving someone directions.

他们开车绕来绕去，就是找不到你的车道，于是给你打电话说：‘抱歉，我很难找。’

They're like driving around, they can't find your driveway and they call you and be like, yeah, sorry, I'm hard to find.

你是在大橡树后右转，对吧？

You're going to turn right after the big oak tree, right?

我们通常不会说‘我的房子很难找’。

We wouldn't say necessarily my house is hard to find.

他们知道这是隐含的，是心照不宣的。

They know it's implied, it's understood.

他们知道你是在说你的房子。

They know you're talking about your house.

你会说，我很难找。

You'd say, I'm hard to find.

是的，太好了。

Yeah, so good.

然后，这就是我。

And then, This is me.

所以，这就是我，这就是我们。

So, This is me, this is us.

对吧？

Right?

所以，我们的听众可能在电影里听过这种说法。

So, our listeners have probably heard this in movies.

也许两个人在约会什么的，男生送女生回家，等等。

Maybe two people are out on a date or something, and the guy's walking the girl home, whatever.

然后她在布鲁克林的一栋褐色砂石建筑前停了下来。

And she stops at like a brownstone in Brooklyn.

哦，这就是我家。

Oh, this is me.

对吧？

Right?

没错。

Exactly.

对吧？

Right?

而且逐字来看，这实际上非常地道。

And just word for word, it's actually very idiomatic.

这毫无道理。

That doesn't make any sense.

它的意思是，我们需要在哪儿停下，以便我能进我家，对吧？

What it means is is where we need to stop so that I can go into my house, right?

这就是我家，是的。

This is where my house Yeah.

哦，这太棒了。

Oh, this is so good.

我很惊讶，在2500集的节目中，我们到现在才谈到这个。

I'm surprised we haven't covered this yet on the show through 2,500 episodes.

我们终于说到这个了。

We're finally getting to it.

这没错，

This is Right,

是时候了。

it was high time.

这太有趣了。

It was so fun.

计划起来真的很有意思。

It was really fun to plan.

我很喜欢这个。

And I love this.

确实如此。

It's so true.

就像你刚才提到的，林赛。

Like you were mentioning this one, Lindsay.

如果你在出租车里或公交车上，我们更可能在下车前说‘这是我和我’，而不是说‘这是我住的地方’之类的，因为当主语是隐含的、某些内容是不言而喻的时候，再说出来就显得多余了。

If you are in a taxi or on a bus, we would be much more likely to say this is me, this is us, before we get off the bed rather than saying like this is where I live or whatever else you would say because when a subject is implied, when something is implied, it's redundant to say it.

这几乎暗示了对方缺乏智慧。

It almost implies a lack of intelligence in the other person.

所以我们说这个，因为这已经很明显了。

So, like, we're saying this because And it's already

现在我们想让它更个性化，对吧？

now we want to personalize it, right?

因为这关乎你和对方之间的联系。

Because it's about the connection between you and the other person.

所以现在，你就是你的房子，你就是你的鸡肉三明治，对吧？

So, now it's you are your house, you are your chicken sandwich, Right?

没错。

Exactly.

那么，我们接着谈另一个语境。

So, that's moving on to the other context.

还有更多场合。

There's more places.

这不仅仅关乎你的家、你的位置。

It's not just about your home, your location.

它可能关乎的是什么，奥布里。

It could be about what, Aubrey.

什么

What

比如，开头的那个例子，对吧？

can So, for example, that example in the beginning, right?

意思是那是我的订单。

To mean that's my order.

那就是我点的餐。

That's what I'm ordered.

服务员可能会问：谁是那个鸡肉三明治？

Server says, who's And the server might even say, who's the chicken sandwich?

比如，拿着鸡肉三明治的是谁？

Like, who is the chicken sandwich that they're holding?

然后你说：是我，我就是那个鸡肉三明治。

And you say, me, I'm the chicken sandwich.

这太有趣了。

That's so funny.

或者我是6号桌。

Or I'm Table 6.

对吧？

Right?

那么现在，这句话会由谁来说呢？

So now this Who would this be said by?

我感觉这句话

I have a feeling this

会是服务员、女服务员，或者坐在6号桌的人说的。

would be the waiter I'm or waitress or sitting at Table 6.

好的，

Okay,

我正坐着

I'm sitting

对，桌子，比如你在婚礼上预订了座位，我完全可以想象有人会问：‘你坐在哪张桌子？’

at Right, table so maybe you've reserved Like at a wedding, I could definitely imagine someone's like, Which table are you sitting at?

哦，我是6号桌。

Oh, I'm Table 6.

我们是6号桌。

We're Table 6.

明白了。

Got it.

或者在大多数餐厅，你并不知道桌号，但服务员知道，这并不是婚礼场景。

Or maybe if the server like most restaurants you don't know, not a wedding, but a restaurant scenario, you don't know the numbers of the tables, but the servers do.

哦，当他们彼此交谈时，对吧？

Oh, When they're talking to each other, right?

她是6号桌。

She's table six.

他们是6号桌。

They are table six.

晚上刚开始的时候，他们会先做策略沟通，对吧？

The beginning of the night, they do the strategy talk, right?

然后他们会说：‘今晚我是6号桌。’

And they say, Oh, I'm table six tonight.

今晚我负责6到12号桌。

I'm table six through 12 tonight.

对吧？

Right?

或者我们可能会说，与其知道桌号，不如想象你正坐着等朋友，你起身去洗手间之类的，别人进来就说：‘我是靠窗的那桌。’

Or we might say, instead of knowing the table number, if like imagine you are sitting, you're waiting for a friend, you get up to go to the restroom or something, they come in and be like, I'm the table by the window.

哦，是的。

Oh yeah.

完全对。

Totally.

或者我们可以说：‘我们是靠窗的那桌。’

Or we, we're the table by the window.

是的，这确实说得通，他们知道你意思是那是我们的桌子，应该带你们去那里坐。

Yeah, probably does make sense, but they would know you mean that's our table, that's where you should go sit.

当然，你也可以加一个简单的介词，让表达更直白一些。

And you of course could put a simple preposition in there to make it a little more literal.

我们在靠窗的桌子。

We're at the table by the window.

对吧？

Right?

你也可以这么说。

You could say that too.

这并不算错，但我们今天要教的是不一样的东西。

It doesn't make it wrong, but we're teaching something different today.

我们要教的是，你就是那张桌子。

We're teaching that you become the table.

没错。

Exactly.

很有趣。

It's fun.

太搞笑了。

It's so funny.

我觉得如果你跟别人说‘我是三明治’，你不会是唯一一个被当成疯子的林赛，他们会说：‘什么？你在说什么？’

I think you would not be the only the alone Lindsay that if I said to someone you have you ever said I'm the sandwich they'd be like no, what are you talking about?

但如果在那个语境下告诉他们，他们就会说：‘哦，我完全明白。’

Then if I gave them in that context, they'd be like oh I absolutely

我总是说自己就是三明治。

say I'm that all the always a sandwich.

我总是点三明治。

I always order sandwiches.

我超爱三明治。

I love them.

永远都是三明治。

Always the sandwich.

我丈夫永远都是沙拉。

My husband is always the salad.

服务员经常上错餐，因为我是汉堡，他是沙拉，他们却总以为我是沙拉。

They often servers will give us the wrong one because I'm the burger and he's the salad, and they'll assume I'm the salad.

这太好笑了。

That's hilarious.

我喜欢打破很多女性饮食习惯的刻板印象。

That's I love breaking the stereotypes of what many women eat.

我超喜欢。

I love it.

太棒了。

So good.

最后一个是我只收现金。

And then the last one is I'm cash only.

那这是什么意思？

So what does this mean?

我只收现金。

I'm cash

这可能是收银员说的，意思是只能接受现金交易。

So this might be said by a cashier, meaning like I can only take cash transactions.

对吧？

Right?

你走到收银台前说：我只收现金。

You go up to a register and then say, I'm cash only.

意思是这里不能用信用卡。

Meaning like you can't use credit cards here.

完全正确。

Totally.

或者你去加油站，发现没油了，然后说：嘿，我的加油机坏了。

Or you go to a gas station and there's no more gas and you go and say, Hey, my pump's not working.

我没油了。

I'm out of gas.

对吧？

Right?

所以，收银员可能会说：不好意思，我没油了。

So, the guy or girl at the register might say, I'm sorry, I'm out of gas.

对吧？

Right?

对。

Right.

是的。

Yeah.

当我们车没油时，我们会说‘我没油了’。

And we say that like when our car is out, I'm out of gas.

你知道，我们通常不会说‘我的车没油了’。

You know, we don't say my car is out of gas, usually.

我没油了。

I'm out of gas.

所以，可能是不同位置的多个人都在扮演这种拟人化角色，对吧？

So, it could be multiple people in different positions who are taking on this personification, right?

太有趣了。

Super interesting.

非常好。

Really good.

好的。

All right.

那么，我们为什么要这样做呢，奥布里？

So why the heck do we do this, Aubrey?

我们之前稍微提到过这一点。

We touched on this a little bit.

我觉得我们可以再深入一点。

I think we could go into it a bit more.

当然。

Definitely.

是的。

Yeah.

首先，口语英语通常注重效率。

So spoken English often prioritizes efficiency, first of all.

所以口语中倾向于更短、更快的表达，省略主语，用代词代替，即使不是真正指‘我’，也能理解主语是谁。

So shorter, faster speech, removing the subject, using a pronoun instead, even if it's not really me, it's understood what the subject is.

所以我可以说‘我’或者‘我’。

So I can say I or me.

是的。

Yep.

我们还强调共同的语境，

We also emphasize shared context,

这能建立联系。

which builds connection.

对吧？

Right?

所以听众可以推断出你真正的意思。

So, listeners can infer the meaning of what you mean.

对吧？

Right?

比如，你走进一家餐厅，就像你之前举的例子，你发信息给某人，让他来餐厅和你汇合，而你已经和朋友坐在一起了。

Like, you're coming into a restaurant, like the example you gave earlier, where you're texting someone to join you at a restaurant and you're already there with friends.

我们在后面那张桌。

We're the table in the back.

不说‘我们在后面那张桌旁’，虽然那样也没错。

Not we're at the table in the back, which would be fine too.

但今天，我们就说‘我们在后面那张桌’。

But for today, we're the table in the back.

这样听起来感觉更亲切一些。

It's just it feels a little more warm.

是的，没错。

Yeah, exactly.

对。

Yeah.

这很有趣。

It's interesting.

这样，听者就像你所说的那样，能推断出其中的含义。

And this way the listener, like you were saying, infers the meaning.

这种方式确实去掉了一些正式感和多余的词语，那层隔阂，因为我们在交流中确实如此；第三个原因是这是一种以说话者为中心的表达方式。

It does remove some of the sort of formality, the extra words, that wall, because we are And it also, the third reason is it's speaker centered framing.

所以我们把自己放在中心位置，在对话中我们总是让自己成为焦点，即使从语法上讲这并不一定合理。

So we are putting ourselves, we do this in conversations that we make ourselves the center even if it doesn't make sense grammatically, really.

是的。

Yes.

而且特别有趣的是，如果你研究不同的语言，并不是所有语言都会把说话者放在句子的中心位置，对吧？

And it's super interesting that if you study different languages, not all languages kind of put themselves at the center of a put the speaker at the center of a sentence, right?

所以，这也和文化有关。

So, that's cultural too.

太棒了，我喜欢这个。

Wow, love this.

今天这个观点简直让我大开眼界。

This is blowing my mind today.

是的。

Yeah.

这真的很有意思。

This is really interesting.

然后，你知道，我们想简单谈谈什么时候不应该使用这种表达，或者在什么情况下不太合适，比如非常正式的写作，特别是合同，那时你可能想避免这样。

And then, you know, we want to briefly touch on when not to use it or when it's a little less appropriate, like very formal writing, especially like contracts, then you would maybe want to avoid this.

但即使在工作中的随意对话或会议中，我们仍然会这样做，对吧？

But even casual conversations at work or in meetings at work, we still do this, right?

如果你的笔说，哦，我是黑色的笔。

If maybe your pen is like, Oh, I'm the black pen.

而不是说，那支黑笔是我的。

Instead of like, That black pen is mine.

我喜欢这个说法。

I love that.

或者在清晰度至关重要的情况下。

Or again, situations where clarity is critical.

任何类型的安全说明，对吧？

Any kind of safety instructions, right?

当然。

Definitely.

法律或技术性说明，这类情况下你绝对不希望有任何误解，无论是书面还是口头传达，都必须清晰明确。

Legal, technical instructions, where you just don't want anything to get misinterpreted, where it's being written down, or you're delivering them, but you just have to be clear.

我们要避免使用这种表达。

We want to stay away from this.

这种表达适用于建立联系的时刻，让语气更温暖，更贴近自己

This is for connection moments, being warmer, putting yourself

这使得口语英语，也就是日常英语，更加自然。

That at makes the spoken English, conversational English.

没错。

Absolutely.

是的。

Yeah.

非常好。

Really good.

好的。

Okay.

我们来角色扮演吧。

Let's do a role play.

这会很有趣。

This will be fun.

所以我们正在见我们的新朋友。

So we are meeting our new friend.

我正在见我的新朋友奥布里。

I'm meeting my new friend, Aubrey.

那就是你。

That's you.

一起去吃午饭。

For lunch.