特工处处有  密探遍地走

作者： 马黑   屏蔽该用户  留言时间：2015-04-12 17:50:52

邓正来这件事我是第一次听说，哇！

请教老兄，英语里把告密者称为rat,是贬义？褒义？

Pascal:

谢谢黑兄来访。黑兄提出了一个别有深意的问题，乍一看，作为十九世纪

晚期以来使用的俚语——告密者 “ rat " ( 等于十九世纪早期以来黑社会

用语 stool, stoolie, stool pigeon, 向警察告密者。He's nothing but

a cop's stool. 此人不过是警察的眼线；黑社会用语告密者的近义词还有

fink，rat fink 和 canary; 俗语中常用的是 snitch, snitcher, squealer,

informer 等等）这样被定义 —— the lowest form of human being；

a backstabbing snitch，怎厶可能是褒义词呢？

不过，也不尽然，看你站在谁的角度来说，对于黑帮团伙和一般大众而言，

向当局告发同伙和同党，作为名词和动词使用的 rat, 当然是大逆不道、卖

友求荣的卑鄙奸诈小人；但在执法机关的警察眼里，你或许是模范公民，为

民除害呢。因为，rat 一词还有这样的英文定义∶

to tell someone in authority (such as the police) about something wrong that someone has done : to betray someone

( US )；

Someone who tells the cops vital information that leads to an
arrest of another person；

告密; 出卖 If someone rats on you, they tell someone in authority
about things that you have done, especially bad things.

The juvenile definition is simnply of a snitch but a rat is
really a traitor. If you're involved in crime or a gang and you
snitch, you are a rat -- and rats must die!