觀看英美的電視節目時，時常會遇到一些看似簡單，意思卻很含糊的說法，例如：You’ve got be kidding me。如果光從字面解釋，可能會誤入歧途，誤解說話者真正的意思。今天版主又要講一個幾天前不小心聽到的一種用法：

“Have midgets in his crew just for the hell of it.”

這句話的意思是「班隊中納入一個侏儒，純粹只為好玩而已」。”Just for the hell of it” 這種用法會因為上下文而有些許的改變 ，Urban Dictionary 的網友對這個用法下了三種定義：

1) For no reason; Serving no higher meaning; for no particular or important reason. (沒啥重要的理由)

2) For pain. (只為尋找痛苦)

3) “pushing the limits”; Testing God; solely for the purpose of sinning. (測試上帝的能耐；為犯罪而犯罪)

(Sample usage)

• Even when I’m not tired, sometimes I sleep just for the hell of it.
• I have no practical use for the Finnish language, but I’m studying it for the hell of it.
• I see her hurting herself often, and I wonder if she’s doing it for the hell of it.
• He sleeps with a different man’s wife every night just for the hell of it.

有趣吧，”hell” (地獄) 這個常見單字可以引申出這麼多意思。版主還想起兩種 “hell” 的常見用法：

a hell of a (= a helluva) =>加強語氣，非常

He’s a helluva guy. = He’s a very nice guy. 他是個大好人 (好得呱呱叫)

Hell just froze over. =>地獄剛結冰了 (聖經將地獄描述成火湖，因此地獄結冰是不可能發生的事情。這有點像華人常講的，太陽打西邊出來了！)

以下是《欲望城市》的對話：

Miranda: Samantha likes a guy. (Samantha 愛上一個男人了。)

Samantha: I do not. (我才沒有。)

Carrie: You do! You do! Or you would tell us all the dirty details. (你有！你有！要不然你早就告訴我們所有齷齪的細節了。)

Miranda: My God, we’re gonna have to ice skate home. Hell just froze over. (我的天啊，我們得溜冰回家了，地獄剛剛已經結冰了！)

相關用法：『不朽的常青樂團《老鷹合唱團》(The Eagles)』。

Hell is/was freezing over. =>地獄正在/將要結冰

用法跟上面講解的雷同，表示「不可置信，太陽打西邊出來了」。

以下是版主收到過的信件內容，絕非為了講解而仿造的：

Travis here…dropping by with a courtesy notice that TONIGHT at MIDNIGHT is your last chance to test drive Wealthy Affiilate for $1

AND…

Get your BOOTSTRAP $1000 BONUS!

(one of the most popular bonuses I’ve ever offered)

In 5 years of Wealthy Affiliate being online…this is only the SECOND time we could talk Kyle and Carson into putting on a $1 trial.

When they announced they we’re having another one, I thought HELL was freezing over.

© 英語學習網站《天地無用》- 狂飆英語的樂園