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24/01/2016
好誇、過火位
Beyond the pale，是批評一個人的行為過了界線，甚至是文明的準繩，總之是「離晒大譜」。出奇的，是個pale 字，這不是解做蒼白嗎，怎麼會跟離譜扯上關係呢？
He would cheat his own father. That’s seriously beyond the pale. 他連自己父親也欺騙，確是大大過了（人倫）界線。
話說舊時英國有一款土地劃界，包括一行行的籬笆，就叫做pale。出了這pale，就像放棄了原有的規矩法律，就屬胡來一族。
The comments he made were quite beyond the pale. 他的評論確也太出格了。
這句話，可以是隨口的批評。但要小心，一些看似同類的句子，視乎上文下理，亦可以好「大單」。像這句：
They have placed themselves beyond the pale. 他們已把自己圈出人性、文明的範疇。
也即是說，這款離晒大譜，非常重頭，跟日常說的over the top 有點分別。Over the top， 簡稱OTT， 往往不過是形容exaggerated 好誇、excessive 過龍。
The chairman’s welcoming speech was a bit OTT. 主席的歡迎詞有點過了火位。
I thought the decorations were way over the top. 我認為這副佈置實在太誇張了。
We are bored of his over-the-top attempts at humour. 我們厭倦了他那些誇張過龍、自以為幽默的一套。
純粹要說某人某事過分了，不想用OTT，可以講out of line，主要是說不適當的、不合社交禮節的，總之是不禮貌的行為。
He openly laughed at the over-sized man,calling him names. That was so out of line.他公開取笑那個大碼男子，叫他渾名。那實在太過分了。
英文的line，亦即規範界線。都聽過吧，一些線，包括底線，是不應過也過不了的：
There are things that we don’t do and lines we don’t cross.生活總有許多條隱隱的準繩，beyond the pale、over the top 及out of line 基本上都是叫人不要過界。相反， 完全不講規矩，anything goes，漫無疆界，至不擇手段，係no holds barred。
A no-holds-barred debate. 這是一場不講規矩的辯論。
No holds barred 的holds 源自摔角，是說抓或捉對手，任何款式的holds 或grabs 都得到容許。
Look at him. Fiercely independent and strong. No holds barred about getting what he wants. 看他，非常獨立而強大。他要什麼都會不擇手段得到。
也有正面的講法：
I’m looking forward to living a life with no holds barred and not worrying about having to say the right thing. 我期望無拘無束的生活，不必顧慮總要說對的話。