Well, I declare
含义: An exclamation of surprise or astonishment.
A genteel Southern exclamation typically used by older Southerners to express surprise, shock, or disbelief. It's the kind of thing a Southern grandmother might say upon hearing unexpected news. It conveys a sense of proper astonishment without resorting to anything vulgar.
例句
- Well, I declare — you've grown a foot since I last saw you! 哎呀——你上次见面到现在长高了一大截啊！¡Válgame! ¡Has crecido un montón desde la última vez que te vi!まあ、前に会った時から背が30センチも伸びたんじゃない！어머나 세상에 — 마지막으로 본 이후로 키가 30센티나 자랐잖아!
- They're tearing down the old courthouse? Well, I declare. 他们要拆掉那座老法院？哎呀，真没想到。¿Van a demoler el viejo juzgado? ¡Válgame!あの古い裁判所を取り壊すの？まあ、なんてこと。그 오래된 법원을 헐어버린다고? 어머, 세상에.
- Well, I declare, I've never seen so many people at a church social. 哎呀，教会聚会来这么多人我还是头一次见。¡Válgame, nunca había visto a tanta gente en una reunión de la parroquia!まあ、教会の集まりにこんなに大勢の人が来たの初めてだわ。어머나, 교회 모임에 이렇게 많은 사람이 온 건 처음 봐.
发音
用法指南
语境: surprise, gossip, social gatherings
语气: genteel, surprised
✓ 正确说法
- Well, I declare!哎呀，真没想到！¡Válgame!まあ、なんてこと！어머, 세상에!
- Well, I declare, that's something.哎呀，这可真是件事啊。¡Válgame, eso sí que es algo!まあ、それはすごいわね。어머나, 그것 참 대단하네.
✗ 错误说法
- Sounds old-fashioned to younger Southerners — mostly used by older generations对年轻的南方人来说听起来很老派——主要是老一辈在使用Suena anticuado para los sureños jóvenes — lo usan sobre todo las generaciones mayores若い南部の人にとっては古風に聞こえる——主に年配の世代が使う表現젊은 남부 사람들에게는 구식으로 들림 — 주로 나이 든 세대가 사용한다
起源与历史
A holdover from 18th and 19th century genteel Southern speech. 'Declare' here means to state emphatically, and the phrase functions as a mild oath expressing surprise — appropriate even in the most proper company.
文化背景
Era: Traditional
Generation: Older adults
Social background: Universal
Regional notes: Deep South, especially among older Southerners
更多同类表达
More from Regional: Southern