Q:下面兩句有何區別: (1) Please let me know when you arrive. (2) Please let me know when you will arrive.

A:這兩句雖只有一個 will 之差,但詞性與語意卻有天壤之別。第 (1) 句的 when you arrive 是副詞子句 (時間子句),用現在簡單式表示未來式,因為時間子句中不能有表示未來的 will 或 be going to 等字眼 (注意:這一文法規則幾乎是 TOEFL, TOEIC 及其他英檢必考的問題)。而第 (2) 句的 when you will arrive 為名詞子句,當 know 的受詞。

再者,句 (1) 的意思是說「請你在抵達時告訴我」,至於告訴什麼事情則不明確,可能是到達的時間,也可能是此行的目的或其他事情。然而,句 (2) 則明確表示了是要告訴抵達的時間,所以這句的意思是「請你告訴我抵達的時間」,亦即 Please let me know your arrival time.。句 (2) 指的是未來的時間,如果我們要請對方告訴過去抵達的時間,那麼名詞子句的時態要改成過去式,如 Please let me know when you arrived yesterday.。

廚師多了煮壞湯;老大多了撐翻船

英譯:
too many cooks spoil the broth (有時略作:too many cooks)

例句:
If someone says, “Too many cooks spoil the broth,” he/she means that your work will be more efficient if you use fewer people. (如果有人說 “Too many cooks spoil the broth”,他或她的意思是說,你的工作若用比較少的人來做,會比較有效率)

Our director never asks more than 10 people to work with him in his projects, and he wants the best 10. He always says, “Too many cooks spoil the broth.” (我們主任從未要求 10 人以上來參與他的企畫案,他要的是最佳 10 人組。他常說「廚師多了煮壞湯」)

本文亦刊載在下列網址:
http://htmfiles.englishhome.org/idioms/idioms_chinese-2.htm

Q:在廣播中聽到 “Having said that” 好多次,這是什麼意思?

A:在回答問題之前,先舉個例子,這對瞭解 Having said that 會很有幫助:

  • Judy: John, what do you think about this classroom? (約翰,你覺得這間教室怎麼樣?)
  • John: Well, it’s okay. The equipment’s quite good. There’s a computer, and there’s everything you need, really. Having said that, it’s a bit small. (不錯。設備很好。有一部電腦,真的,應有盡有。不過,小了一點)

由上面的對話可知,Having said that 是被用來引導兩件事情之間的對比 — 這裡是引導正面和負面資訊之間的對比。事實上,我們也可以使用 but 來代替 Having said that。換言之,Having said that 意為「但是,可是,不過」。同樣地,however, nonetheless, nevertheless 和 in contrast 也可以擔任同樣的功能。這些字或片語在英文中叫做「連接副詞」(connectives) — 亦即連接兩件對比、差異的事情或兩個對比、不同的觀念所用的副詞。這與主要當連接詞 (conjunction) 用的 but 在詞類上是不同的,讀者必須加以區別。另外,however, nonetheless, nevertheless 和 in contrast 大多用在寫作或書面中,but 可用於寫作或口語;至於 Having said that,則是用於口語。

prattle on; press ahead; press on; price up; print out; prop up; psych out; psych up; pull ahead; pull apart

prattle on
不斷地快速而無意義地說話
George just prattled on instead of giving a straight answer.

press ahead (with something)
奮力前進;勇往直前;把 (某事) 堅持下去
They pressed ahead with the elections despite the violence.

press on
奮力前進;勇往直前;把 (某事) 堅持下去
We pressed on to get to our destination before night fell.

price * up +
定價過高,索價過高;漫天要價
Don’t buy your camera at that shop, because they price them up terribly.

print * out +
(電腦文件) 印出
He printed out the letter and checked through it carefully.

prop * up +
支撐,頂住;(提供政治、財政或軍事援助以) 扶持,維持
The council have propped up the museum for years with grants.

psych * out +
想出或預先猜出 (某人的意圖)
We have to try to psych out our rivals.

psych * out +
使 (某人) 膽怯;使 (某人) 喪失信心
Boxers try to psych their opponents out before the fight to gain an advantage.

psych * up +
使 (某人) 做好心理準備
I psyched myself up for the exam.

pull ahead
加速超過;超前,領先,追過
Let that fast car pull ahead; I’d rather have such a driver in front of me than behind me.

pull * apart
把 (某人的作品、文章、論據、理論等) 批評得一無是處
My tutor pulled my essay apart.

pull * apart
把 (兩個正在打架的人或動物) 拉開
A fight broke out in the pub and it was hard to pull the people involved apart.

本文亦刊載在下列網址:
http://htmfiles.englishhome.org/phrasalverbs/phrasalverbs-p.htm

Q:在書寫一系列項目時,如 “I like to eat apples, kiwis, bananas and oranges.”,and 前面是否要加逗點?

A:在書寫一連串 (三個或三個以上) 的項目時,筆者向來都會在最後一個項目前面的 and 前面加上逗點,但你也可以不加,這要視個人的習慣而定。在該處加上逗點,一定都是對的 (但在新聞寫作中除外,新聞寫作都是把這個逗點省略掉)。為何加上這個逗點一定是對的呢? 因為在某些情況中,倘若不使用這個逗點 (尤其是此一系列項目很複雜或冗長時),最後兩個項目可能會結合成另一個與這兩個項目完全不同的事物,如 macaroni and cheese* (macaroni 是「通心麵」,cheese 是「乾酪、起司」,而 macaroni and cheese 或 macaroni cheese 卻是「起司醬通心麵」,與 macaroni 或 cheese 已經是不同的食物了)。因此,筆者建議,最好使用逗點來分開一系列項目中的所有項目以避免這問題。

然而,如果一系列項目中只有兩項,那麼 and 前面不可有逗點。例如:

  • Mom bought grapes and bananas. (媽媽買了葡萄和香蕉) (正)
  • Mom bought grapes, and bananas. (誤)

值得注意的是,我們有時也會見到沒有 and 的情況,如 I like to eat apples, kiwis, bananas, oranges.,這時句子所表達的意思已不盡相同;它是在表達「等等」、「諸如此類」(et cetera, and so on, and the like) 的意思。換言之,它的意思是說,除了 apples, kiwis, bananas, oranges 之外,我還喜歡吃其他水果。

* “Macaroni and cheese” 意為「起司醬通心麵」(a dish made from macaroni and cheese sauce),為美國用語,在美國部分地區往往被縮寫為 mac ‘n’ cheese,在英國則稱為 macaroni cheese,但同樣的東西在加拿大卻叫做 “Kraft Dinner”。

Q: lots of, a lot of 和 a lot 這三者之間有何不同呢?

A:a lot of 或 a whole lot of 和 lots of 的意思完全一樣 (意為「大量;許多」= a great quantity, number, or amount of),而用法也幾乎如出一轍,唯一的小差異是 lots of 大多用於口語;換言之,lots of 比 a lot of 要來得非正式。所以,我們可以說成或寫成:

  • There are a (whole) lot of people over there. (那裡有很多人)

也可以說:

  • There are lots of people over there.

就文法而言,a lot of 和 lots of 是用在名詞或名詞片語之前,而名詞可以是可數 (countable) 或不可數 (uncountable)。例如:

  • There are a lot of people working for the company. (有很多人為這家公司工作)
    句中的 people 為可數名詞,而 people working for the company 就是名詞片語。
  • What a lot of food there is! (好多的食物啊!)
    句中的 food 為不可數名詞。

至於 a lot 或 lots,則可當名詞或副詞用。從 lot 前面可以加冠詞,本身可以加 s 就知道它是個名詞,所以 a lot 和 lots 是名詞。例如:

  • I’ve got a lot (of work) to do. (我有很多工作要做)
  • They gave us lots to eat. (他們給了我們好多吃的東西)

然而,a lot 或 lots 亦可當副詞,經常用來修飾副詞或形容詞的比較級,在此它們意為「在很大程度上,非常」(=much, a great deal)。例如:

  • This is a lot better. (這個好多了)
  • That is lots interesting. (那有趣多了)
  • Thanks a lot. (= Thank you very much 非常感謝)

a lot 或 lots 也經常用來回答問句。例如:

  • Are there a lot of people working for the company? (有很多人為這家公司工作嗎?)
    Yes, a lot. 或
    Yes, lots. (是的,很多)

最後要提的是一個與 a lot of 和 lots of 有關的非常重要的文法觀念,那就是:在否定句和問句中,若名詞為可數,往往使用 many 來代替 a lot of 或 lots of;若名詞為不可數,往往使用 much 來代替 a lot of 或 lots of。例如:

  • There aren’t many Spanish tourists in Taiwan. (台灣的西班牙觀光客不多)
  • Are there many Spanish tourists in Taiwan? (台灣有很多西班牙觀光客嗎?)
  • I haven’t got much money. (我沒有很多錢)
  • Is there much food in the refrigerator? (冰箱裡有很多食物嗎?)

現在來個簡單的測驗。下面三句中,那句合乎文法呢?

a. I haven’t got a lot of money but I’ve got much love.
b. I’ve got much money but I haven’t got a lot of love.
c. I haven’t got much money but I’ve got a lot of love.

答案是:”c.” I haven’t got much money but I’ve got a lot of love.

Q:big 和 large 的用法及意思有何不同?

A:雖然這兩個字的中文意思都是「大的」,但它們的用法和意思其實是有出入的。big 在書寫和口說英語中都是一個相當常用的字;事實上,它是英文前 1000 個最常用的單字之一。反之,large 是個比較不常用的字,甚至無法擠入英文前 3000 個最常用的單字之列。

如上所言,這兩個字的一般意思都是「大的」,用來表示尺寸、數量、重量或高度等大於一般的尺寸、數量…等;不過,large 是個比較正式的用字。big 和 large 後面都要接可數名詞。所以,我們可以說 The house has a big (or large) garden. (這房子有個大花園) — 因為 garden 是可數名詞,但卻不能說 There’s a big (or large) traffic on the road next to the house. (這房子旁的道路交通流量很大) — 因為 traffic 是不可數名詞,因此我們必須將之改為 There’s a lot of traffic on the road next to the house.。雖然 big 和 large 經常可以互換,但有時卻不行。下面將舉例說明這些不同的情況。

big 可以意為「重大的」(important),如 Buying a house is a very big decision. (購屋是個很重大的決定),亦可用在口語中,表示「比較年長的」(older) 意思,如 He’s my big brother. (他是我哥哥);再者,它也有「極受歡迎的;極成功的」意思,如 Anping Castle is a big tourist destination. (安平古堡是個極受歡迎的旅遊景點)。在口語中,big 亦可意為「程度上很大的」,如 She earns a lot of money, but she’s also a big spender. (她賺了很多錢,但她也是一個花錢闊綽的人);John is a big eater. (約翰食量很大)。

big 被用在許多固定片語中,由於這些片語是固定的,如果將其中的 big 改為 large,那就錯了。例如:It’s no big deal. (那沒什麼了不起);She’s got a big mouth. (她是個大嘴巴);He’s too big for his boots. (他自以為了不起/他妄自尊大)。

large 亦有一些固定片語,如 Two of the escaped prisoners are still at large. (兩名逃犯仍逍遙法外);She’s larger than life. (她不同凡響)。此外,large 可與數量詞連用來表示「大量」的意思,但 big 大多不行,如 a large amount, on a large scale, a large number of, a large quantity of, a large proportion, to a large extent, a large percentage of, a large part of, a large volume 和 a large area 等。

Q:在 That’s a five hundred dollar/dollars dress. 這句中,dollar 要用單數還是複數?

A:當複數名詞修飾其他名詞時,它們通常會變成單數,所以 That’s a five hundred dollar/dollars dress. (那是一件 500 元的衣服) 中的 dollar 要用單數名詞 (事實上,在這句中,a five hundred dollar 是由數字與量詞所構成的複合形容詞)。這一規則適用於大部分 (並非全部) 名詞,包括那些通常以複數型態出現的名詞。例如:

a race for horses = a horse race (賽馬) — a race for horses 的寫法不多見
a chair with arms = an arm chair (扶手椅 — 現在都拼成 armchair)
a leg of a pair of trousers = a trouser leg (褲管)
a sharpener for scissors = a scissor sharpener ([磨剪刀用的] 磨刀石)
a board for darts = a dart board ([投擲飛鏢的] 圓靶 — 現在都拼成 dartboard)

但這規則也有例外:

a depot for arms (i.e. weapons) = an arms depot (軍械庫)
a race for arms = an arms race (武器競賽) — a race for arms 的寫法比 an arms race 少見得多
a committee on elections = an elections committee (選舉委員會)
a tax on sales = a sales tax (營業稅)

值得一提的是,在數字與量詞所構成的複合形容詞中,過去每個字之間都會用連字號 (hyphen) 來連接,如 That’s a five-hundred-dollar dress.,但現在連字號在英文中已變得有點像瀕臨絕種生物,許多人已完全不用連字號,尤其英文新聞更是越來越少用。這告訴我們,英語一直不斷地在改變。以下為一些未使用連字號的複合形容詞的例句:

  • He’s a ten year old boy. (他是個十歲男孩)
  • I recently ended a four year extramarital affair. (我最近結束了一段為期四年的婚外情)
  • I’m going on a five day business trip to Japan. (我即將到日本出差五天)

Q:當有人問你 “What’s your nationality?” 時,你是回答 “I am Chinese.” 還是 “I am a Chinese.” 呢?

A:根據經驗及習慣用法,我會回答 “I am Chinese/Taiwanese.”。國內可能會有不少人認為應該使用 “I am a Chinese.” 的說法,但實際的情況卻是以前者的說法佔絕大多數。不信的話,你可以隨便找個美國人,故意問他「你是哪一國人」,他會回答 “I am American.”,而不會說 “I am an American.”。

give up; give up on; give yourself up to; gloss over; gnaw at; gnaw away at; go about; go across; go across to; go after

give * up +
戒除;放棄,停止做 (經常做的事)
I gave up taking sugar in tea and coffee to lose weight.

give * up +
與 (某人) 斷絕關係;停止與 (某人) 交往
She gave up all her school friends when she went to university.

give up +
停止做 (某事)
I have given up trying to help them.

give up
不再嘗試;停止 (某嘗試);放棄 (努力)
I can’t think of the answer; I give up.
Decide what you want and then don’t give up until you’ve achieved it.

give * up +
把 (時間、精力等) 用於
I gave up all my free time to the project.

give * up +
讓出,讓與,讓給
I gave up my seat to a pregnant woman.

give * up +
交出 (某人,某物);自首
The police told the thief to give his gun up.

give up on +
失去對 (某人或某事) 的信心;不再相信或信任 (某人或某事)
I gave up on them when I heard what they were saying about me behind my back.

give up on +
放棄對 (某人) 的希望
I have given up on them; they never do what they promise.

give yourself up to +
獻身於;把…獻給;專心致志於
The scientist gave himself up to a study of the life history of flies.

gloss over +
掩蓋,掩飾,粉飾
The Minister tried to gloss over the report that was critical of her department.

gnaw at +
折磨或困擾 (某人)
I know it was wrong and guilt has gnawed at me ever since I did it.

gnaw at +
逐漸損害、傷害
The government’s dishonesty has gnawed at people’s trust in politicians.

gnaw away at +
逐漸損害、傷害
Their behavior gnawed away at our trust in them.

go about +
著手做
How should I go about telling her the bad news?

go about/around/round
(疾病或消息) 流傳
A rumor is going about involving the Attorney General.

go across
越過 (馬路、水域、空間等)
I’ll just go across and get a loaf of bread.

go across to +
越過 (馬路、水域、空間等) 到 (另一地);轉投到另一邊;改信 (另一宗教、信仰、論點等)
I’ll just go across to the shop and get a loaf of bread.
He went across to the opposition.

go after +
追捕,追趕
The cat went after the pigeon, but it flew away.

本文亦刊載在下列網址:
http://htmfiles.englishhome.org/phrasalverbs/phrasalverbs-g.htm