Enough 的用法

Enough 可當限定詞、代名詞和副詞用,意為「足夠 (的/地)」,其主要句型為 enough for somebody/something、enough to do something 及 enough for somebody/something to do something。

Enough 當限定詞時後接複數可數名詞或不可數名詞。例如:

  • The conference room has enough seats for everyone. (會議室有足夠的座位給每個人坐)
  • We’ve seen enough television repeats. (我們已看了夠多的電視重播)
  • I usually don’t get enough sleep. (我經常睡眠不足)
  • There was enough food for about five people. (食物夠大約五個人吃)

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Scream, shout (vv.)

Scream 和 shout 這兩個動詞都有「叫出聲音」或「發出叫聲」的意思,但兩者的含意並不相同,不能混為一談。譬如說,在 I shouted his name at the top of my voice. (我拼命地喊他的名字) 這句中,shouted 不可用 screamed 來代替,因為「叫喊 (名字)」的英文是 to shout one’s name。

Scream 意為「尖叫;驚呼」,是指由於害怕、興奮、痛苦或類似歇斯底里的憤怒而突然發出大聲尖銳刺耳的叫喊,如 His mother was always screaming hysterically. (他媽媽老是歇斯底里地尖叫著);Mary screamed when she saw her baby fall. (當瑪麗看到她的嬰兒摔下來時,她尖聲叫了出來);He screamed for help. (他大聲求救);They were screaming with delight/pain/fright/rage. (他們高興/痛苦/驚恐/憤怒地尖叫著)。
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Neither of ≠ Both (of) + not

Neither 可當連接詞、副詞、限定詞和代名詞用,這裡要談的是 neither 當限定詞和代名詞的用法,表示兩者中沒有任何一個,即「兩者都不」。例如:

  • Neither answer is correct. (兩個答案都不對) - neither 在此當限定詞用,後接單數可數名詞。
  • Neither of the answers is/are correct. (兩個答案都不對) - neither 在此當代名詞用。用作代名詞的 neither 後接複數名詞時,在正式書面文件中,動詞通常用單數形式,但在口語或非正式文件中,動詞通常用複數形式。Either 的代名詞用法亦同。

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Q:There’s three books on the desk. 這句對嗎?

A:若根據文法,這句當然不對,因為 there is 和 there’s 的後面都要接單數可數名詞或不可數名詞,而 there are 後面接複數可數名詞。然而,在說話及非正式寫作中,像 There’s three books on the desk. (書桌上有三本書) 這種用 there’s 來引導複數主詞的情況所在多有,如 There’s lots of cars in the parking lot. (停車場裡有許多車子)。這種用法在正式寫作或考試中會被視為錯誤,使用時不可不慎。
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A bag of potatoes was discovered in his car.

  • A bag of potatoes was discovered in his car. (他的車上被發現一袋馬鈴薯) (正)
  • A bag of potatoes were discovered in his car. (誤)

解說:「A bag of + 複數可數名詞」若當句子的主詞,其真正的主詞為 bag,後面須接單數動詞,亦即句子的主動詞須與 bag 一致,而不是跟複數可數名詞一致。介系詞片語「of + 複數可數名詞」係當形容詞用,修飾 bag,對動詞沒有影響。除 a bag of 外,a box of, a pack of 等片語的用法亦同。

Q:在 The rapid spread of disease in this area was ascribed to poor sanitation. 這句中,disease 不是應該用複數 diseases 嗎?

A:Disease 這個字可當可數及不可數名詞用。在 The rapid spread of disease in this area was ascribed to poor sanitation. (本地區疾病之快速蔓延,被歸因於環境衛生不佳) 這句中,disease 是當不可數名詞用,泛指任何疾病,所有疾病,而非特指某種或某些疾病。

名詞的泛指或通稱 (generic reference) 在英文中是個非常重要的文法觀念。不可數名詞是以零冠詞 (即名詞前不加任何冠詞) 來表示泛指。例如:

  • Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. (情人眼裡出西施)
  • Beauty is only skin deep. (美貌只是外表;不可以貌取人)
  • Discretion is the better part of valor. (謹慎即大勇;大勇貴謹慎 - 意指不該冒不必要的危險)
  • I adore chocolate. (我非常喜歡巧克力)
  • We adore Baroque music. (我們非常喜歡巴洛克音樂)

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Bias, prejudice (nn.)

Bias 和 prejudice 都意為「成見,偏見」。就此意思而言,這兩個字並無太大差異,而兩者皆可用作可數和不可數名詞。此外,它們亦均可當及物動詞用。但無論是當名詞還是當動詞用,其後慣用的介詞或介詞片語都是 against 或 in favor of;若接 against,則意為「對….有偏見、成見」,若接 in favor of,則意為「偏愛,偏袒」。

Bias 是指基於個人好惡或成見而提出的偏差的意見或作出的偏心或偏袒的判斷,如 The boss was accused of bias towards employees over 50. (那個老闆被控對 50 歲以上的員工有偏見);The art collector has a bias in favor of Monet. (這位藝術品收藏家偏愛莫內的畫作);Professor Lee could not possibly be under any bias. (李教授不可能存有任何偏見)。
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Falsehood vs. falseness vs. falsity

Falsehood 意為「謊言,假話;說謊;虛假」,一般視之為 lie 或 untruth 的同義詞,如 There are a lot of exaggerations and falsehoods about the President’s extramarital affairs. (關於總統的婚外情有許多誇大之辭和謊言)。Falseness 意為「虛假,不真實」,為 truth 的反義詞,如 That man’s falseness destroyed Mary’s dream of love. (那個男人的虛假摧毀了瑪麗的愛情夢),所以,falsehood (謊言) 就是本質為 falseness (虛假) 的話。Falsehood 意為「謊言,假話」時為可數名詞,意為「說謊;虛假」時為不可數名詞,而 falseness 為不可數名詞。

Falsity 為這兩個字的變體或異體 (variant),同時擁有它們的意思,如 When questioned by his wife about his compulsive gambling, John told one blatant falsity after another. (當被他太太質問他無法自拔的賭癮時,約翰公然地一次又一次地撒謊),但它比較常被用作 falseness 的同義詞,如 His comments are independent of the truth or falsity of these theories. (他的評論與這些理論的真實或虛假無關)。事實上,儘管 falseness 出現的時間比 falsity 來得久遠許多,但最近幾年,在網路可搜尋到的新聞出版品中,falsity 的使用頻率高於 falseness。

鬧翻

英文:falling out (n.)

說明:亦寫成 falling-out,為可數名詞,複數為 fallings-out 或 falling-outs。

例句:

  • Tim isn’t gonna attend my birthday party tomorrow because we had a falling out last week. (提姆不會參加我明天的生日派對,因為我們上週鬧翻了)
  • Stanley had a falling-out with his parents yesterday. (史丹利昨天跟他父母鬧翻了)