No longer, not any longer

No longer 和 not any longer 均意為「不再」,一般視之為同義詞,但 no longer 比較正式。例如:

  • I could stand John’s rudeness no longer. (我無法再忍受約翰的粗魯無禮)
  • I couldn’t stand John’s rudeness any longer. (我不能再忍受約翰的粗魯無禮)

No longer 和 not any longer 的反義詞為 still。例如:

  • She no longer works here. (她已不在這裡工作)
  • She doesn’t work here any longer. (她已不在這裡工作)
  • She still works here. (她仍在這裡工作)

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Due to 還是 because of 呢?

Due to 和 because of 均意為「由於,因為」,所以有些人、甚至有些字典,都認為這兩個介系詞片語可以互換,或者對它們被互換使用並不以為意。然而,其他人,包括筆者在內,則不以為然。根據既定的規則,它們的用法並不相同,如果互換使用,就不合語法,也就是文法錯誤。

當句子的主動詞為 am, is, are, was, were 等 BE 動詞時,我們要用 due to,此時 due to 可以用 caused by 來替換。例如:

  • The serious accident was due to his careless driving. (這起嚴重意外事故是由於他駕駛疏忽所造成) (正) - 主動詞為 was。
    = The serious accident was caused by his careless driving.
    The serious accident was because of his careless driving. (誤)
  • Mary’s coming to class late was due to the rain. (瑪麗因雨而上課遲到) (正)
    = Mary’s coming to class late was caused by the rain.
    Mary’s coming to class late was because of the rain. (誤)

當句子的主動詞為 BE 動詞以外的其他動詞,即普通動詞時,我們要用 because of,此時 because of 可以用 on account of 或 in view of 來替換。例如:

  • Robert cannot go to work because of sickness. (羅伯特因病不能上班) (正) - 主動詞為普通動詞 go。
    = Robert cannot go to work on account of sickness.
    Robert cannot go to work due to sickness. (誤)
  • The prices are rising because of the government’s inability to control inflation. (由於政府無力控制通貨膨脹,物價正在上揚中) (正) - 這句是陷阱題,因為句中有 BE 動詞 are,但這個 are 是助動詞而非主動詞,真正的主動詞為 rising。
    = The prices are rising in view of the government’s inability to control inflation.
    The prices are rising due to the government’s inability to control inflation. (誤)

有人可能會自然而然地把 because of、on account of 和 in view of 歸為同一類,因為這三個同義詞都以 of 做結尾且都與普通動詞連用,而另一個常用的同義詞 owing to 應該是跟 due to 同一類,因為它們都以介系詞 to 做結尾,所以應與 BE 動詞連用。非也!Owing to 的用法跟 because of 完全一樣。例如:

  • Poverty is due to laziness. (懶惰是貧窮之源) (正)
    Poverty is owing to laziness. (誤)
  • Because of the weather, we will cancel anniversary celebrations. (由於天氣的關係,我們要取消週年慶) (正)
    = Owing to the weather, we will cancel anniversary celebrations. (正)

Q: daresay 是拼成一個字還是兩個字 (即 dare say) ? dare say 和 daresay 的意思和用法是否相同? 另外,是否可以說明 dare 的用法?

A:daresay 和 dare say 都可以,亦即有兩種拼法,它們的意思均為「猜想,以為;也許,大概」(think, suppose; perhaps)。雖然有些字典和英文用法書籍還列有「敢說」(make bold to say, venture to say) 的意思,但已不多見。一個字的拼法只能用在第一人稱,可接 that (that 可省略) 所引導的子句:I (or We) daresay you’re right. (我 [或我們] 想你是對的)。由於 daresay 只能用在第一人稱,因此 I daresay 乃成了慣用語,意為「我想,在我看來,大概,恐怕」。

關於 dare 的用法,這個字可當語氣助動詞 (modal auxiliary) 和普通動詞用,意為「膽敢,敢於」。其實,更精確的說法是,dare 是個「半語氣助動詞」(marginal modal) — need, ought to 和 used to 也是屬於這類助動詞。

當助動詞用時,dare 沒有人稱、數和時態的變化,大多用在疑問句,否定句和條件句。它只有 dare 和 dared 兩種形態,可用於完成式,而 dare not 可以縮寫為 daren’t。例如:

  • He dare not go out at night. (他晚上不敢外出)
  • Daren’t you go out at night? (你晚上不敢外出嗎?)
  • Dare you go home alone? (你敢自己一個人回家嗎?)
  • If you dare breathe a word about it to anyone, I’ll never speak to you again. (如果你敢將此事告訴任何人,我就再也不跟你講話了) (註:to breathe a word about/of it to anyone = to tell anyone about it)
  • I daren’t tell you any more, because it’s highly confidential. (我不敢再告訴你了,因為那是高度機密)
  • No one dared do that again. (沒有人敢再做那件事了)
  • I dare not have gone to Taipei alone last year, but I think I dare now. (去年我不敢一個人去台北,但我想我現在敢了)

當普通動詞用時,dare 有人稱、數和時態的變化,意思同樣為「膽敢,敢於」。但這個 dare 後面所接的不定詞的 to 可以省略,且經常被省略。在此情況下,若主詞為第一、第二人稱或複數,而時態為現在式,吾人就無法判斷該 dare 是助動詞還是普通動詞了 (但如果該 dare 是用在肯定句中,那麼它應該是普通動詞),不過這並不影響我們對句意的理解。例如:

  • No one dares (to) speak freely about the political situation. (沒有人敢暢所欲言談論政治情勢) — 句中的 dares 一定是普通動詞。
  • Did anyone dare to admit it? (有人敢承認這件事嗎?)
  • They dare (to) answer these questions. (他們敢回答這些問題) — to 省略後,dare 是助動詞還是普通動詞就無法判斷了,但由於它是用在肯定句中,所以應該是普通動詞。
  • Do you dare (to) touch the snake? (你敢摸蛇嗎?)
  • They should not dare to go on strike. (他們應該不敢罷工)

當助動詞用和當普通動詞用的 dare,語意略有不同,前者是說話者主觀的態度或認定,而後者則是表示一種比較客觀的情況。試比較下面兩句語意上的差異:

  • How dare she take the exam without ever once coming to class? (她不曾來上過一次課,竟然還敢參加考試呢?) — 表示說話者對該名學生的憤怒。
  • How did she dare to take the exam without ever once coming to class? (她不曾來上過一次課,怎麼還敢參加考試呢?) — 表示說話者不確定自己所說的是否正確,希望聽話者提供問題相關的訊息。

除上述外,dare 還有一個其後的 to 不可省略的及物動詞用法,意為「向…挑戰;激 (將),激 (某人做某事)」(= challenge),其句型為「dare + 受詞 + to + 動詞」。例如:

  • I dared her to jump. (我激她,看她敢不敢跳)
  • They dared me to spend a night in the graveyard. (他們來個激將法,看我敢不敢在墓地過一晚)