這裏面、委屈、婉轉 - 古德明
問:讀書讀到以下一句:It's like a jungle in here(這裏面像個叢林)。句中的in可不可以略去?Here什麼時候要和介系詞(preposition)連用?
答:刪去in字,文法沒有錯,但句子會失去「裏面」的意思,只是說「這裏像個叢林」。在寒冷的曠野上,你可以說It is cold here(這裏很冷);在寒冷的房間裏,則可以說It is cold in here(這房間裏冷得很)。這就是here和in here的分別。
Here(這裏)、there(那裏)二字之前,都可以用out、in、up、down等等介系詞,表示「這裏」或「那裏」是在外面、裏面、上面、下面等,例如:There is a funny-looking man out there(外邊有個樣子很古怪的人)。
問:「委屈」和「婉轉」英文怎麼說?
答:「委屈」形容詞是aggrieved,名詞是grievance,例如:(1)He felt aggrieved when despite his excellent performance he was not promoted(他表現優異,卻不獲擢升,感到很委屈)。(2)She harboured a grievance against her husband for not helping with the housework(她丈夫不幫忙做家事,令她感到很委屈)。
「婉轉」指措詞令人聽來舒服一點,可譯做(to say something)in mild terms;指歌聲美妙,則可譯做sweetly或beautifully,例如:(1)The doctor told her in the mildest possible terms that her son did not have long to live(醫生十分婉轉的跟她說,她兒子活不久了)。(2)She sang so beautifully that we were all charmed(我們都陶醉在她婉轉歌聲之中)。
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