經典收藏:詳解英語中最常見的短句
Mind your own business.
現代當藝人真不容易,有機會被枕邊人出賣,將私隱賣給八卦媒體,更有一些專業狗仔隊偷拍和跟蹤.更可怕的是那些路人甲和路人乙在説三道四,對着這羣人,可以説句:Mind your own business.(管管你的事情)或者That's my own business.(這是我的事)、That's private. / That's personal.(這是私事)、Stay out of my affairs.(別管我的事)、Don't be nosy.(別好管閒事).
Get / Keep your nose out of my business. 不要窺探我的事情
例如:"I hear your dog bark at bout nine o'clock every night. Why is that?" "Oh, keep your nose out of my business, won't you?"
'每晚九點鐘左右,我都聽見你的狗吠,為什麼呢?'
'啊,你少點管我的事好不好?'
俚語叫人少管閒事,常用Butt out!兩字(用頭或角撞)in即'打擾'或'干預',是butt out的反義詞.
It doesn't matter.
所謂誰人無錯,犯錯的時候,應該得饒人處且饒人.當別人誠懇地向你道歉時,你也應該善意地響應一句:It doesn't matter.(沒關係,不要緊)或者説:It's not important. / It's not a big deal.(這個不重要這 / 沒什麼大不了).此外,如你見到朋友好像心情不佳,你也不妨問候一下:What's the matter?(有什麼事?)如果不太想回答,可説:It doesn't matter.(沒什麼,不要提).
要説 '這對我沒有影響',英文還有(It) Makes no difference to me. 的説法,隨便一點可説:(It) Makes me no difference,例如:Cigarette tax hikes make no difference to me(香煙大幅加税,對我沒有影響).英文indifference一字,就是説 '漠不關心',形容詞是indifferent,例如:Adrian is totally indifferent to what his girlfriend has done. / Adrian shows total indifference to what his girlfriend has done.(亞德里恩對女朋友所做的事,完全漠不關心).
We've been expecting you.
Expect是'期待'的意思,We've been expecting you.是'我們期待你出現',例如你在餐廳訂了位,到達時侍應會向你説:We've been expecting you.(我們在等待你來臨)。有時候,這句話也可帶點諷刺性,例如你約了朋友,但他遲了很久,你可説We've been expecting you. Expect / expecting. 是期待某些事發生,但發生的可能性是不知道的,例如:I expect you are angry with me, because I ate your rabbit.(我期望你會生氣,因為我把你的兔子吃掉),但對方不一定會生氣,又例如:I'm expecting a lot of presents on my birthday.(我期待收到很多生日禮物),但收到多少還是未知之數。許多父母都‘望子成龍,望女成鳳’,英文可以説:We are expecting great things from her.(我們期望她長大後會有成就)。
説等候某人或某事物來臨,英文常用expect(期待)一字,而且多用進行時式(continuous tense),例如:(1) I'm expecting visitors tomorrow.(明天我會有客人來訪)。(2) I'm expecting a letter from my mother.(我在等待母親寄來的一封信)。要説期待某人隨時來臨,英文是I'm expecting him / her any minute。
有時,你會聽到My wife is expecting. 這樣的話。那也是期待有人降臨,但降臨的是嬰兒。換言之,‘我妻子懷孕了’。這個expecting之後可加a baby兩字,例如:My wife is expecting a baby; I have to make some preparations. (我妻子懷孕了,我得準備一下)。An expectant mother就是‘孕婦’,an expectant則是‘快為人父者’。
Expect一字的用法,還有一點特別值得注意。請比較以下兩句:(1)I expect (that) you will go; (2)I expect you to go。這兩句意思有分別嗎? 按expect之後用 ‘that +子句(clause)’,是‘想’或‘認為’的意思,例如:I expect (that) it will rain soon.(我想,快要下雨了)。Expect之後用‘受詞 (object) + to +原形動詞 (infinitive)’,則是‘要某人做某事’或‘某人有責任做某事’的意思,例如:I expect you to clean the room. (我要你清潔這個房間)。所以I expect you will go. 和I expect you to go. 不同,一是説‘我想,你會去’,一是説‘我要你去’
Are you free on Sunday?
想要約會別人,首先要問別人有沒有空?你可説:Are you available? / Are you free? / Are you busy? 都是‘你有空嗎?’的意思,如果要問星期天有沒有空,就是:Are you free on Sunday? 如果你有空,可以回答:I have no plans. (我沒有任何計劃)、I'm free. / I'm available.(我有空)、 I'm not busy.(我不忙),如果不太肯定,可説:Let me check. (讓我查查看) 或 I'll check my schedule. (讓我查查看我的時間表)。
約會的用語,前面我們有簡單談過了,現在不妨詳細一點介紹應邀或婉拒的用語。 接納人家的邀請,説話一定要顯得雀躍,例如:I'd like nothing better.(再好沒有了)、I'd like to very much. / I'd love to very much / With pleasure / Why yes, that would give me the greatest of pleasure.(我高興之至)、That would be great fun.(那將是一大樂事)。Nothing better、the greatest of pleasure、great fun等説法頗為誇張,正是客氣的表現。
假如答應赴約,但須遲一點到達或早一點離去,則可在上述説法之後補上一句: I may be a bit late.(但我可能會遲一點)、 I have to go by X o'clock.(但我X點之前就得離去)。
又假如不能肯定能不能赴約,那麼可用以下説法:I'll try my best to come. / I'll try to make it. / I'll come if possible.(我會盡量抽身前來)。
婉拒人家的邀請最是困難,但一般可用以下理由:What a pity! I have another engagement/appointment.(真可惜,我已約了別人)、Oh, shame! I have something else to do./ I'm otherwise engaged.(啊,真可惜,我有其它事情要辦)、I'm afraid I can't. There's lots of work to do.(我恐怕不能來了,有很多工作要做)。What a pity、shame、I'm afraid. 等,當然也都是客氣説法,表示不是不想而是不能赴約。
I hope so.
讀書時候老師曾經教過Hope和Wish的分別。Hope和Wish中文都解作‘希望’、‘願望’的意思,但在英文上卻有分別的。好像生日許願時,我們會説:Make a wish.(許願)而不是Make a hope。Wish是指不切實際、天馬行空、難以實現的願望,例如:I wish I'd become a princess.(我希望成為公主。)這不是個不可能的願望嗎?而Hope是指比較實際,較有信心,可在比較短時間內實現的願望。所以I hope so. 通常表示對一些較有信心發生的事情抱有希望,不過當你落空時,也會説I hope so. Faith是指‘信念’、‘信心’,和Hope相似。如果説:I lost my faith in love. 就是説‘我對愛情失去信心’。
對話
人的一生都充滿希望;希望事情發生,或希望不發生。所以英文有兩句常説的話:I hope so.(希望是這樣吧)、I hope not.(希望不會吧),例如:"It looks if it is going to rain tomorrow." "I hope so. / I hope not."(‘明天看來會下雨。’‘我也希望下雨。╱希望不會吧。’)
自覺事情沒有希望?還不肯放棄希望,叫做to hope against hope,例如:I hoped against hope that she would agree.(我抱着萬分之一的希望,望她答應)。
假如是全無希望了,那可以説是to be beyond / past hope,例如:The patient is past hope.(病人已是不可救藥了)。要加強語氣,可説beyond / past all hope。
但無論遇到什麼困難,最好還是如英諺所言:Hope for the best and prepare for the worst.(抱最大的希望,作最壞的打算),例如:She went to get her medical examination report, hoping for the best and preparing for the worst.(她去取體格檢查報告,希望一切理想,但同時也作了最壞的打算)。
希望是怎樣來的呢?據説,從前上帝送了個盒子給人間第一個女人潘多拉(Pandora),叫她千萬不要打開,但她忍不住好奇心,偷偷打開一看,不料裏面盛着萬種千般疾苦,都乘機跑了出來為禍人間。潘多拉慌忙關上盒子,留住了希望。所以潘多拉的盒子(Pandora's box) 雖然等於煩惱之源,也把希望帶給人類。
I changed my mind at the last minute.
你相不相信個性決定命運呢?有些人天生舉棋不定,三心兩意,連吃飯點菜都拿不定主意,最後還是亂點一通。對於這些經常改變主意的人,他們常把這句話掛在嘴邊:I changed my mind at the last minute. (我在最後一分鐘改變主意),有時候,你也可揶揄他説:Does it work any better?(這樣子比較好嗎?)。談到終身大事,就不能用change my mind這麼簡單。舉例説:What happened to Joey? She's supposed to get married last week.(祖兒發生什麼事?她應該在上星期結婚)原來她變了心(She had a change of heart) 。
改變主意,往往是重新考慮的結果。這‘重新考慮’英文叫second thought(s),例如:At first I supported the proposal, but on second thoughts I decided against it.(最初我支持那建議,但重新考慮之後,決定反對)。英諺説:Second thoughts are best.(三思而行,是最好的)。留意on second thoughts的決定,總是和最初的決定不同。
三思而行,不等於猶豫不決。猶豫不決,英文叫做in two minds,例如:I'm in two minds about the job offer.(接不接受那職位,我拿不定主意)。當然,假如前度戀人會做你的上司,不接受或可免尷尬。‘前度戀人’英文俗稱old flame(舊的火焰),頗為有趣。
It's been nice talking to you.
有機會跟一些智者、聰明的人或老朋友聊天該是很快樂的事情,這時候你可以跟他們説:It's been nice talking to you(很高興跟你聊天),所謂‘禮多人不怪’,外國人也很講禮儀,例如Thanks for calling.(謝謝你的來電),初次見面會説Nice to meet you.(很高興見到你),或者It's been nice knowing you.(很高興認識你)如果你想恭維別人,可説:I've heard a lot about you.(久仰你的大名),相信別人聽到一定很開心。
和人家談話,準備結束時,一般會説:It's been interesting / nice / fun / great talking to you.那就是説:‘和你談話真暢快’,但句子既用現在完成時動詞 (present perfect tense),明顯表示談話要告一段落。所以這句話之後,一般就是Goodbye,例如:It's been great talking to you, but I must go now. Goodbye.
結束談話,往往是以‘時間所限’為理由。聽見對方像是突然驚覺那樣説Oh, look at the time!(啊,看看時間!)你幾乎可以斷定他跟着就會説:I'm going to have to run. / I must dash away now./ I'm afraid I must fly. / I've got to rush.(我得趕快走了)。
要説‘是時間要走了’,有一英文句法特別值得注意:It's time I was. / were going。這一句是説現在的事。但It's time. 之後的子句 (clause) 卻必須用過去時動詞 (past tense),現在不妨再舉一例:It is about / high time we went home.(現在(差不多)是回家的時候了)。It is about time. 即‘差不多是時候’,It is high time. 則是It is time. 的強調説法。
為什麼It's time之後的子句要用過去時動詞,而I甚至可配動詞were?原來這類子句要用假設句法,表示‘我們早應這樣做,現在卻還未做’。 留意It's time we went home. 之類句子可以改寫作It's time for us to go home.,意思沒有分別。