2012年3月30日 星期五

drop


drop  (v.)  掉落

-> 終止某事、停止做某事
-> 退出、與某人終止關係

  • 終止某事、停止做某事 (口語常用)
Ex: Now drop what you are doing and listen to me closely!

Ex: Protests from across the country has forced the government to drop the plan of building a nuclear power plant.
Ex: Can you two drop the topic? You have been arguing over it for more than three hours!

  • 退出、與某人終止關係 / 跟某人分手
Ex:  Katie dropped out of college because she had to make money and support her family.

Ex:  She dropped Kevin after she found he often flirts with other women.

2012年3月27日 星期二

lay down 制定、謀殺、哄睡、放下、放棄


lay down 
lay 這個動詞有放下的意思,搭配介係詞 down 則變成有相當多種不同意思的動詞片語。 

  • 制定:接法規、條文、規則
Miss Donaldson lay down the new rules for the class.

  • 謀殺:用被動式
Johnson was laid down by the robber. 

  • 哄睡
I will lay down the baby.

  • 放下
Just lay down the cups on the table.

  • 放棄、妥協
A: I think you should ease yourself.
B: Are you saying that I should lay down and let them walk all over me? (你是說我應該放棄就讓他們這樣對待我嗎?)

smell a rat 事有蹊蹺


smell a rat 事有蹊蹺

貓即使看不見老鼠,也可以聞出躲藏在暗處的老鼠。
沒有直接的證據或跡象,但憑直覺感到可疑。

Ex: I smelt a rat when Noah offered to sell me the car at a very low price, so I turned down his offer on the spot. Good thing that I'd made such a decision, as the car turned out to be stolen.

*  Good thing that I'd made such a decision 幸好我做了這決定
*  the car turned out to be stolen 原來是部贓車

fishy = suspicious
It seems fishy that all the services here are free of charge.
It is suspicious that he said he was at home at the time but actually he wasn't.

save for a rainy day 以備不時之需


save for a rainy day 以備不時之需

Ex: She has put a tidy sum of money aside for a rainy day.

*put aside = save
*tidy = quite


Ex;
Sunny: Sorry, I can't. I'm saving money these days, so I need to cut any unnecessary spending.
Amber: Come on, just a drink! Don't be so stingy.
Sunny: I have to. I am saving money for a rainy day. Since the unemployment rate is so high, I think everyone should do the same as I do in case one day they lost their jobs.
Amber: But I think otherwise. If all the people are cutting their spending as you do, all of us will lose our jobs eventually, since we neither buy things nor produce them. Just lend me the money then!

*otherwise = in a different way / or else / in other respects; apart from that

2012年3月26日 星期一

授與動詞


授與動詞用法
My uncle gave me a lot of comic books.

有些動詞,它們的後面不只接一個受詞,而是『兩個』受詞,如:give
鍾老師          John    一份很棒的禮物
Mr. Chung   gave     John        a nice gift.
         V.         O1              O2
Mary      她妹妹      一本書
Mary  gives      her sister        a book.
   V.            O1                O2
* O1 = 被授予者,通常為人。
* O2 = 授予物,通常為物。

上述的兩個英文句,其實中、英文很像,所以不會有太大的困難。
但若將句子改寫成以下,則意思依然沒變
鍾老師    把   一份很棒的禮物   給   John
Mr. Chung  gave    a nice gift      to   John.
           V.                    O2                Prep.       O1
Mary   把    一本書        她妹妹
Mary   gives      a book        to       her sister.
     V.       O2         Prep.       O1

常見且重要的授予動詞有:bring, buy, get, lend, send, show, sing, write
這些動詞的句型用法都一樣,但使用的介詞不盡相同

to for 是最常用的介系詞,其代表意義分別是:
l   to:表示「動作的方向」。將東西從一方拿給或傳給另一方的。
l   for:表示「為了」之意。

* 重要的授予動詞片語
TO:
1.          give to 人:把「物」拿給「人」  (「物」從原所有人傳給另外一個人)
2.          bring to 人:帶「物」給「人」   (「物」從一個人帶去給另外一個人) 
3.          lend to 人:把「物」借給「人」
4.          send to 人:把「物」拿給「人」
5.          show to 人:秀「物」給「人」看
6.          sing to 人:唱「歌」給「人」聽   (「歌」從原唱者唱出給另外一個人聽)
7.          write to 人:把「信」寄給「人」

FOR:
1.          bring for 人:為了「人」而把「物」帶來
(「物」還帶在身邊沒拿給他;帶這個東西是為了某人而做 à這和上述的 to 的用法不同。)
2.          buy for 人:為了「人」而買「物」
sing
for 人:為了「人」而唱「歌」
(唱「歌」是為了另外一個人而做 à這和上述的 to 的用法有些不同。) 
3.          write for 人:為了「人」而寫「物」
(寫「物」是為了另外一個人而做 à這和上述的 to 的用法有些不同。)

備註: 以上用法必須根據所要表達的意思與上下文而定,並不固定。


參考網址: http://210.240.55.2/~t311/moe/engb2/b2grammar/b2twoobject.htm

2012年3月24日 星期六

箴言/格言: dictum, maxim, proverbs, precept



箴言、格言、座右銘、智慧語、警語、戒律 :dictum, maxim, proverbs, precept
= a terse, witty and instructive saying / statement of a principle


A good maxim is never out of season.
箴言傳千古

A brief statement of a principle.
箴言蘊含一原理的簡練語句

The storehouse of wisdom is stocked with proverbs.
箴言集成智慧

Precepts may lead, but examples draw.  導之以箴言,行之以榜樣
<=> Imitation is a globe of precepts.   群起效尤


2012年3月23日 星期五

Please don't spill the bean. 請保密

   請保密 / 請別讓他人知道 / 請勿洩漏 / 你知我知就好

   Please keep the secret.
= Please don't leak the secret.
= Please keep it between us.
= Please don't spill the bean.