发信人: roy_young(金陵二胡)
整理人: roy_young(2001-09-13 04:11:38), 站内信件
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12. old hand 與 red-handed：old hand是指有很多經驗的人 (a person with a lot of experience) 例如：
He is an old hand at fishing.（他是釣魚的老手）
Mr. Chen is an old hand at teaching English. (陳先生教英文很有經驗)（也有人介詞用 in）
As an old hand, he served on the Advisory Committee. (由於經驗豐富，他擔任顧問委員會的委員。）
但是 new hand 多指 new employee，未必是沒有經驗，只是「新手」罷了。例如：
He hired a new hand for the store. (他請了一位新店員)
Miss Chen still needs to be supervised because she is a new hand. (陳小姐還需要指導，因為她是新來的員工。)
如果指沒有經驗的人，老外通常只用“green” (倒不用 green hand)。例如：
He is green at swimming. (green 就是 beginner)
I am green in learning English. (介詞用 at 或 in 均可)
至於 red-handed 係指正在作案當場被捕的意思 (committed a crime or caught in the act of doing something) 例如：
The murderer was caught red－handed by the security officer. (兇殺犯當場被安全人員逮捕)
The police caught the shop-lifter red-handed. (警察當場捉到店鋪的小偷)
13. immediate family 與 extended family：immediate family 是指在一生中，曾經住在一起生活的親人，包括父母、夫妻、兒女、兄弟、姐妹、祖父母、孫兒女。而 extended family 是指不曾住在一起的遠親，包括姻親 (in-laws)（即 father-in-law, mother-in-law, brother-in-law, sister-in-law）表兄弟、叔叔、嬸嬸等 (aunts, uncles, cousins, etc.)。（這裡是按照美國人的習慣來說，不過在中國社會裡，因為人口多，房子小，三代同堂，也很平常。）例如：
Cousins and nephews are considered to be extended family (members). (表兄妹和外甥都被認為是遠親)
They are my immediate family (members). (有時 member 也可省略)
Some Americans even do not consider grandparents as immediate family members. (有的美國人甚至不認為祖父母是直系親人)
14. near-sighted 與 short-sighted：near-sighted 是指近視眼。(far-sighted 就是遠視眼)。然而，short-sighted 意思是「缺乏遠見」(narrow point of view) 例如：
He is near-sighted（或 far-sighted) (他有近視眼或遠視眼)
Mr. Wang tends to be short-sighted. (王先生似乎缺乏遠見)（但不能說：He has a short sight）
至於「有遠見」，老外多半也不說：He is long-sighted. 通常只說：
He is broad-minded. 或 He thinks very liberally. 或 He takes the long view.
同理，long face 是指不高興，板著臉孔，但沒有：「short face」的說法。如果是指「臉形較長」只說：「narrow face」；如指：「臉形較寬」，不說：「broad face」，但可以說：「round face」，雖然可以說「fat face」，但不禮貌。因為 fat 對老外來說是「醜」的表現。例如：
He gave me a long face this mornig. (今早他給我一副臭臉) (就是 bad mood)
He has a narrow face（或 round face) (他的臉形較長或較寬)
但又不說：
He is narrowed face (或 rounded face.)
15. As a matter of fact 與 matter-of-fact：As a matter of fact 意思是事實上，實際上 (= in fact)，而 matter-of-fact 多做形容詞用，意思是實事求是，不是想像的(practical；not imaginative) 例如：
As a matter of fact, he did not know what he was talking about. (事實上，他不曉得自己在說什麼。)
As a matter of fact, she is the one who broke the computer.（實際上是她把電腦弄壞了)
His response to my question is matter-of-fact. (他對我所提問題的回答，是很切合實際的。)
He described this position in a matter-of-fact way. (他以實事求是的方式描述這份工作）
也可當做副詞用：
She discussed her financial difficulty matter-of-factly. (她很悠然自得地談到她的經濟困難)
(matter-of-factly = easily or plainly)
16. monkey business 與 mickey mouse (business)：monkey business 是指不正當、不道德的騙人把戲 (tricky, deceitful, improper dealing or unethical conduct)，有時也指財色方面的欺騙行為 (fooling around with money or sex)。但是 mickey mouse (business) 通常是指無關緊要的事物或芝麻小事 (trivial or unimportant thing) 例如：
Some politicians participate in monkey business. (一些政客從事不正當行為)
His poor grades show that he has spent lots of time on (with) monkey business. (他的成績不好是因為他花了許多時間在不正當的行為上)
Don't make a mountain out of a molehill; it is merely a mickey mouse business. (不要小題大作，那只是一件芝麻小事。)
I feel this is merely a mickey mouse. (有時後面 business 可省去)
17. unattended child 與 latchkey child：unattended child 是指家長不在身邊，沒人照料的孩子。(a child without parental supervision)。但是 latchkey child 是指孩子頸上掛著 key，放學後，因為父母還沒有下班，無人照料所以只好自己開門回家，照顧自己。(a child has a key to enter the family house)（latch 的本意是門閂。例如：
The door was off the latch.意思是門沒有上鎖）
He was a latchkey child himself.
When the parents both work at the restaurant for long hours, their kids generally become latchkey children. (當父母兩人都在餐館長時間的工作時，他們的孩子放學後都要自己開門回家。)
Unattended children tend to get into mischief after school. (沒人照料的孩子，放學後常有胡鬧的傾向)
也可以說：
Unattended dogs are not legal in public. (在公共場合，狗沒有主人照顧是違法的。) ( 所以 latchkey 不能用在狗，因為狗畢竟自己不會開門。）
18. soft drink 與 beverage：soft drink 指會有碳化作用 (carbonated) 的飲料，(即開罐後會起泡沫)，諸如 Coke, Sprite, Seven-up 等。而 beverage 是指沒有 carbonated 的飲料，如牛奶、咖啡、水、茶等。例如：
America probably has consumed more soft drinks than any nation in the world. (美國消費飲料也許比世界任何國家都多)
Many people would like to have some beverages at their dinner table. (許多人喜歡在吃飯時喝些飲料)
註：soft drink 也叫 soda pop，或簡稱 pop 或 soda，但不說 pop soda。有人把 soft drink 譯成「軟性飲料」。（全文完)
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