申請到學校來了美國後，我聯絡上了台灣同學會副會長，和他在電話上談了些事之後，我們決定在學校附近碰個面，這樣的話我可以當面請教一些問題。
到了學校後，我們找了間三明治店坐下來談:
「你國小讀那裡？」他說。
「桃園的ＸＸ國小」我回。
「啊！我也是，只是我後來轉學到台北」他說。
「那麼你高中讀那裡？」他接著問。
「ＸＸ高中」我說。
「啊！我也是！你是那一屆的？」他興奮的問著。
「我想想，我是ＸＸ年入學的．．．」我望著天花板想著。
「啊！我也是！你讀那一班？」他又問。
「我一年級的時候是２５班．．．」我想著二年級到底是讀那一班。
「喔，我是ＸＸ班，然後二年級我是１６班．．．」他邊想邊說著。
突然，我腦中一個畫面閃過，然後跟他說：
「你知道嗎？」我頓了一下，「我們二年級的時候是同班同學」
我腦中的畫面是，在上一堂體育課時，他好像做了什麼事被叫到前面去，然後很扭捏的在那裡扭來扭去。我把這件往事說給他聽，然後敘舊。也難怪我認不出他，他也認不出我，高中時大家理平頭，現在他頭髮留長，看起來確實有點不一樣，而且我們高二時雖然同班，但是並不是很熱絡，所以即使是聽到彼此的名字還是一點印象也沒有。
這麼許多年後，沒有交集的兩個人居然在地球的另外一面碰頭，又當了同學，真的是很有趣。
Imbibe
"I'm imbibing alcohol again," said my roommate with a glass of wine in his hand.
"What is ....im...bibing..?" I asked him.
"I know the word but I don't know its meaning." He seemed in a cheerful mood.
--------------
Anyway, I checked Longman ONLINE. Ah... that's what it means.
"What is ....im...bibing..?" I asked him.
"I know the word but I don't know its meaning." He seemed in a cheerful mood.
--------------
Anyway, I checked Longman ONLINE. Ah... that's what it means.
「我們只是普通朋友」？
在網路上閒逛看到的一篇舊文。貼這文的作者本身有出文法書(最近在一個地方的精華區看到有人對他的書和上過他一堂課的評價，不是很好)，因為我沒看過他在網路論壇直接用英文回答，所以不清楚他的英文程度如何，不過讀了他的這篇回文之後，只能說，不過又是個只會文法但是不熟悉一般日常英語用法的非英語人士:
至於上頭最後那句"we ... ordinary friends"，這不是英文習慣說法，「普通」不需要又另外刻意翻成"ordinary"，這不但是多餘的，擺在那也不對勁。
當然啦，有沒有可以使用這說法的場合？也許在些比較文學一點的場合然後真的需要刻意用"ordinary"才行的情況下，但是在日常說法裡頭不需要這樣子 「畫蛇添足」。
剛剛google了一下,果然:
"We are just ordinary friends": 57筆(真正顯示出的只有12筆)，第一項還是來自香港，去掉三個中文頁，剩下的也不用看了
"We're just ordinary friends": 4筆
"We are just friends？": 31,700
"we're just friends": 75,800 (口語英文習慣直接說 We're)
再來看看比較有「文學氣息」的Google Books，看看是否有作家憑著"poetic license"刻意這樣子用:
"We are just ordinary friends": 3
啊，第一本書的作家是"Liming Jing"，第三本是兩個作者，一個是T.M.R，另一個 是"Joseph Tong"，而第二本是1905年的作品。
(不需要再進一步說明了吧....)
我這樣子講好像在說我很行或是我很厲害，事實上我也只是和大家一樣是個"English learner"，我常出錯，也還有很多地方要學的，只是那句子在日常英語用法裡頭實在是很尋常很普通，就像這句老話「沒看過豬生孩子也看過豬走路」，所以那差別還是知道的。
(Update)
剛巧，在字典上看到這個:
幾年前吧，他在 AUE 上問問題。我看了一下他問的問題。他問的倒也不是什麼艱澀難懂的文法問題，而是不清楚一個(常用)字的意思。我知道那意思，因為那是屬於在美國生活裡頭常碰到的事物。事實上，只要你常看美國影視節目的話也會知道那意思。
很多時候越是日常的英文(*1)，越是無法在英文書(*2)上查到。
(*1) 有些(美國)人稱之為 real English. 畢竟普羅大眾是主要的人口組成份子。
(*2) 英文文法書，以及一些人愛扯的「語言學」等等
有人問：我們只是普通朋友"We are just friends"本身就是慣用說法，意思就是"我們只是普通朋友"，句子裡頭的"just"已經帶出那意思了-->不是很親熱親密的朋友喔， 是"friends"這個字面意思的一般普通朋友，所以用just來強調。因為這是慣用說法，本來就是在需要和「朋友」刻意保持距離的情況下說的，所以也不需要刻意另外用表情來輔助，只是那種情況下一般是有些尷尬，所以說這話時帶些額外的表情是無可避免的。
有人答：we are just friend.....
i think ...the point is your facial expression...
while you say it out.....
這個當然也可以（不過friend要用複數）。不過如果你想省去「表情」的麻煩，可說
we are just ordinary friends.....
至於上頭最後那句"we ... ordinary friends"，這不是英文習慣說法，「普通」不需要又另外刻意翻成"ordinary"，這不但是多餘的，擺在那也不對勁。
當然啦，有沒有可以使用這說法的場合？也許在些比較文學一點的場合然後真的需要刻意用"ordinary"才行的情況下，但是在日常說法裡頭不需要這樣子 「畫蛇添足」。
剛剛google了一下,果然:
"We are just ordinary friends": 57筆(真正顯示出的只有12筆)，第一項還是來自香港，去掉三個中文頁，剩下的也不用看了
"We're just ordinary friends": 4筆
"We are just friends？": 31,700
"we're just friends": 75,800 (口語英文習慣直接說 We're)
再來看看比較有「文學氣息」的Google Books，看看是否有作家憑著"poetic license"刻意這樣子用:
"We are just ordinary friends": 3
啊，第一本書的作家是"Liming Jing"，第三本是兩個作者，一個是T.M.R，另一個 是"Joseph Tong"，而第二本是1905年的作品。
(不需要再進一步說明了吧....)
我這樣子講好像在說我很行或是我很厲害，事實上我也只是和大家一樣是個"English learner"，我常出錯，也還有很多地方要學的，只是那句子在日常英語用法裡頭實在是很尋常很普通，就像這句老話「沒看過豬生孩子也看過豬走路」，所以那差別還是知道的。
(Update)
剛巧，在字典上看到這個:
Longman ONLINE原來已經是收錄進字典的慣用說法了。
4 be just (good) friends used to say that you are not having a romantic relationship with someone:
- I'm not going out with Nathan - we're just good friends.
幾年前吧，他在 AUE 上問問題。我看了一下他問的問題。他問的倒也不是什麼艱澀難懂的文法問題，而是不清楚一個(常用)字的意思。我知道那意思，因為那是屬於在美國生活裡頭常碰到的事物。事實上，只要你常看美國影視節目的話也會知道那意思。
很多時候越是日常的英文(*1)，越是無法在英文書(*2)上查到。
(*1) 有些(美國)人稱之為 real English. 畢竟普羅大眾是主要的人口組成份子。
(*2) 英文文法書，以及一些人愛扯的「語言學」等等
That Darn Rebate Deal
A quick (but not very short) CliffsNotes version:
- Bought a $36 GigaFast USB wireless adapter @ Micro Center in early Dec 06. It came with a $30 rebate (Yay~~ What a deal!)
- Rebate forms were mailed to the rebate house.
- Contacted the rebate house five weeks later because their online record showed they hadn't received my rebate.
- One or two weeks later, got an email reply from them saying they just got it (????).
- Four or five weeks later, got another email from them saying GigaFast refused to fund the rebate and they had no choice but to close my case. (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
- Emailed complaints to GigaFast and Better Business Bureau the next day.
- A week later, after hearing no reply from GigaFast, a complaint was sent to the retailer, Micro Center.
- Micro Center responded the next day saying they'd send the check.
- Three weeks later, the rebate house sent me an email saying Micro Center funded the money and I'd get the rebate check in 7-10 days. I FINALLY got my damn $30 rebate check a week later.
"四個x;一個是x, 一個是x..."的英文表示
這有許多種表示法。最簡潔也最符合現代語法的寫法:
(註:以下都是大致的句型,實際應用會有些變化，詳細可以看下方的例子)
...four something: a, b, c, and d.
...four something; they are a, b, c and d.
以下這些是在Google Books上找來的(當然還有其他寫法，只是Google Books上許多例子無法顯示最後一或兩項，遇到這情況我就沒辦法收錄那些句型...)
(還 有一點就是這些句型只代表有此文字記錄而已，並不代表「一定正確」或是「好」。有空我再問native speakers of English)
1. ...four something.(*1) One is a, another is b, the third is c, and the fourth is d.
2. ...four something. One is a, another is b, one is c, and the last is d.
3. ...four something. One is a, another is b, another is c, and the fourth is d.
4. ...four something. One is a, another is b, another is c, and the last is d.
------
5. ...four something. One is a, the other is b, the other is c, and the fourth (one) is d.
6. ...four something. One is a, the other is b, the third is c, and the fourth is d.
(*1)可以是連接詞，然後把前後子句連在一起。後 面的句子裡的個別子句也可以拆開成獨立句子。詳細的可以看下列的例子。
-------------------------------
Search pattern on Google Books:
"four * one is *, another is"
-----
and to have to consider four statements; one is 106 pages, another is 60 pages, another is 75 pages
(註:無法顯示第四項)
-----
Discovering Creativity: Proceedings of the 1992 International Creativity and Innovation... - Page 210
by Stanley S. Gryskiewicz - 1993
Muslim Military Architecture in Greater Syria: From the Coming of Islam to the Ottoman Period - Page 191
by Hugh N. Kennedy - 2006
A Universal Scale of Individual Performance Tests, Examination Manual - Page 55
by Paul Chatham Squires - 1926
Doing Business in Less Developed Countries: Financial Opportunities and Risks - Page 161
by Mashaalah Rahnama-Moghadam, David A. Dilts, Hedayeh Samavati - 1995
另一search pattern:(用意:看看有沒有用"the other"結尾的)
"four * one is * the other"
----
Housing Act of 1956: Hearings Before the Committee on Banking and Currency, House of Representati... - Page 251
by United States Congress. House. Committee on Banking and Currency - 1956
Indian Economic Development Programs: Oversight Hearings Before the Committee on Interior and... - Page 60
by United States Congress. House. Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs - 1979
Energy and Water Development Appropriations for 1987: Hearings Before a Subcommittee of the... - Page 1002
by United States Congress. House. Committee on Appropriations. Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development - 1986
或 是像這樣子整個列:
How to Prepare for the LSAT - Page 304
by Jerry Bobrow - 2005
(註:以下都是大致的句型,實際應用會有些變化，詳細可以看下方的例子)
...four something: a, b, c, and d.
...four something; they are a, b, c and d.
以下這些是在Google Books上找來的(當然還有其他寫法，只是Google Books上許多例子無法顯示最後一或兩項，遇到這情況我就沒辦法收錄那些句型...)
(還 有一點就是這些句型只代表有此文字記錄而已，並不代表「一定正確」或是「好」。有空我再問native speakers of English)
1. ...four something.(*1) One is a, another is b, the third is c, and the fourth is d.
2. ...four something. One is a, another is b, one is c, and the last is d.
3. ...four something. One is a, another is b, another is c, and the fourth is d.
4. ...four something. One is a, another is b, another is c, and the last is d.
------
5. ...four something. One is a, the other is b, the other is c, and the fourth (one) is d.
6. ...four something. One is a, the other is b, the third is c, and the fourth is d.
(*1)可以是連接詞，然後把前後子句連在一起。後 面的句子裡的個別子句也可以拆開成獨立句子。詳細的可以看下列的例子。
-------------------------------
Search pattern on Google Books:
"four * one is *, another is"
-----
and to have to consider four statements; one is 106 pages, another is 60 pages, another is 75 pages
(註:無法顯示第四項)
-----
Discovering Creativity: Proceedings of the 1992 International Creativity and Innovation... - Page 210
by Stanley S. Gryskiewicz - 1993
"....-----
...is organized in four programs. One is CAD, another is on product reliability, the third is on user-product interfaces, and the fourth is on management subjects.
...."
Muslim Military Architecture in Greater Syria: From the Coming of Islam to the Ottoman Period - Page 191
by Hugh N. Kennedy - 2006
"....-----
... with masonry (we have only four Muslim inscriptions, but one is lost, another
is illegible, one is reused and finally the last is not correctly read).
...."
A Universal Scale of Individual Performance Tests, Examination Manual - Page 55
by Paul Chatham Squires - 1926
"....------
Of the four "type" cubes one is an A, another is a 5, another is ac, and the
fourth is ad cube.
...."
Doing Business in Less Developed Countries: Financial Opportunities and Risks - Page 161
by Mashaalah Rahnama-Moghadam, David A. Dilts, Hedayeh Samavati - 1995
"....
The contestant may select one of four boxes. In one box is $1000000, in another
is $500000, in another is $100000, and in the last box is nothing. ...
...."
另一search pattern:(用意:看看有沒有用"the other"結尾的)
"four * one is * the other"
To the right and the left of the organ arc four statues; one is a Duke of Brittany,
the other three are bishops.
----
Housing Act of 1956: Hearings Before the Committee on Banking and Currency, House of Representati... - Page 251
by United States Congress. House. Committee on Banking and Currency - 1956
"....-----
... statements of these four big insurance companies. One is Prudential, the other
is Penn Mutual of Pennsylvania, the other is Union Central of Ohio, and the fourth one is Connecticut General Life of Connecticut.
...."
Indian Economic Development Programs: Oversight Hearings Before the Committee on Interior and... - Page 60
by United States Congress. House. Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs - 1979
"....-----
It is based on four criteria. One is minority population. The other is minority
businesses. The third is projected gross income for 1980, and the fourth is ..
...."
Energy and Water Development Appropriations for 1987: Hearings Before a Subcommittee of the... - Page 1002
by United States Congress. House. Committee on Appropriations. Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development - 1986
".....================
Now, the farmers have four major problems today. One is debt, the other is surplus, the third is nitrates, and the fourth is declining water tables. ...
...."
或 是像這樣子整個列:
How to Prepare for the LSAT - Page 304
by Jerry Bobrow - 2005
"....
Eight busts of American Presidents are to be arranged on two shelves, left to right. Each shelf accommodates exactly four busts. One shelf is directly above the other shelf. The busts are of John Adams, George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson, James Monroe, John Kennedy, Theodore Roosevelt and Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
...."
老美進門不脫鞋
其實看電視上一大堆有關清潔地毯和更換地毯的廣告就知道他們還真的不時興在屋內脫鞋子呢。
「髒了？用XX牌的清潔劑馬上亮麗如新！」
「家裏的狗尿在地毯上？用YY牌藥水可以馬上中合異味不留污漬喔！」
「爛到不能再爛，要換新的？現在打電話來有打折喔，而且我們還會親自帶樣品到你家讓你挑選，隔天就可以馬上更換！」
有時到老美家中，一切擺設整齊乾淨，但是地毯上明顯一條多年在上頭走動的深色痕跡。
* * *
我的房東兼室友剛好是在「家裏要脫鞋子」的家庭裡長大，所以我們在家裏是脫鞋子的。偶而他有訪客他倒不在意他們有沒有脫鞋子，只能說剛好都是晴天，然後鞋底沒有沾上甚麼很難用吸塵器清除的汙漬。
他說他小時候在家的一項工作是當客人來時要到門口告知客人請脫鞋子（他媽這招很厲害，由小孩子出面可以減少很多尷尬，客人不高興盡可以對小孩子出氣）。有次他媽媽的一個死對頭——好像是他爸爸的誰的太太吧，就很不高興的說 "What are you? Chinese?" 呵呵，看樣子到中國人家裡要脫鞋子在很多年前就已經有老美知道了。
Gone with the wind :p
My gf's father lives in an assisted living, and I sometimes go there with her. One afternoon, I dropped by to pick her up, but she was still busy with helping her father to the dining hall, so she gave me her laptop and asked me to wait in the library. She later brought me a cup of coffee. They serve good coffee there. (But like she said, “What are they thinking? How can the residents sleep if they have strong coffee like that?” Anyway, good coffee is good coffee, no argument with that!)
I was lucky that I found a free “Hotspot” -- my laptop was able to connect to a wireless network from the neighborhood, so I was surfing the net and reading some posts onenglish.com.tw :)
“Is that a computer?” asked a small-framed old lady, with her walker, standing right at the door step not far from me. She looked old but her mind sure was sharp because her voice was clear and her eyes were beaming. She certainly startled me.
“Uh... Yes,” I replied.
“Let me see!” she demanded and walked slowly toward me.
“Uh.... Ok...,” at the same time I looked down on the screen of my laptop and made sure there wasn't anything indecent. I then turned my laptop to her. When she reached me, she took a good look at my laptop and asked “Is it connected?” I wasn't very sure what she meant by that. Did she mean if my computer was connected to a network, or my computer's power cord was plugged?
“Yes.” I then decided to show her the power cord. In a sense, this laptop did connect to a power socket. So I showed her the power cord. “Would you like to try?” I thought she might want to use it.
“Where does it connect to?” she said, possibly didn't hear what I said. She looked amazed.
“There,” I pointed at a power socket at the corner near me. She took another few good looks and then asked me “Do you work here?”
“No. I'm with my gf. Her father is a resident here.”
“Do you want something to eat?”
“Oh, no, I'm fine. My gf just got me a cup of coffee,” I showed her the empty cup on an end table next to me.
“Okay, bye,” she then turned and walked away. (She might have said something else, but I can't remember.) She sure was like a whirl of wind; she came suddenly and left swiftly. Well, of course she can't move like the wind or a cougar. That would be scary. 😆
Later I mentioned her to my gf when she was back. “What does she look like?” she asked. I described the sharp little old lady to her. She thought for a while and couldn't figure out who this lady was. “I know everyone here,” my gf was still trying to think who she might be. “Well, maybe she is new here,” I said. This place does have new residents constantly. And new vacant rooms too....
I sure hope this old lady wasn't really “wind”.....
I was lucky that I found a free “Hotspot” -- my laptop was able to connect to a wireless network from the neighborhood, so I was surfing the net and reading some posts on
“Is that a computer?” asked a small-framed old lady, with her walker, standing right at the door step not far from me. She looked old but her mind sure was sharp because her voice was clear and her eyes were beaming. She certainly startled me.
“Uh... Yes,” I replied.
“Let me see!” she demanded and walked slowly toward me.
“Uh.... Ok...,” at the same time I looked down on the screen of my laptop and made sure there wasn't anything indecent. I then turned my laptop to her. When she reached me, she took a good look at my laptop and asked “Is it connected?” I wasn't very sure what she meant by that. Did she mean if my computer was connected to a network, or my computer's power cord was plugged?
“Yes.” I then decided to show her the power cord. In a sense, this laptop did connect to a power socket. So I showed her the power cord. “Would you like to try?” I thought she might want to use it.
“Where does it connect to?” she said, possibly didn't hear what I said. She looked amazed.
“There,” I pointed at a power socket at the corner near me. She took another few good looks and then asked me “Do you work here?”
“No. I'm with my gf. Her father is a resident here.”
“Do you want something to eat?”
“Oh, no, I'm fine. My gf just got me a cup of coffee,” I showed her the empty cup on an end table next to me.
“Okay, bye,” she then turned and walked away. (She might have said something else, but I can't remember.) She sure was like a whirl of wind; she came suddenly and left swiftly. Well, of course she can't move like the wind or a cougar. That would be scary. 😆
Later I mentioned her to my gf when she was back. “What does she look like?” she asked. I described the sharp little old lady to her. She thought for a while and couldn't figure out who this lady was. “I know everyone here,” my gf was still trying to think who she might be. “Well, maybe she is new here,” I said. This place does have new residents constantly. And new vacant rooms too....
I sure hope this old lady wasn't really “wind”.....
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