Monday, December 8, 2008

男怕入错行?女怕嫁错郎?

男怕入错行?女怕嫁错郎?
what a man should fear is to take a wrong trade, and what a woman should fear is to marry a wrong man?

都说“男怕入错行?女怕嫁错郎?”,这不知道是哪位哲人的理论,但是就算是在今天,这话也依然奏效。只是不管是这男人还是女人,入错了行就意味着一辈子的痛苦。偶尔遭遇到那么几个有胆量的,及时改变了自己的命运,从这一“行”跳到那一“行”,貌似脱离了苦海,常常也是这山望着那山,还是那山高。
究竟什么才是入错行?男也好,女也好!你有没有入错了行?
男怕入错行?女怕嫁错郎?说说你对这话的看法,说说你入错了行没有?什么样的标准才意味着自己没有入错行呢?

There is such a saying that ‘what a man should fear is to take a wrong trade, and what a woman should fear is to marry a wrong man’. No one know which philosopher it belong to. However, even today it is true. Choosing a wrong trade will cause a life-time pain for both man and woman. Occasionally, there are some courageous people, change from one trade to another and change their destiny in time. It seems that they escape the abyss of misery, however, the grass is always greener on the other side.

Then, what on the earth is ‘take a wrong trade’? No matter what gender you are, did you take a wrong trade?

‘What a man should fear is to take a wrong trade, and what a woman should fear is to marry a wrong man’. Did you take a wrong trade? By what judgment standard can we measure whether we have taken a wrong trade? Come on, let’s take a brainstorm about it!

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

Free loop - Daniel Powter



是一首好的歌! 又是一个好的学习机会!

- Daniel Powter

I'm a little used to calling outside your name 
有点习惯大声叫喊你的名字 
I wont see you tonight so I can keep from going insane 
今晚不会见你,因此我也不会再次疯狂 
But I don't know enough, I get some kinda lazy day 
但,我始终不解,日子变得有些懒散了 
Hey yeah 
嘿耶 
I've been fabulous through to fight my town a name 
我曾神话般地为我的小镇添光加彩 
I'll be stooped tomorrow if I don't leave as them both the same 
如果我不像他们那样离开,我明天也会遭到唾弃 
But i dont know enough, I get some kinda lazy day 
但,我始终不解,日子变得有些懒散了 
Hey yeah 
嘿耶 
Cause it's hard for me to lose 
因为我很少失败 
In my life I've found only time will tell 
我发觉在我的生活中只有时间才能证明一切 
And I will figure out that we can baby 
我坚信我们行的,宝贝 
We can do a one night stand, yeah 
我们可以享受一夜露水之欢 

And it's hard for me to lose in my life 
我很少失败 
I've found outside your skin right near the fire 
我从你的热情的外表上看到我们能行 
That we can baby 
我们行的,宝贝 
We can change and feel alright 
我们能改变,我们能过的很好. 
I'm a little used to wandering outside the rain 
有点习惯在雨中漫步 
You can leave me tomorrow if it suits you just the same 
如果你觉得会日子会更好,你可以明天就弃我而去 
But I don't know enough, I need someone who leaves the day 
但,我始终不解,我需要那个离开的人. 
Hey yeah 
嘿耶 
Cause it's hard for me to lose 
因为我很少失败 
In my life I've found only time will tell 
我发觉在我的生活中只有时间才能证明一切 
And I will figure out that we can baby 
我坚信我们行的,宝贝 
We can do a one night stand, yeah 
我们可以享受一夜露水之欢 


And it's hard for me to lose in my life 
我很少失败 
I've found outside your skin right near the fire 
我从你的热情的外表上看到我们能行 
That we can baby 
我们行的,宝贝 
We can change and feel alright 
我们能改变,我们能很好的. 

Cause it's hard for me to lose 
因为我很少失败 
In my life I've found only time will tell 
我发觉在我的生活中只有时间才能证明一切 
And I will figure out that we can baby 
我坚信我们行的,宝贝 
We can do a one night stand, yeah 
我们可以享受一夜露水之欢 

And it's hard for me to lose in my life 
我很少失败 
I've found outside your skin right near the fire 
我从你的热情的外表上看到我们能行 
That we can baby 
我们行的,宝贝 
We can change and feel alright 
我们能改变,我们能很好的. 


Cause it's hard for me to lose 
因为我很少失败 
In my life I've found only time will tell 
我发觉在我的生活中只有时间才能证明一切 
And I will figure out that we can baby 
我坚信我们行的,宝贝 
We can do a one night stand, yeah 
我们可以享受一夜露水之欢 

And it's hard for me to lose in my life 
我很少失败 
I've found outside your skin right near the fire 
我从你的热情的外表上看到我们能行 
That we can baby 
我们行的,宝贝 
We can change and feel alright 
我们能改变,我们能过很好.

Enough & Too

1. It was too expensive so we didin't get it.
2. It's too difficult to read; I don't understand it at all.
3. They didn't sell enough tickets to make it worthwhile.
4. They were too many people there.
5. It's not too late to sort things out.
6. It's too difficult to pass.
7. I left becasue I'd had enough of their arguing.
8. He ate too much and felt ill.
9. It's too far to walk-I'll take the bus.
10. I didn't get enough sleep last nigh and I'm exhausted.

Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Hundred and Hundreds

1. It cost five hundred dollars.
2. There were hundreds of people at the meeting.
3. Even if I live to be a hundred, I'll never forget it.
4. Several hundred people were killed in the fighting.
5. It cost thousands.
6. It's worth a few thousand pounds.
7. Three thousand one hundred and ten.
8. Never in a million years!
9. There were hundreds of thousands of people in the city center.

Friday, April 4, 2008

Comparatives

It's smaller than mine.

Yours is bigger than mine.

It's either could be used here than you think.

It cost less than I thought.

He's either could be used here than he looks.

The road is either could be used here than the motorway.

It's worse than it looks.

It's better than it was.

It was quicker than I thought it would be.

I'd like some further information about your courses.

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

one/another/the other

one… the other 只有兩個        
some… the others  有三個以上
one… another,another…
some… others,others…
others = other people/things
the others = the rest 剩餘的全部
 
1) 泛指另一個用another。
2) 一定範圍內兩人(物),一個用one,另一個用the other。
3) 一定範圍內三者,一個用one,另一個用one (another),第三個可用the other,a third。
4) 一定範圍內,除去一部分人/物,剩餘的全部用the others。
5) 泛指別的人或物時,用others當在一定範圍內,除去一部分後,剩餘部分但不是全部時,也用others

Example
He's the one man who can help you out of your difficulty.
他是唯一能幫助你擺脫困境的人。

He drank another glass of beer.
他又喝了一杯啤酒。

Do you have the other ideas?
你有否另外一些意見

Monday, March 24, 2008

Since的四種用法

1) since +過去一個時間點 (如具體的年、月、日期、鐘點、1980, last month, half past six)。
  I have been here since 1989.
 
2) since +一段時間+ ago
  I have been here since five months ago.

3) since +從句 
  Great changes have taken place since you left.
  Considerable time has elapsed since we have been here.

4) It is +一段時間+ since從句
  It is two years since I became a postgraduate student.


Ref:http://www.windsn.com/main/grammar/

Saturday, March 22, 2008

News - Taiwan votes with one eye on China

TAIPEI, Taiwan - Ma Ying-jeou isn't a charismatic figure. He calms rather than inspires. He's a soft spoken administrator who promises to govern by consultation.

Explanation:
charismatic (adj.) 超凡魅力的
figure (n.). 身份
calm (v.) (使)鎮定
inspire (v.) 鼓舞, 感動, 激發
govern (v.) 統治

And he's just what many Taiwanese seem to want in a new president after eight years of tempestuous domestic politics and butting heads with China on the international front.

Explanation:
tempestuous (adj.) 暴亂的
domestic (adj.) (使) 國內的
politics (n.) 政治
butting (n.) 用頭撞人(犯規動作)
heads (adj) 正面朝上的

If he wins Saturday's election, there's sure to be a sigh of relief in Washington, which usually finds itself caught in the crossfire whenever tensions flare between China and Taiwan. Ma is promising to improve relations with China and stop pushing independence for Taiwan — something China angrily rejects, claiming the island as its own province.

Explanation:
sigh (n.) 歎息
relief (n.) (痛苦等的)減輕, (債務等的)免除, 救濟
crossfire (n.) 交叉火力, 困境
tensions (v)緊張(狀態), 不安
flare (n, vi) 閃光, 突然燒起來
province (n.) 省(一個國家的大行政區)

Ma is the front-runner, but his 20-point lead in opinion polls has dropped into single digits as opponent Frank Hsieh mounts a fierce final-stage rally. On Friday, Hsieh's campaign unveiled a new TV ad showing Tibetan monks staging a candlelight vigil to protest the Chinese clampdown in their homeland.

Explanation:
mount (v.) 爬上
fierce (adj.)<美>極討厭的, 難受的, <英方>精力旺盛的
rally (n.) 集會
unveile (v.) 使公諸於眾, 揭開, 揭幕,
monks (n.) 修道士, 僧侶
staging (n.) 分段運輸
candlelight (n.) 燭火, 黃昏
vigil (n.) 守夜
protest (v.) 主張, 斷言抗議
clampdown (n.) 壓制, 取締
-----------------------------------------------------------------
News-Original

TAIPEI, Taiwan - Ma Ying-jeou isn't a charismatic figure. He calms rather than inspires. He's a soft spoken administrator who promises to govern by consultation.
And he's just what many Taiwanese seem to want in a new president after eight years of tempestuous domestic politics and butting heads with China on the international front.
If he wins Saturday's election, there's sure to be a sigh of relief in Washington, which usually finds itself caught in the crossfire whenever tensions flare between China and Taiwan. Ma is promising to improve relations with China and stop pushing independence for Taiwan — something China angrily rejects, claiming the island as its own province.
Ma is the front-runner, but his 20-point lead in opinion polls has dropped into single digits as opponent Frank Hsieh mounts a fierce final-stage rally. On Friday, Hsieh's campaign unveiled a new TV ad showing Tibetan monks staging a candlelight vigil to protest the Chinese clampdown in their homeland.

Reference by http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080321/ap_on_re_as/taiwan_s_front_runner

Monday, March 17, 2008

Desperado (Song)



是不是有似曾相識嗎﹖在TVB<<華麗一族>>一首歌。只歌本是Eagles.

Desperado
Desperado
Why don't you come to your senses
You've been out riding fences for so long now
Oh, you're a hard one

But I know that you've got your reasons
These things that are pleasing you
Can hurt you somehow
Don't you draw the Queen of diamonds boy
She'll beat you if she's able
The Queen of hearts is always your best bet
How it seems to me some fine things have been laid upon your table
But you only want the ones you can't get

Desperado
Oh, you ain't getting no younger
Your pain and your hunger
They're driving you home
Freedom, ah, freedom
That's just some people talking
Your prison is walking thru this world all alone

Don't your feet get cold in the winter time
The sky won't snow and the sun won't shine
It's hard to tell the night time from the day
You're losing all your highs and lows
Ain't it funny how the feeling goes away

Desperado
Why don't you come to your senses
Come down from your fences open the gate
It may be raining
But there's a rainbow above you
You better let somebody love you
You better let somebody love you
Before it's too late

Translation
亡命之徒 老鷹合唱團
亡命之徒
為何你不清醒一點
你築起城牆把自己圍起來已經很久了
噢!你真是個固執的傢伙

我明白你一定有你的理由
但那些令你欣喜的事情
總有一天會傷害你
你不拿走方塊皇后那張牌嗎?
它逮到機會就會把你擊垮
紅心皇后一直是你的王牌
我心目中的好牌都已攤開在你的面前
但你卻只要那些得不到的

亡命之徒
你已不再年輕
你的苦痛,你的飢渴
它們驅使著你歸來
自由啊!自由
那只是一般人的說法
孤獨行走天涯就是你的牢籠

冬日裡,你的雙腳不覺得寒冷嗎?
天空不飄雪,太陽也不照耀
分辨不出白天或黑夜
你已一無所有
這種失去的感覺很可笑吧

亡命之徒
你為何還不清醒一點
走下你的城牆,打開大門
外面也許下著雨
但彩虹就在你的頭頂上
你最好讓別人愛你
你最好讓別人愛你
在為時已晚之前

Saturday, March 15, 2008

(經典金曲)Edelweiss



經典金曲中,有美女歌聲加上有舞台劇感覺。

lyrics:
Edelweiss, edelweiss, every morning you greet me
small and white,
clean and bright,
you look happy to meet me
blossom of snow
may you bloom and grow,
bloom and grow forever
edleweiss, edelweiss, bless my home-land forever

Explanation:
Edelweiss(n). [植]高山, 火绒草;
Blossom (n). 開花期;
Bloom (v). 開花
home-land (n). 祖國,本國

Translation:
小白花


小白花,小白花
每個清晨你都向我問候
嬌小而潔白
清新而明亮
你似乎很高興遇見我

你是雪中之花
願你能恣意綻放成長
永遠的綻放與成長

小白花,小白花
永遠賜福我的家園

Edelweiss是德文,也有人翻成"火絨草",是奧地利的國花。

真善美 傳唱45年  /梁良

 在好萊塢出品的眾多歌舞片之中,曾獲得第38屆奧斯卡最佳影片金像獎、並一度成為影史上最賣座電影的「真善美」,肯定是台灣觀眾最熟悉和最受歡迎的一部作品。片中插曲「Do-Re-Mi」和「小白花」,在上個世紀的60年代中期唱遍了大街小巷,至今仍是人們耳熟能詳的經典金曲。

 如今,在「真善美」音樂劇首演45周年、電影公映亦屆滿40周年的珍貴紀念時刻,重新製作版的「真善美」音樂劇將來台灣演出,的確是令人期待的盛事。

改編自馮川普家族真人真事

 「真善美」的故事,是發生在奧地利的真人真事。真實生活中的瑪麗亞在1938年大學畢業後,到薩爾茲堡的一間修道院作見習修女,不久被派到馮川普上校家裏擔任家庭教師,負責照顧他的7名子女。後來他們結了婚,並組成家庭合唱團參加表演,可惜好景不常,德國納粹發動了歐戰,迅速吞併了奧地利。馮川普上校在接到入營令之後,決定帶領全家逃亡,在修女們協助下翻越阿爾卑斯山逃到瑞士。

 馮川普上校一家人隨後輾轉到了美國,逐漸改唱歐美民謠,相當受到歡迎,在全球巡演了17年,足跡遍及南美、紐西蘭及歐洲各國。在川普家庭合唱團解散後,瑪麗亞則在美國維蒙特州的史托邵主持「川普家音樂營」。

女主人瑪麗亞自傳被搬上銀幕

 女主人翁把她的傳奇事蹟寫成了「瑪麗亞奧格斯德自傳」,於1957年出版,旋即被美國母親節選為「全美模範母親」。德國電影界首先將此故事搬上銀幕,拍成劇情片「菩提樹」,但沒有造成廣泛迴響。不過,當時的美國百老匯音樂劇超級天后瑪麗瑪汀卻看上了這個有趣的真實故事很適合她發揮,遂主導改編音樂劇,上演參與了整個製作。

 由瑪麗瑪汀擔任女主角的「真善美」在1959年首演即掀起轟動,連演1443場,還在1960年一口氣奪得東尼獎最佳音樂劇、最佳女主角、最佳女配角、最佳音樂設計、最佳音樂指導等8項大獎。1961年「真善美」橫渡大西洋至倫敦西區,連演6年、2385場,更創下了美國音樂劇在倫敦西區演出的最長紀錄。

小白花其實是漢默斯坦創作

 福斯電影公司眼明手快,以百萬美元購下此音樂劇的改拍權,又重金禮聘曾在1961年執導歌舞片「西城故事」而獲金像獎的勞勃懷斯負責掌舵,並且沿用了理查羅傑斯與奧斯卡漢默斯坦這對詞曲創作搭檔為舞臺劇所寫的插曲,果然為好萊塢歌舞片再創高潮。電影原聲帶專輯曾登上美國音樂排行榜長達300周,創下蟬聯銷售最佳專輯的歷史性成績。

 這也是漢默斯坦35部音樂劇作品中最後一齣代表作,因為他在首演後九個月就去世了,在劇中常被誤認為奧國民謠的「小白花」一曲,其實是他創作的「天鵝之歌」。

茱莉清亮甜美歌聲 唱作俱佳

 電影版的「真善美」有很多優點,其中在選角方面的恰當和演員的精彩表演尤其功不可沒。具有深厚音樂劇表演經驗的英國女星茱莉安德魯絲,原先在1960年主演音樂劇「窈窕淑女」而走紅百老匯,連演4年之久,不料此劇在1964年拍成電影的時候,女主角竟然換成了根本不會唱歌的奧黛麗赫本,令很多人為茱莉安德魯絲深感不平。

 然而塞翁失馬、焉知非福,茱莉安德魯絲隨即以「歡樂滿人間」奪得金像獎最佳女主角,接下來以影后之尊接演「真善美」的電影版,被認為從外型到氣質都是詮釋瑪莉亞修女的最佳人選。她的平凡長相擋不住這個角色流露出來的性格魅力,加上她以清亮甜美的歌聲親自演唱片中多首歌曲,堪稱唱作俱佳,構成了令人難忘的一次精彩表演。

 數年前,茱莉安德魯絲飽受病魔折磨,盛傳因聲帶開刀而金啜子不保,不料她卻以新片「麻雀變公主」再度走紅大銀幕,而且在「麻雀變公主2:皇家有約」中重開金嗓唱了一段歌曲,讓不少觀眾大為驚喜,果然薑是老的辣!

7小演員 台上台下一家人

 除此之外,在「真善美」中演出的7個小朋友也很受歡迎,幾個小演員各盡本分,成為烘托牡丹的有趣綠葉。這次來台演出的小孩子當中,年紀最小的才5歲,還有幾位小朋友不僅是在舞台上,連下了舞台都真的是同一家人呢!

 根據統計,在AFI(美國電影學會)的「百大最佳美國電影」評選中,「真善美」排名55位,地位不算高;但是在去年英國第四頻道(Channel 4)主辦的「百大最佳歌舞片」觀眾票選之中,「真善美」卻高居亞軍,僅次於約翰屈伏塔「火爆浪子」。

 而在AFI最近評選的「百大電影歌曲」中,「真善美」入圍3首歌曲,那就是:「The Sound of Music」(第10名)、「My FavoriteThing」(第64名)、「Do-Re-Mi」(第88名),與「西城故事」同時並列冠軍。  2004.09.26 中國時報

考試前要養成英文的感覺

轉貼自:蕭愷一

臨近考試季節,會考高考生的「求助個案」愈來愈多。每封電郵都問同一問題:現在離考試只有一兩個月,英文還可以進步嗎?
可以。不過請先把補習社派的甚麼必讀生字,必背句式統統丟掉。英文不同其他學科,不是努力溫習就能考好。同學要做的,是在一兩個月內養成英文的感覺,慣於接觸英文,慣於以英文表達自己。要考得好,擁有這 on fire 的狀態比背幾多生字和範文都有用。
要怎樣做? 容易辦。每天騰出一兩小時,完全浸淫於英語環境中。趁各大書局減價,先去買一本有興趣的英文書吧。「有興趣」三個字最重要,因為學習語文最緊要投入,每天看那些千篇一律的補習範文,悶都悶死,而且多數補習天王都寫得一手地道的港式英語文筆,作為反面教材未嘗不可,但平時閱讀,還是找真正的英文材料吧。
看甚麼書? 深淺不緊要,程度合適即可。我建議大家找以第一人稱寫成的書。讀這些書,就像聽到作者親自向你說話一樣,多讀,就學到怎樣以淺白的文字表達自己。每天讀一小時,不必學字學句,看得明就可以了。感覺比一切重要。讀夠兩星期,腦袋會慢慢習慣用英文思想的感覺,這算是小成。
要天天讀,一星期只讀一兩天作用不大。情況就像男孩子健身,或女孩子用護膚品:做一天停三天,肌肉怎麼也練不出來;那些美白防皺骨膠原面霜,若非天天使用,皮膚總不會變白變滑。閱讀是同一道理,讀了一整天英文書,滿腦子英文,這樣很好,但稍停下來,辛苦凝聚的英文感覺就會溜走,所以要天天讀。
只讀不行,還要練寫。每天減省半小時MSN和女朋友聊天的時間,坐在電腦前面打英文吧。打甚麼都可以,假如沒有題材,就寫日記。要習慣英文字句隨著自己思緒流出的感覺。不必刻意用深字做長句,重點在於表達。只要你有每天閱讀,就會熟習英文的表達方式,寫東西時,讓它自然流出便可。
這樣每天讀少少,寫少少,一兩個月內肯定見效。到時英文感覺滿溢,勢必在英文試場所向披靡。還花時間去補精讀班,學甚麼「V1V2」怎樣做,閱讀理解怎樣找答案? 的起心肝,落街買本英文書吧。
如果全港學生照足我說話做,今年英文高考的成積肯定創新高。敢打賭嗎?

Forever Love (Song)



學唱英文歌,是一種提升英文能力方法。也是增加自己的藝術修養。感受不同的文化...
lyric:
Forever love Gary Barlow

Love it has so many beautiful faces
Sharing lives and sharing days
My love it has so many empty spaces
I'm sharing a memory now I hope
that's how it stays
Now I'm deep inside love and still breathing
She is holding my heart in her hand
I'm the closest I've been to believing
this could be love forever
All throughout my life the reasons I've demanded
But how can I reason with the reason I'm a man

Oh, oh yeah, ummm huh

In a minute I'm needing to hold her
In an hour I'm cold, cold as stone
When she leaves it gets harder and
harder to face life alone
Now my dreams are filled with times when we're together
Guess what I need from her is forever love

Ooh, ooh yeah oooh umm
Oh, oh yeah
Now I feel forever love oooh
Oh, I feel

Translation:
永恆的愛

愛有著多變的面貌
分享著生活與生命
我的愛有著許多的空位
我正分享著我所期望的記憶
那是他存在的原因
現在我正深深地陷入愛裡 也仍然呼吸著
她掌握著我的愛
我要自己相信我是最親愛的
那會是永恆的愛
我的生活自始自終我要求著這理由
但是我該如何以我是個男人這個理由去說服

哦........

一分鐘內,我必須去抓住她
一小時後我如同巖石般冰冷
當她離開
獨自面對生活變的越來越困難
現在我的夢想用我們共同的時光注入
推測我為何需要她就是永恆的愛

哦........
哦........
現在我感覺到永恆的愛
我感覺的到

Thursday, March 13, 2008

How to become a fluent, confident speaker of English

English learners often ask how to speak eng more fluently. i don't have the definitive answer because i myself am not a fluent eng speaker but i do find some tips effective and practical. what are the tips? listen to these language experts from bbc:

http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/webcast/mp3/betterspeaking/tae_betterspeaking_1_080207.mp3


http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/webcast/mp3/betterspeaking/tae_betterspeaking_3_080221.mp3

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/webcast/

看電視學英文

轉貼自:蕭愷一

人人都說看電視學英文好,但應該怎樣學?
我從前也喜歡看電視學英文。整個情景是很奇怪的:一個傻佬,對著電視,一手執遙控,一手拿字典,邊看邊按停,還拿著字典死翻爛翻的,口中念念有詞,模仿劇中演員對話。想從電視學英文,就要這樣。要留意的地方如下:
1. 一定要有英文字幕
看電視學英文,怎能沒有字幕? 聽不明白,一看就是,還可按停慢慢分析。有心的同學,還可在網上搜尋劇本。我以前跟學生看戲學英文,也會替每人印一份劇本,播劇時在上面圈呀圈的,稍停下來就跟他們分析對話和用字。這樣才是學習呀。聽都未聽清楚就一直去片,學得甚麼?
2. 手執字典
遇有不懂的字即查,這是學字學句的最佳辦法。學到生字固然是好,但口頭習語也應該學,所以一本正常字典,再加一本習語字典(Idiom Dictionary)就最好了。要不時按停,查字,重播,直至學懂所有字句。
3. 做筆記
學到有用的東西,一定要寫低,否則會忘記。寫甚麼? 字句的解釋當然要寫,最好還加上整句對白,甚至說話的情景。學會在適當時候說適當的話,比學單字重要。
4. 學習心態
其實每一套電視節目,都是絕佳的教材。用心去學,你會發覺每一字每一句都值得學習。一套半小時的劇集,不妨用上三,四小時去看,所得一定很多。

深字無罪〔載於明報〕

教英文的前輩都認為,學寫英文,應盡量避免用深字,不論用字造句,都越顯淺越好。對初學英文的人來說,這是不錯,連基表達都未做到就去亂用深字,想不走火入魔都難。但對英文已有一定程度的人來說,學深字寫深字,只要運用得當就沒問題。我反對的,是亂用。那幾時可用深字? 有幾點要考慮。
(一)語境
英文深字,多數來自拉丁文。它們的特點是音節較多,讓人感覺正式,莊重,跟撒克遜(本土英文)和維京(北歐)字源的字很不同。舉例說,源自維京語言的 angry 和 anger,可能比拉丁文 furious 和 infuriate 平實親切得多;但正色嚴詞的一句 This infuriates me 所帶出的語境,是 This makes me angry 或 This angers me 不能達到的。
(二)有時用深字反而方便
除了語境上的考慮外,在某些情況下,我們非用深字不可。專業用字就是個好例子,法庭上用的口供書 affidavit,就沒有淺白的同義詞;物理學的甚麼 inertia,electromagnetism 如是。有時用深字反而省時方便,例如「人身攻擊」,在英文的說法是 ad hominem(名詞)。它可用淺白的文字表達,但會較為累贅。比較以下兩句:
1. Debaters should avoid ad hominem arguments.
2. Debaters should avoid arguments that appeal to personal considerations rather than to logic or reason.
可見第一句簡潔得多。又例如「心理作用」 placebo 也算是個深字吧,但有比它更簡潔的表達方法嗎?
(三)修辭手法
還有修辭上的考慮。舉例說,英國棟篤笑演員 Marcus Brigstocke 曾以這句話形容宗教極端份子:precious, petulant, pugnacious pricks,就是「大驚小怪,臭脾氣,好勇鬥狠的壞蛋」。Petulant 和 pugnacious 都是較少見的深字,為甚麼要用它們? 原來他們都以聲母P為首。一連四個字都發P音,讀起來音韻鏗鏘,節奏強勁,讓觀眾留下極深印象。這個修辭手法叫 alliteration,和中文的雙聲疊韻有異曲同工之妙。
我常跟學生說:文字本無好壞,只要運用得當,就是好文字。我才不理它是深是淺,是雅是俗。英文表達力強,正是因為字彙多。假如我們心存偏見,認為深字不好而不學不用,豈不減弱了英文的表達能力?
深字無罪,不亂用就好了。
蕭愷一