英倫翻譯社/ Trsmaster

文/胡隴凱

在英文的單字裡面，有許多字看起來很相像，可能只是差幾個字母，或是字母排列順序改變而已，因為這些字都是確有其字（字典有收錄），所以在使用文書處理軟體（如Word）的時候，軟體並不會將之視為錯字，若是一不小心，我們可能就會用錯字而沒有發現，所以應該特別小心喔！另外，許多的考試也喜歡將易混淆的字放在一起，要考生選出正確的字，這時就考驗大家的眼力了！

現在讓我們陸續介紹一些容易混淆的字：


ABSTRUSE / OBTUSE 

文/Lily

我常接到英文email，信末寫著：Please kindly give me a reply （請回覆）。
很多人用Kindly 這個字，以為這樣更客氣，其實是誤會。

kindly並不是很客氣的說法。《朗文高級辭典》kindly 條的解釋是： 「Kindly 意思是請，但經常表示，說話的人覺得被打擾的時候用的。」 

Longman exam dictionary:Kindly is a word which means please, but is used by the speaker when he is annoyed (so it is used 'ironically', in a sense)

文/Lily
世界公民文化中心的學生問我，「我送你到門口」，這「送」究竟英文要怎麼講？她查字典，送可以用give、deliver、send、see...off。結果都不對，字典裡的送，你肯定找不到walk這個字。Walk someone to the door送某人到門口，是固定搭配。

搭配就是一組固定要同時出現，像洗碗叫do dishes，接電話叫answer the phone，開支票用make out a check；咖啡很淡是the coffee is very weak，很濃是strong；湯很濃卻是thick。

中文人口最容易犯的搭配錯誤，有一部分屬於「規則性錯誤」，亦即不知規則因而犯錯；另外有一部份屬於「習慣性錯誤」，也就是知道怎麼使用，脫口而出時沒想那麼多，因而犯錯。以下為讀者整理中文人口最容易犯的搭配錯誤。多聽、多說，在英文文章、信件裡看到搭配字，就畫個圈把它們套在一塊，加深記憶，犯錯的機會就少了。 

規則錯誤造成的錯誤搭配：

1）我送你到門口：

一、But--先"讚美"再講"不過"

1. 西方人對你給他建議，多半不會馬上拒絕。就算不想採納，通常也會客氣地說：It's a good idea BUT not a full solution. 你的主意很好，但不見得能完全解決問題。 
2. 西方人婉拒別人邀請，也這麼用。
   Thank you for asking, BUT I already has plans tonight. 謝謝邀請，但我今晚有事。
   有時也把Let me think about it．作為緩衝或推辭的藉口。 

二、Humor--以幽默的方式解圍

1. 西方人遇到難堪情境，也能泰然處之，甚至以自責或自貶的方式，一笑了之。
   例如：老闆帶著責備的口氣說：You miss the deadline. 你沒有按時交差。屬下也會冷靜以對：Yeah. I'll make sure I meet the deadline next time．是的，我下次一定準時。 
2. 在遇到自己犯錯時，也會說：I goofed it． 我做錯了。 
3. 在遇到自己笨手笨腳做不好一件事時，也會說：I am all thumbs today. 我今天笨手笨腳的！ 
4. 上班遲到，老闆質問時，他會說：You are right. I need to allow myself more time next time. 是啊，我下次得把握時間。 
5. 遇到別人做錯事，他們往往也會寬慰地說：Don't worry, it happens sometimes. 不要緊，這種事情時有發生 

三、positive-- 永遠積極正面

1. 西方人與人交往少用消極語氣（即句子裡不含No或Not）。你請他幫忙，就算幫不上忙，也會說：I will try whatever I can. 我會盡力。而不用I'm sorry I can't help you.

四、politically correct-- 還有沒有更好聽的話

1. 老外善於創造一些"賞心悅耳"的字眼。例如："醜"不說ugly，而稱之為homely；胖不說fat，而說成heavy-set："家庭主婦"不說housewife，而說成homemaker，智能不足不用retarded而用mentally challenged等等。

文章來源: http://blog.udn.com/corecorner/3515664

Volunteers are spraying dog mess with pink dye in an effort to shame owners who fail to clean up after their pets, a local council said.

為了讓在寵物大解後沒有進行清理的飼主感到羞愧，義工們將把粉紅色染料噴在狗狗的便便上，一個地方議會指出。

Mansfield District Council also hopes the scheme will help walkers avoid stepping in excrement at one of its parks.

曼斯斐德區議會也希望這項計畫能讓在該區一處公園內漫步的行人，避免踩到排泄物。

The project at Oak Tree Heath nature reserve in Nottinghamshire is being launched as part of National Poop Scoop week.

這項在諾丁漢郡「橡樹健康」自然保護區推展的計畫，將是全國撿狗大便週活動的一環。

A community group that helps maintain the park will be given the pink spray to dye unwanted dog mess.

文章來源：http://blog.udn.com/corecorner/article

"Very、Very"英文一定要那麼誇張嗎？

你有沒有發現自己講的英文裡很多的"very"?
Very good, very beautiful, very delicious, very funny, very tired, very poor, very interested......甚至有時會very very 疊在一起加強語氣。我們經常用這麼多的very而不自覺，聽在老外耳裡，覺得很有趣：怎麼這麼誇張啊！ 

世界公民文化中心每季都有教學腦力激盪的會議中，請來自各國各行業的外籍顧問，寫下他們認為中文人口最容易犯的錯，外籍人士一致認為，過度誇張的語言very是台灣人說英文時最大的特色。以下是表決以後的公認10大錯誤，看看自己有沒有這些錯，有就打一個勾，看看你有幾個勾：

Global celebrity culture is fuelling our crippling "fear of insignificance"

A generation ago young people aspired to become lawyers and doctors. Now they yearn to be the next Oscar winner or celebrity pop star. But one university psychologist has warned this iswreaking havoc with our self-image and undermining our sense of self-worth. Over recent years people around the world have been suffering from an increasing fear of their own 'insignificance', according to Dr Carlo Strenger of Tel Aviv University.

上一代的年輕人多半渴望當律師或者醫生。現在的年輕人則夢想成為下一位奧斯卡獎得主或成為流行歌星。一位大學心理學家警告說，名人崇拜將會嚴重干擾人對自我形象的認識、破壞我們的自我價值感。近年來，全世的人都害怕越來越感覺到自己微不足道。以色列特拉維夫大學的卡羅•史春格博士說。

He began an interdisciplinary project on the phenomenon 10 years ago, after noticing a surge of this fear in his own patients. His findings, presented in a new book, notes hundreds of research projects that have charted an unprecedented increase in levels of anxiety and depression. By using a wide-ranging framework Dr Strenger thinks he has pinpointed the cause. "The impact of the globalinfotainment network on the individual is to blame," he said.


十年前，史春格博士發現他的病人中有越來越多的人陷入對自身渺小的憂慮之後，他就該現象展開了一個跨學科研究項目。他分析了上百研究個案後發現，人們的焦慮和憂鬱程度都以超已往的速度攀升。這一研究成果發表在他的新書上。從這個跨領域的研究中，史春格博士認為他找到導致該現象的原因。他說：全球化的資訊娛樂網路對個人的影響是罪魁禍首。


"A new species is born: homo globalis - global man - and we are defined by our intimate connection to the global infotainment network, which has turned ranking and rating people on scales of wealth and celebrity into an obsession." As humans we naturally measure ourselves to those around us, but now we live in a "global village" we are comparing ourselves with the most "significant" people in the world - and finding ourselves wanting.

"一個新物種－世界人－誕生了。作為這一新物種，我們的身份貴賤取決於我們與全球資訊娛樂網路的關係親疏。在網路的影響下，按財富和知名度給人們劃分等級，讓我們耽溺於其中。" 史春格博士說，人類很自然而然地會和身邊的人做比較。但住在"地球村"，我們比較的對象是全世界最受關注的人，對比之下就發現了自己的不足。

Today, even high achievers constantly fear that they are insignificant when they compare themselves to success stories in the media "This creates highly unstable self-esteem and an unstable society," Dr Strenger said. Instead, Dr Strenger says people should stop measuring their achievement through cultural fantasies of riches and celebrity, which cannot lead to fulfillment.

如今，即使是那些成就卓越的人也會經常覺得自己跟媒體描述的成功人士比起來顯得渺小，史春格博士說，“這種渺小的感覺導致了極度脆弱的自尊和不穩定的社會。” 史春格博士認為，人們不應該用那些富豪和名人的文化傳奇作基準來衡量自己的成就，這種比較並不會帶來成就感。

The remedy is a process that he calls "active self-acceptance" through a sustained quest for self-knowledge through life. The fear of insignificance can only be overcome through strong individual and cultural identity over and above measurable achievement. He believes that people need to invest as much time in developing their worldviews as their careers.

史春格博士說，人們可以通過一個他稱之為"積極自我接納"的過程來治療這種"渺小恐懼症"。"積極自我接納"是一個在生活中不斷地發現自我的過程。這種"渺小恐懼症"只能通過超脫於有限個人成就的強烈個人和文化認同感來克服。史春格博士認為，人們應該花費和發展職業同樣多的時間來培養他們的世界觀。

"Stable meaning cannot be found in cheap paperbacks. People should invest time and thought to their worldviews and self-understanding in the same way they invest in medical studies and law school," Dr Strenger advises.

史春格博士建議：廉價的平裝書中很難有真知，人們應該拿出研究醫學和法律的態度來培養他們的世界觀和自我認知。

閱讀暖身

《大富翁》是許多人童年美好的回憶；擲骰子、算格子、蓋房子，努力成為最後贏家。當時覺得遊戲中理所當然的房租、稅金、貸款，如今看來都與現實不符。在讓下一代繼續玩這個傳統遊戲之前，也應好好思考遊戲能夠如何教育他們財經相關知識。

進入本文前，請先想想以下單字：
(A) 波動／ (B) 房貸／(C) 遵守

Monopoly, a classic board game that many grew up with, may not be the first choice to teach children about real-world finance. The scarcity, tradeoffs and the sole purpose of the game—becoming the wealthiest player through buying and selling of property—indeed reflect that of the real-world. Nonetheless, players need to be aware of the plethora of inaccuracies in contrast to how the systems work in the real-world.

《大富翁》是一款相當經典的紙盤遊戲，卻不是最好的商業教材。雖然稀少性、交易模式及遊戲中「成為最富有的玩家」主旨與現實相符，但玩家需意識到其中為數可觀與真實世界不符的錯誤。

1. Predetermined Pricing　已預定的價位
Unlike in most capitalist societies where prices are determined by (1)supply and demand, all prices for properties, houses and hotels are predetermined and flat in Monopoly. The property purchasing price does not (A)fluctuate with social and political trends. The landlords may not raise rent (2)as they see fit or charge extra fees. Therefore, players cannot play the real estate market as they would in the real-world. Although they can negotiate among themselves for trading, it is only for unimproved properties, railroads and utilities.

《大富翁》不像資本社會多以供需為標準來決定價格；遊戲中所有地產、房屋及飯店都已有既定價位。由於地產買賣價格不會被社會及政治趨勢影響而波動，地主也不能心血來潮加收房租或其他費用，因此玩家不能如現實世界中炒房地產。即便遊戲中玩家可以商談交易價，但所能交易的物產只有仍未改建過的土地、鐵路及水電廠。

2. Unusual Property Rights 獨特的財產權