赖世雄读英语笑话学英语之英语乐趣(4):介词问题(双语)
Unit 4 Trouble with Propositions 介词问题
A new student was just finding his way around Harvard University.
一位哈佛大学新生正在熟悉校园环境。
“Excuse me,” he asked an upperclassman, “can you tell me where the library’ s at?”
“对不起,”他问一位高年级学长“,您能告诉我图书馆在哪里吗?”
“What appalling diction,” sneered the older student. “I can’t imagine how you could have been admitted to Harvard. Don’t you know better than to end a sentence with a preposition.”
“好可怕的用字喔!”那名学长嘲弄他道“。不知道你老弟是怎么获准进入哈佛的。难道你不知道介词不要放在一个句子后面吗?”
“O. K. Can you tell me where the library’s at, asshole?”
“好吧!你能告诉我图书馆在哪里吗,驴蛋?”
英语知识点解说:
1.find one's way around+地方 熟悉某地
例:You need a guide book to find your way around the Vatican.
熟悉梵蒂冈,你需要一本旅游指南。)
2.upperclassman n. 学长;高年级学生
3.本文中“Can you tell me where the library's at?' ,为一错误用法,因为 where 为地方副词,不可当 at 介词的宾语。正确说法为"Can you tell me where the library is?"
4.appalling a. 吓人的
appall vt.使惊吓
例:The condition of this road is appalling.
(这条路的路况好可怕。)
5.diction n.措辞;用字(=word usage)
6.sneer vi. 嘲笑
sneer at... 嘲笑……
例:Only ignorant people sneer at what they don't understand.
(只有无知的人才会嘲笑他们所不懂的事物。)
7.admit vt.许可
admission n.准入;入学许可
admittance n.进入;入场权
No Admittance 非公莫入;闲人免进(标语;告示)
例:The price of admission to the museum is NT $50.
(这家博物馆的门票是台币五十元。)
Children under 18 are not admitted to this theater.
(十八岁以下的小孩不准进入这家戏院。)
8.know better than to V 聪明得不会做 ……(不会笨得去……)
例:I know better than to ask him a favor when he's in this kind of mood.
(当他是这种心情时,我不会傻得去求他帮忙。)
9.asshole n. 肛 门;驴 蛋
文中的新生故意在问句句尾置此一词,如此句尾就无介词,但也骂了那位学长,真是高明。
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