牛津英漢詞典 解構英語詞彙

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牛津英漢詞典裨益大眾,讓他們學好英語,成就終身學習。

禮貌地求助的學問

每個人都總有需要幫助的時候,如何禮貌地請求別人幫忙?開場白可以說 Could you possibly help me?(請問您能幫幫我嗎?),又或者 I wonder if you could give me a hand?(不知道您能否幫我一個忙?)。可以直接說明需要幫忙的事由,例如 Would you mind opening the door for me?(請你幫我開開門好嗎?)、I wonder if you'd mind taking a picture of us?(不知道您是否願意給我們拍張照片?)、Could I ask you to keep an eye on my luggage for a moment?(請你幫我照看一下行李好嗎?)。有禮地提出請求, 對方自然更願意幫忙。

如何使用「希望」

對未來懷有希望,是我們繼續前行的動力。hope for something 指希望某事發生,hope to do something 指希望做到某事,例如 We are hoping for good weather on Sunday(我們盼望着星期天天氣好)、She is hoping to win the gold medal(她希望贏得金牌)。形容毫無希望,可以說 be beyond hope(of something),例如 After so many months, the captives were beyond hope of escape and of ever seeing their families again(過了好幾個月,俘虜們已無逃跑的希望,也不指望能再見到家人)。如果機會渺茫,但仍抱一線希望,可以說 hope against hope (that…),如 It was a couple of days since the earthquake, but the family were still hoping against hope that their son was safe(地震已經過去好幾天了,家人仍然希望他們的兒子能安全地活着)。面對逆境時我們可以 hope for the best(處處往好處想、抱樂觀的希望),因為 hope springs eternal(希望永存人間),例如 There is nothing more the doctors can do. All we can do now is hope for the best (醫生已無能為力了,我們只能往好處想)、She's sure that he'll come back to her one day. I'm not so sure, but hope springs eternal(她相信總有一天他會回到自己身邊。我沒她那麼有信心,不過人總是充滿希望的)。

Passion的意思

Passion可以是強烈的愛,也可以是強烈的恨。泛指強烈的情感或激情時,Passion有可數名詞的用法, 也有不可數名詞的用法,如 He's a man of violent passions (他是個性情暴烈的人)、She argued her case with considerable passion(她相當激動地為自己的主張提出論據)。Passion 也可解作盛怒、激憤,作單數名詞用,用於正式語境,例如 She flies into a passion if anyone even mentions his name(哪怕是有人提到他的名字,她也會勃然大怒)。Passion(For Somebody)指強烈的愛,尤指牽涉愛慾的情感,作不可數名詞,如 His passion for her made him blind to everything else(他迷戀她,達到了不顧一切的地步)。Passion(For Something)指酷愛、 熱衷的愛好或活動等,作可數名詞,例如 The english have a passion for gardens(英格蘭人酷愛花園)。大寫的 The Passion 專指耶穌的受難。

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