雙面夏娃與一拖拉庫動物的學問。無痛英文文法2
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無痛英文文法 Chapter 2
雙面夏娃名詞
集合名詞雖然在數量上是單數，實際上卻是指一群人或是物。集合名詞之所以稱之為雙面夏娃，是因為有時候它們可以是單數名詞，有時候又當複數來用。當單數的時候，我們得把那群對象當成是一個整體，動詞就以單數來處理。
Family
Audience
Band
Army
Clergy
Congregation
Class
Faculty
Company
Committee
Mob
Team
Crowd
Flock
Herd
當單數名詞來用的時候，記得要這樣寫
ü The crowd shouted its approval to the mayor.
ü The team of players waves at the audience after receiving its championship trophy.
(強調一整個團隊，而非球員)
(強調一整個團隊，而非球員)
ü The company is declaring bankruptcy.(公司宣告破產)
但是當複數名詞的時候，動詞記得要跟著變 :
The class turned in their reports last week.
The Buddhist congregation are faith personified.
佛教聚會的每一個人都是信仰的化身
My family decided to take our vacation early this year.
一脫拉庫動物的學問
大多數的人對於單位量詞的了解甚少，所以寫來寫去都是 a group of ...，many…寫到後來連自己都看不下去。要是有人對著一群小貓說 a kindle of kittens，你可能還不知道啥是kindle咧。這邊我整理了幾個常用的單位量詞，在描述一拖拉庫動物的時候尤其好用。另外還有一些不常用到的，就給喜歡英文的人去了解啦。
常用的單位量詞(用在一群的動物時)
A colony of ants
A swarm of bees
A flock of birds
A herd of cattle
有趣但是比較不常用的單位量詞
A plump of ducks
A gang of elks(麋鹿)buffalo(水牛，這個字在英文中複數也不變喔)
A skull of foxes
A knot of frogs
A game of whales
A gaggle of geese (單數為goose)
A pod of walruses 海象
A watch of nightingales 夜鶯群
時間Time的藝術
時間這個字Time到底是單數還是複數？一般人可能會說，當然是單數啊，這麼簡單的問題還用問。但真是這樣嗎？
I don’t intend to waste both of our times solving his problem.
這邊的time加了s，因為這邊的time指的是兩個人個別的時間，所以是兩份時間，用複數形態。
I don’t intend to waster both of our time solving his problem.
這邊的time沒有加s，因為指的是兩個人共同使用的時間，這邊以一份為單位。不過這個句子不如第一句好，因為both其實就說明了是兩份時間。如果沒有both這個字，直接用time，那就簡單多了，用單數表示即可。
I don’t intend to waste our time solving his problem.
Chloe老師妳好
回覆刪除因為沒有妳的email
所以我留了msg在妳的facebook
希望妳能給我一些意見
謝謝^^
Hi Fanny,
回覆刪除Can you leave your message here on my blog? I don't use my facebook account anymore.
You can leave your email address here, I'll delete it as soon as I get your message.
網誌管理員已經移除這則留言。
回覆刪除Hi Chole,
回覆刪除I am the student in the email writing class on 27,March.
Recently,the exteior wall of Taipei city government had a new huge ad.
It may post by the Department of Cultural Affairs. It said "fiddle faddle international". In Chinese meaing is "弦炫中西. But I check the dictionary it said "fidlle-faddle" means "boring".
I am confused.
My email address is ab9328@gmail.com
Best Regards,
Charlton
Hi Charlton,
回覆刪除I see your point.
I'm sure it's " fiddle faddle" on the poster, not "fiddle-faddle" right?
Check out what "fiddle-faddle" means:
It is all fiddle-faddle. Rubbishy nonsense; talk not worth attention. A ricochet word, of which we have a vast number, as “flim-flam,” “helter-skelter,” “wishy-washy,” etc. To fiddle is to waste time in playing on the fiddle, and hence fiddle means a trifle, and fiddle-faddle is silly trifle or silly nonsense.
“Pitiful fool that I was to stand fiddle-faddling in that way.” Clough: Amours de Voyage, canto iv. stanza 3.
So, "fiddle-faddle" might mean silly nonsense, or to waste time doing nothing. (that's why this term has appeared on the package of a famous popcorn ) but without the hyphen - , these two word can have separate meanings :fiddle means the violin and faddle; to toy with something.
They don't have to be about nonsense.
Fiddle and faddle can mean toy with (play the voilin).
I hope this clarifies your doubt.
Do I need to send this to you gmail?
Let me know.