#心得 兩個你一定看過但一直誤會的超高頻單字
今天主要分享兩個我在高中英文遇到學生最常誤會、吐血程度並列第一的兩個單字,一探究竟後發現很多高中老師也都教錯(包括許多補教一線名師),因為教科書也都這樣寫。天哪!這是很可怕的事情,因為你每次以為母語人士用的這兩個字都是你心目中的意思,結果完全不是這樣,今天一次把他們搞懂之後你的功力絕對又會往上一階。
第一個字其實算是片語:「manage to」(manage的不及物用法,但幾乎都是以manage to出場居多),這時候很多人見獵心喜:「哼哼!我當然知道不是『管理』的意思,想騙我?老師教好多遍了,當然就是『試圖達成;企圖達成』的意思囉:)」老師要給你鼓鼓掌,上課非常認真,這時候我想問你一個問題,你來幫我選:
「試圖達成」究竟有達成嗎?
(A)有達成
(B)沒達成
(C)都有可能,要看上下文推敲
(D)不重要,只是個發語詞
(E)需要通靈一下
想好之後往下看答案囉
答案要選(A)。
我看過好多老師每次教這個片語都在旁邊寫「試圖;企圖」,眉頭不禁一皺,網路上查的中文翻譯也是一堆版本。連老師自己也以為這個片語可以跟try to畫上等號(tried to常指不成功),學生怎麼會知道真正用法呢?manage to只要丟進英英字典看定義就可以直接破解答案:
:to succeed in accomplishing (韋氏)
:to succeed in doing something, especially something difficult (牛津)
:to succeed in doing or dealing with something, especially something difficult(劍橋)
:to succeed in doing something difficult, especially after trying very hard(朗文)
:to succeed in doing something, especially something that needs a lot of effort or skill(麥克米倫)
:If you manage to do something, especially something difficult, you succeed in doing it.(柯林斯)
六本大字典都找給你了,六家出版社心連心都用了succeed這個單字(有講義的話要請你螢光筆畫爛了),所以manage to的用法很明確,就是「有」做到,而且是經過努力,所以之後千萬不要再把We managed to get to the airport in time.翻成「我們試圖及時趕到機場」囉(阿到底是有沒有趕到啦)。
第二個要介紹的天大誤會單字就是副詞apparently,大家一定都會翻譯「顯然」,這時候我們要先說文解字這個字的形容詞apparent,其實有兩個意思:
1. If something is apparent to you, it is clear and obvious to you. (明顯的)
2. An apparent situation, quality, or feeling seems to exist, although you cannot be certain that it does exist. (貌似的;表面上的)
注意到了嗎,apparent很多人不知道有第二個意思(cannot be certain要螢光筆畫線了),以為apparent就跟著clear還有obvious到天涯海角,事實上apparent變成apparently之後
「只會留下第二個意思」
「只會留下第二個意思」
「只會留下第二個意思」
意思就是apparently從來不等於clearly/obviously,轉到副詞就分道揚鑣了,不信的話請看定義:
You use apparently to indicate that the information you are giving is something that you have heard, but you are not certain that it is true.(柯林斯)
You use apparently to refer to something that seems to be true, although you are not sure whether it is or not.(柯林斯)
used to say that you have heard that something is true, although you are not completely sure about it(朗文)
according to the way someone looks or a situation appears, although you cannot be sure(朗文)
based only on what you have heard, not on what you are certain is true(麥克米倫)
used for saying what seems to be true when people do not yet know all the facts of a situation(麥克米倫)
看到了嗎,沒有任何一本字典的任何一條定義提到「明顯」,全部都是你自己「聽說」,或是「看起來」,但都「不確定是不是真的」,這才是這個副詞的真正面貌,所以Apparently, she resigned because she had an argument with her boss. 這句話意思絕對不是「她明顯就是跟老闆吵架才離職」,這句話的語氣其實就是不確定,很像八卦心態,一切都是「聽來的」、「聽說的」、「聽我朋友說的」、「聽Dcard說的」、「聽張蘭說的」,但沒有人知道事實。
希望今天分享能讓你收穫良多,之後在教室裡面看到老師板書寫「manage to 企圖」、「apparently 顯然=clearly=obviously」,就請走過去給老師一個善意的微笑吧:)))恭喜你已經比很多老師觀念清晰了,閱讀中常常遇到它們的時候也不會自己再腦補錯的意思。



