Debug專欄

工商時報【Jessie Tang】 在說、寫英文時，你會特別注意單複數是否正確、尤其是複數形必須加s？這絕對是一個好習慣，然而，有些詞彙不像表面上看來應該改用複數，維持原形才是正解，以下幾個例子，請練習看看： Debug 1.We offer many kinds of vegetarian meals. You and your family may take your picks. 我們提供多種素食餐點，你和家人可以自由選擇。 2.My son is very naughty. He likes to pull his two sisters' legs. 我兒子很調皮，喜歡故意戲弄他的兩個姊姊。 3.Michael and Michelle are not good parents; they never put their feet down. 麥可和米雪兒不是稱職的父母，他們從不堅持立場。 4.The Williams sisters are professional tennis players. They met their matches in the last game. 威廉斯姊妹是專業的網球選手。她們在上一場比賽中打成平手。 5.I don't like to discuss anything with Barbie, because she is always splitting hair. 我不喜歡和芭比討論任何事情，因為她總是在無意義的小事上爭辯。 Debugged 1.We offer many kinds of vegetarian meals. You and your family may take your pick. 這裡的pick是「選擇」的意思，是不可數名詞，故不加s。 2.My son is very naughty. He likes to pull his two sisters' leg. pull someone's leg是一個口語的用法，指「故意逗弄某人」，leg不可改為複數形legs。 3.Michael and Michelle are not good parents; they never put their foot down. 兩個人雖然是四隻腳，但put someone's foot down是一個固定片語，意指「堅定某人的立場」，foot不可改為複數形feet。 4.The Williams sisters are professional tennis players. They met their match in the last game. meet one's match是一個口語用法，意指「打成平手」，match不可改為複數形matches。 5.I don't like to discuss anything with Barbie, because she is always splitting hairs. 一般我們用到hair這個字，多半是單數，表示「整頭的頭髮」，但split hairs必須用複數形，以表現出在分開「數根頭髮」的那種「無意義、不必要」感。 世界公民，這是商業英語的last mile！ 很多人都說，英文好薪水會加倍，可以換到外商工作、可以更輕鬆溝通……英文確實可以為你做很多很多事，但是，它能為你的人生帶來的最大祝福是：找回失去的自信、耐心、膽量……還有，花了二十年還在跟英文纏鬥的人。世界公民是你英文學習的最後一站，我們治得了別人治不了的──懶惰、害羞、講英文太短或太長、不精準，33周搞定一生英文，請上「世界公民」（台北）02-27215033、（內湖）02-87515003、（新竹）03-5782199，www.core-corner.com。