字眼有點像意義大不同

liver411

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我們在英文報章雜誌上時常見到一些「相似」的字眼，但其意義和用法都有不同。在此舉些例子，與讀者切磋。

(1) snow job 與 snowball：Snow job 通常當名詞用，是指隱瞞某件事情 (to cover up something) 或以小小事實，誇大其詞 (to exaggerate something based on little fact or truth) 。但 snowball 多半當動詞用，是指一件事逐漸往不好的方面擴大或增加，就像滾雪球那樣，越滾越大。 (things built up in a certain negative direction) 例如：

Mr. A did a snow job. (A先生想隱瞞某件事情。) (= He tried to cover up something.)
When he came home late, he decided to give his wife a snow job. (當他回家晚了，他就向太太編造故事。) (to meke up a story)
In order to secure the new position, Mr. A tried to give me a snow job. (為了取得新職位，A先生誇大其詞，想瞞騙我。)
snowball 當動詞時，例如：

This problem snowballs every day. (這個問題每天越搞越大。)
If you continue to lie to your boss, things will snowball. (假如你繼續對老闆說謊，事情將會愈鬧愈大。)
Nip the problem in the bud before it snowballs. (在問題擴大之前，應該儘早解決。)
注意：snowball 當名詞用時，也指真正的雪球。例如：

The boy threw a snowball at his friend. (小男孩向他朋友擲雪球。)
但如果說：
He does not have the chance of a snowball in hell. (他毫無機會)
= He has no chance at all.

(2) foul play 與 homicide：這是日常生活上常見的字。foul play 通常是指懷疑某種暴行是否有謀殺的可能。 (suspicious circumstance leads to one's death) ，後面多半有「死亡」的字眼。但是 homicide 是指已經死亡，但未必是自殺 (someone caused a person's death, but may not be self－inflicted or commit suicide) ，後面不再提「死亡」字眼。例如：

The police reported that there was a foul play in the death. (警察報導有件暴力致死的案件) (句後有 death 字眼)
The FBI agents are investigating a homicide case. (聯邦調查局人員正在調查一件謀殺案) (句子後面不再加 death)
至於 self－inflicted，則是指用槍、刀等方式，自我損傷，而且通常後面說明損傷的方式。 (inflict 是動詞，infliction 是名詞) 例如：

He was killed by a self－inflicted gunshot. (他舉槍自盡)
The man made an attempt to commit suicide by self－infliction of slicing his wrists. (這男子企圖以割腕方式自殺)
(commit 的動詞時態是：committed, committing) (slice 當動詞，意為用刀片割)
He tried to kill himself by using self－inflicted drug overdose. (他想服用過量藥物而尋短見)

(3) Money 與 Monies：單數 money 是指一般性的貨幣或金錢 (general term) 而複數 monies (或 moneys) 是指來自各方的金錢 (money from all different sources) (monies 較常用) 例如：

His father has made lots of money. (他爸爸賺了很多錢) (lots of = a lot of) (一般性的錢)
Sometimes money is the root of evil. (有時錢是禍害的根源)
The monies for our new science building came from people in all walks of life. (新科學大樓的經費是來自不同行業的人)
(all walks of life是指各個行業)
The charitable organization collected many monies from various sources. (慈善機關的經費是從不同地方收集而來)
同理，單數 navy 是指一般性的海軍 (general term) ，而複數 navies 是指各國的海軍 (navy from different countries) 例如：

The U.S. navy is very strong. (美國海軍很強大) (單指美國的海軍)
The navies from different nations will patrol the Persian Gulf. (不同國家的海軍將巡邏波斯灣)
The British and American navies fight together for terrorism. (英美兩國的海軍為對抗恐怖主義而共同作戰)
The navies for naval exercises in the Pacific Ocean are from several countries. (太平洋的海軍演習，是由幾個國家組成。)
還有，單數型的 fish 是魚的一般通稱，而複數 fishes 是指魚的不同種類。例如：

I have caught a lot of fish. (是指不分種類的魚) (這裡的 fish，也是 collective noun)
My friend, David, caught many fishes yesterday. (我朋友 David 昨天捕到很多種類的魚)


(4) Non－smoker 與 smokeless：Non－smoker 是名詞，意思是指吸菸者，但現在不吸了。 (currently does not smoke) ，多半是指人 (refer to people) 但 smokeless 是形容詞，係指咀嚼菸葉或菸草，而不是吸菸。 (use tobacco to chew instead of cigarette) ，也就是不需要點火，也不冒煙 (does not need to light it; no smoke comes out) 例如：

This section of the restaurant is for non－smokers. (餐館這部份是給不吸菸者使用的)
If you want to be in good health, be a non－smoker. (假如你要健康，就不要吸菸。)
Smokeless tobacco is also prohibited in public. (在公共場所咀嚼菸草，也是禁止的。)
Smokeless tobacco may cause oral cancer. (咀嚼菸草，可能導致口腔癌。)
This store is smokeless. (=no smoke) (這個商店，是無菸的。)
A smokeless environment will be healthful. (無菸的環境，對人們較健康。) (= lacking smoke)

liver411

(下)

(5) hard-core 與 soft-core：用在色情方面時，hard-core 係指一絲不掛，赤裸裸的性愛動作 (totally naked or explicitly sex act) 但 soft-core 多半指一部份的裸體，有時也指全裸 (partially naked； sometimes totally naked) 例如：

This is a hard-core (或 soft-core) magazine (或 movie 或 film) (也就是所謂的 pornography 或 porno)
然而，在另一方面用法，是指一個人對信仰十分堅定，是忠誠份子 (to be very rigid in one's belief) 諸如對政黨忠心耿耿，永遠為自己的政黨而投票。 (always vote for one's political party) 例如：

Mr. A is a hard-core Democrate. (也就是說 A 先生永遠投民主黨的票，忠誠到底。)
假如說：
Mr. B is a soft-core Republican. (那就是 B 先生對共和黨不是那麼忠心耿耿，雖然他登記共和黨，但投票時，他可能改變主意，投向民主黨。)
He is a hard-core liberal. (也就是他堅持自己一定是自由派，絕非保守派。)
Mr. C is a soft-core conservative. (就是說 C 先生不是真正的保守派，有時可能變為自由派。)

(6) recreation center 與 entertainment center：recreation center 通常是指在一個建築物裡有供大眾進行體能活動 (physical activities) 的娛樂活動中心。(a building where people go to play or exercise) 而 entertainment center 係指在家庭裡放置唱機、電視機或 VCR 等所用的架子，只是一種家具而已。 (shelving space for entertaining machines such as T.V., radio, etc.; it's a piece of furniture) 例如：

YMCA is an excellent recreation center for our youngsters. (基督教青年會是年輕人很好的娛樂場所)
(YMCA = Young Men's Christian Association)
In a big city, there are several recreation centers. (在大城市裡都有幾個娛樂中心)
I bought an entertainment center for my family room. (family room是指平時家人看電視，聽唱機等常聚的房間。)
註：有時美國人也把 mall 裡供孩子玩樂的電動玩具等，叫做 entertainment center。例如：

The mall functions as an entertainment center. (採購中心也有娛樂場所的功能)
(這裡 function 當動詞用)
至於 recreation room 則是指家庭裡供孩子娛樂或親友交誼的房間。

(7) book-worm 與 book-learned：book-worm (或 book worm) 係名詞，多半指極愛讀書的人，尤其特別愛看小說 (someone who loves fictions) 但未必能把書本上的知識用到生活上，即所謂的「書呆子」、「書蟲」。這當然有點不恭之意。 (mild insulting) 但是 book-learned 是形容詞，通常是指愛讀較為專業的非小說書籍(someone who learns a lot through non-fiction)，這種人，雖然缺乏實際經驗，但還能「學以致用」，勉強可稱為「活讀書」者。例如：

In America, book-learned persons generally earn more respect than book worms (do). (在美國，活讀書的人，通常比書呆子受到尊敬。)
Mr. Chen is just another book worm. (book worm 後面不必加 person)
但如果說：
Mr. A is a book-learned person.
= Mr. A is book-learned.
Are all people with Ph.D. thought to be book-learned? (有博士學位的人，都能稱為「活讀書」的人嗎？)
如果某人在專業上很有學識，就可以說：

Mr. A is book-learned in computer. (economics, etc.)
假如說：
He has book-learning. (或 book learning) (意味他有許多書本知識，但未必能應用在 real life 上。)
註：一般美國人十分重視讀書人的誠實、品格、道德，對學位不如中國人那麼看重；更沒有「萬般皆下品，唯有讀書高」的思想，所以他們對每種行業都較尊重，以提高敬業精神。

(8) lightning 與 lightening：這兩個字，只是一個字母之差，常被弄錯。lightning 是名詞，指閃電。而 lightening (動詞是 lighten) 意思是減輕重量或負擔。(to make it lighter in weight or burden) 例如：

Lightning will come with a thunder storm. (閃電與暴風雨同時來臨) 或
Lightning comes before thunder. (暴風雨前有閃電)
The lightening of the load is only solution to saving the ship. (減輕載重是唯一救船的辦法)
The lightening of school work will be helpful to the secondary students. (減少學校功課負擔對中學生有幫助)
至於 lighting 又是指燈光的照明：例如：

The bright lighting of this house drew the attention of many passers-by. (這房子的明亮燈光引起許多路人的注意)
(passer-by 是單數)
Christmas lights are lighting up the town. (聖誕節的燈光照亮了城市)

(9) fruit 與 citrus fruit：fruit 是指一般性的水果，但 citrus fruit 多半指有厚皮 (thick skin) 的柑橘類水果，諸如 orange, grapefruit, citron, lemon 等。例如：

Fruits and veggies should be served every day. (每天都該吃水果和蔬菜)
(veggies = vegetables)
Citrus fruits have a lot of Vitamin C. (柑橘類水果富有維他命 C)
Generally, citrus fruits are grown in warm areas. (一般而言，柑橘類水果生長在較熱的地區。)
至於 lemon 與 lime 也有不同：lemon 一般指黃皮的檸檬，而 lime 是指綠皮的檸檬。不過品質差的貨品，也叫 lemon。 (但不叫 lime) 例如：

I prefer lemon juice rather than orange juice. (我喜歡檸檬汁而不喜歡橘子汁)
The seemingly good car turned out to be a lemon. (看來似乎是好車，結果是爛貨。)
The brand new tires have proved to be lemons. (全新的車胎證實是差勁的貨)


(懷中)