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2011 年 12 月 02 日 (No.539)

 
 
 
    說明:
    此片語的由來可追溯自十八世紀英國的賽馬術語,表示兩組參賽人馬的成績相同,即「不分勝負;平分秋色;勢均力敵」之意,相當於另一個英文字 tie。 此片語後來即衍生應用於其他各種競賽中。
     
    示範句:
 
The race between the two runners was a dead heat until the very end.
    這兩位跑者的比賽直到最後還是旗鼓相當。
     
 
    說明:
    deep pocket 是一種俚語用法,形容口袋能裝許多錢,引申指「財富眾多; 財源豐富」。
     
    說明:
  I relied on my Uncle Marty's deep pockets to get me through college.
    我仰賴我馬帝叔叔的豐厚財力念完大學。
     
 
     
   
   
 
使用情境
ask
(一般的)詢問
inquire

☉(較正式、客氣的)詢問
☉ inquire into 指「調查」

question
☉(正式)審問、質問
☉ 質疑(某事物的真實性)
     
    示範句:
   

ask

  We asked the train conductor for directions.
   

我們向火車服務員詢問方向。

     
 

The boy asked his mother a constant stream of questions.

   

那個男孩問她媽媽一連串的問題。

     
   

inquire

 

You can inquire about prices at the sales counter.

    你可以在銷售櫃檯詢問價格。
     
 
The police have been inquiring into the man's disappearance.
    警方一直在調查那名男子的失蹤。
     
    question
  Investigators questioned the suspect at length.
    調查人員仔細盤問該名嫌犯。
     
  The dictator allowed no one to question his decisions.
    那個獨裁者不准有人質疑他的決定。
     
 
     
  A Christmas Carol (1)  
  小氣財神 (1)  
     
  The story begins on Christmas Eve. A mean-spirited old man named Ebenezer Scrooge is sitting in his cold office. It is cold because Scrooge is too stingy to pay for fuel. In an even colder part of the office sits his clerk, Bob Cratchit.  
  Scrooge's nephew calls to invite him to a Christmas party, and two men come by to ask Scrooge to donate money, but Scrooge has no Christmas spirit and is rude to his nephew and the visitors.  
  "Bah! Humbug!" he says when his nephew wishes him a merry Christmas. Scrooge also complains about Cratchit having the day off work for Christmas.  
  Later at home, Scrooge gets a strange visitor. It is the ghost of his former business partner, Jacob Marley, who was as mean as Scrooge. Marley is being punished for his greed and must wander around in chains. He tries to warn Scrooge.  
     
  故事開始於聖誕夜。一位生性刻薄名叫艾比尼澤•史固奇的老人坐在他冰冷的辦公室裡。由於史固奇太吝嗇了,不願買燃料,所以才會這麼冷。在辦公室更冷的一隅,坐著他的夥計鮑伯•塊奇。  
     
  史固奇的侄子打電話來邀他叔叔去參加聖誕聚會,還有兩個男人經過要求史固奇捐錢。不過史固奇一點聖誕精神也沒有,對他的侄子和訪客非常不客氣。  
     
  「哼!虛偽!」當侄子祝他聖誕快樂時,他這麼說著。史固奇也為塊奇在聖誕節要休假而抱怨著。  
     
  之後,史固奇在家遇到了一個詭異的訪客。這名訪客是他以前的生意合夥人傑柯•馬利的鬼魂,他生前跟史固奇一樣吝嗇。馬利因為貪婪而被懲罰必須銬著鏈子四處遊蕩。他試圖警告史固奇。  
     
     
   
 
 
 
mean-spirited
adj.
生性刻薄的
 
 
stingy
adj.
吝嗇的;小氣的
 
 
fuel
n.
燃料
 
 
humbug

n.

虛偽;假道學
 
 
former
adj.
以前的;從前的
     
 
     
   
 
 
 
 

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