Will you be able to attend the party we're holding for her this Friday?
妳能不能參加本週五我們為她舉辦的派對?
Will Jenny be able to come with us to the ball game?
珍妮能不能跟我們去看球賽?
Will she be able to set aside some time to have brunch with us?
她能不能挪出點時間,跟我們吃頓早午餐?
Will they be able to spend some time with us for tea this afternoon?
他們今天下午能不能抽空跟我們喝杯茶?
★延伸應用..........................
Will I be able to transfer in Hong Kong without rechecking my baggage?
我在香港轉機的時候,能不能不用再檢查行李?
Will we be able to visit the Metropolitan Museum before we leave New York?
我們離開紐約之前,能不能去參觀大都會博物館?
★你知道嗎?.........................
當你受到別人邀請時,可以這麼回答:
• I'd love to. 好啊。
• OK, it's a date! 好,說定了!
• Sorry, but I have other plans. 抱歉,我有其他計畫了。
• I'm afraid I can't. 恐怕沒辦法。
.....................................
告訴別人時間不夠用的說法,通常帶有抱怨的語氣。
The phones keep ringing and work keeps piling up. I don't have any time at all.
電話一直響,工作一直來。我沒什麼時間。
A: Can we arrange a meeting to discuss this?
我們可以安排個會議來討論這件事嗎?
B: It will have to wait until next month. I don't have any time at all right now.
得等到下個月了。我現在沒什麼時間。
★你還可以這麼說.......................
I don't have time to breathe.
我連呼吸的時間都沒有。
I don't have a second to spare.
我騰不出什麼時間。
I'm up to my armpits with work.
我的工作滿檔。
I'm up to my eyeballs with work.
我的工作多到喘不過氣了。
A: How are things at the office?
公司的事情怎麼樣?
B: I'm up to my eyeballs with work. There's one crisis after another.
我的工作滿檔。危急的事一個接一個來。
★你知道嗎?.........................
up to one's . . . 的句型可以用來形容「滿到喘不過氣來」的樣子,有趣的是,up to one's 之後除了可接上面提到的 eyeballs(眼球)和 armpits(腋窩)之外,也可以用其他身體部位來代替,比方說 eyes、ears、chin 或是 neck,原則上臉部以上的器官都可以,指工作已經滿到跟頭一樣高了,至於滿到什麼程度就看個人喜好來決定囉!