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I have been working with students in Hsinchu since 2004. I help students who are eager to cultivate their language skills and expand their horizons with a wealth of hands-on experience and professional knowledge.

Thursday, April 20, 2017

你不了解我的明白 I can't imagine that



我想像的到,可能是因為"到"這個方位詞,因此在中文表達中有我懂了的意思。有些分析說當成補語,表示已經達到的那個狀況(在此不細究)。可是直接翻譯成英文I can imagine that ,沒有"到"這個字,並沒有我懂了的意思。

英文中的I can imagine that 這個句型後面接的是推論或是假設的狀況(scenario) ,後面常接if/或不甚肯定的口氣。來看一下 Linguee的例子

(1) We can imagine that even if these patients had not contracted SARS, the mortality rate would still be high. legco.gov.hk

我們可以想 像,這些病 患者即使不感染 SARS,死亡率也會很高,一旦染上傳染病引致 肺炎,死亡率便更高。 legco.gov.hk

(2) I can imagine that if we do not strongly challenge this divided electoral franchise, this divided electoral franchise will [...] legco.gov.hk

我可以想像,如果我們 不着實強 烈挑戰這個分割的選舉權,這分割的選舉權很容易為將來所謂普選特 首的模式鋪路。 legco.gov.hk

(3) After this incident, we can imagine that all world leaders would not consider nuclear power as a long-term and sustainable energy. legco.gov.hk

發生事故後,可以想像到,世 界上所有領袖也不會覺得核電是長久而可持續的能源。 legco.gov.hk


我了解了,在英文中用 I get the picture 就好.

I get the picture 這個慣用語的使用時機,通常是有一方漫無邊際地描述某個場景,試圖讓聽的人知道他想表達卻說不出來的意思。對方靠著線索和過去經驗,大概猜出想表達的意思。

下面是網路字典The Free Dictionary 的例句
A: 'He doesn't want her but he doesn't want anyone else to have her, you know?'
B: 'I get the picture.'

A: 他不想要她,但又不想要任何人得到她,你懂嗎?
B: 我懂。

英文中的picture 通常使用在了解/知道狀況的片語中。imagine 還在假想階段,可能還沒有到達互相了解的程度。

另一常用語, 隨時讓我了解狀況。

Put/Keep me in the ___________.
(A) imagination (B) picture (C) dark (D) mind


答案是(B)

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