你去哪裡剪頭髮,千萬別問Where did you cut your hair!道地說法,善用這3個動詞讓外國人聽懂你

2017-11-23 07:20

? 人氣

講英文犯錯的原因,有一部分是屬於中文邏輯干擾導致,中文的「我去剪了頭髮」,直翻成英文是"I cut my hair."外國人聽到一定會覺得你是自己拿剪刀剪的,剪頭髮在英文會說"I have my hair cut."兩個句子其實都沒錯,只是第一句的重點在你自己剪了頭髮,第二句才是大部分人的情況:請別人幫你剪頭髮。

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英文在動作的描述比中文更講求精準,仔細觀察,生活中往往是差使別人替你服務,而不是自己親力親為,所以用havegetmake(使、讓、叫)這類的動詞做替代。至於到底怎麼分,可以簡單分為我們是付費請別人協助(have something done),還是自己來。以Have為例子來看一下。

句型:主詞 + have +受詞+ 過去分詞

修車

I repaired my car. 我(自己)修了車。

I had my car repaired. 我(付費)請人幫我修車。

洗車

The car was washed. 我(自己)洗了車。

I had the car washed. 我(付費)請人洗車。

檢查眼睛

I tested my eyes. 我(自己)檢測了眼睛。

I had my eyes tested. 我(付費)請人檢測眼睛。

清洗衣服

I cleaned my coat. 我(自己)洗了我的大衣。

I had my coat cleaned. 我(付費)請人清洗大衣。

洗照片

I developed my photos. 我(自己)洗了照片。

I had my photos developed. 我(付費)請人沖洗照片

這樣的句法,無論時態、疑問還是直述,都適用:

未來式:

我要去修手錶

(X)I am going to fix my watch.

(O)I am going to have my watch fixed.

疑問句:

你去哪剪頭髮的?

(X)Where did you cut your hair?

(O)Where did you have your hair cut?

我可以去哪剪頭髮?

(X)Where can I cut my hair?

(O)Where can I have my hair cut?

make/have/get/let 「讓」得恰到好處

如果仔細去揣摩中文的「讓」字,它包含很多隱晦的意思,英文在字面上就區分得較為清楚,我們就用make跟have一組,get與let一組來比較看看。

make態度強硬

The teacher knows how to make his students study.(老師知道怎麼讓學生讀書。)(不管用任何方法)

have態度和緩

The teacher had me clean the blackboard.(老師請我清黑板。)

get 強調主因

His individualism got him fired.(他的個人主義讓他被炒魷魚了。)

let 強調意願(允許、容忍)

The teacher won't let us talk in class.(老師不讓(允許)我們在課堂講話。)

本文經授權轉載自世界公民文化中心(原篇名:剪頭髮說"I cut my hair",老外可能會覺得你好厲害!正確說法其實是...)
責任編輯/蔡昀暻

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