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文法b
| 怪不得他今天常常笑，因為他的情人
回來了。 |
No wonder he has been smiling all day. His lover
has returned.
Note 1: The base pattern of this sentence is
怪不得Ａ，因為Ｂ, where Ａis something about which one should not wonder because
of Ｂ. This Chinese sentence construction does not translate well into
English as a single sentence, and the expression 因為 can be left
untranslated with no loss of meaning.
Note 2: The phrase 他今天常常笑 follows a very standard
pattern: subject 他 + temporal adverb 今天 + adverb of frequency 常常 + verb
笑.
Note 3: The phrase 他的情人回來了 is of the form ＡＢ了, where Ａ is the subject
and Ｂ了 is the completed action 回來 meaning "return" or "come back". 情人
is the Chinese term for lover.
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| 有些人情願常常有小病，因為可以請
假回家睡覺。 |
Some people prefer to be a little
sick much of the time, because they can ask for a vacation, go home,
and sleep.
Note 1: The base pattern of this sentence is Ａ，因為Ｂ, where Ｂ is an
explanation for Ａ. In this case Ａare people 有些人, who prefer to be sick
情願有小病 much of the time 常常. The reason they prefer to be sick is so that
they can ask for vacation 可以請假 and then return home 回家 and sleep 睡覺.
Note 2: 常常 means frequently.
Note 3: As the character 情 of the verb 情願 is often used when making a
request or inviting someone to do something, it appears to be more than
a mere preference; rather, a preference that depends on the permission
of others to be carried out -- a wish.
Note 4: 情假 means to ask for vacation.
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| 我極不願意看又奇怪又沒有意思的小說。 |
I definitely do not want to read
strange and meaningless novels.
Note 1: The base pattern for this sentence is Ａ不願意Ｂ, where Ｂis
something that Ａ does not wish to do. In this case Ａ is the speaker,
and he does not want to read strange and meaningless novels
看又奇怪又沒有意思的小說.
Note 2: The placement of 極 before the verb 願意 appears to indicate the
vehemence with which the speaker indicates his negative preference or
wish. In this context the compound verb 不願意 can be translated as "not
want", because it expresses a negative, vehement desire. Another
translation for 我極不願意 might be "I absolutely do not want ..."
Note 3: The phrase 看又奇怪又沒有意思的小說 is of the form 看又Ａ又Ｂ的Ｃ where Ａand Ｂare
two equally poor qualities of Ｃ, and Ｃ is the direct object of 看.
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| 他的病情越來越壞，醫生也說沒法
子 |
His sickness is growing worse, and
the doctor says there is no cure.
Note 1: The base pattern of this sentence appears to be Ａ越來越Ｃ，Ｂ也說Ｄ,
where Ａ is an illness that is growing worse 壞, and Ｂ is a
physician 醫生 that has suggested no remedy 說沒法子. The use
of 也 in this particular context emphasizes the doubly bad fact that the
doctor is unable to suggest a remedy for the sickness and that the
sickness is growing worse.
Note 2: As 情 emphasize the condition of the diseased person, the words
sickness and illness are preferable to disease, as a translation of 病情.
Note 3: The expression 越來越 indicates a gradual change of some sort. In
this case the sickness is becoming worse 越來越壊.
Note 4: One should be careful to distinguish between the expressions
不說法子 and 說沒法子. In the first instance the physician simply does not
suggest a remedy; in the second he clearly states that he knows of none.
Note 5: The expression 法子 must vary considerably with context. In this
case it refers to the possible solution of a medical condition --
namely, a remedy, cure, or even prescription.
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| 他的父親病重，他不但不請假回去，
還說不要緊。 |
His father is very sick, but he's not
asking for sick leave, and says not to worry.
Note 1: The base pattern for this sentence is Ｂ，Ａ不但Ｃ，還Ｄ, where Ｂ is an
introductory clause that introduces the sentence
Note 2: The second and third clauses form a single pattern of the form
Ａ不但Ｃ，還Ｄ. Although this pattern usually translates as "A not
onlyＣ, but Ｄ", in this particular context it would be awkward to do so.
This is because what follows the phrase 他的父親病重 contradicts what comes
before.
Note 3: The phrase 不請假回去 literally means "not ask for vacation and
return". The underlying assumption is that one asks for sick leave
while one is at work. Thus, the notion is to leave work and go back
home. 請假 means to ask for vacation.
Note 4: The subject of the second phrase 說不要緊 is understood to be the
same as the phrase 不但不請假回去. The phrase 不要緊 is indirect speech
introduced by the word 說 which means "say".
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| 人生應該做的事很多，做完一半也不
容易。 |
There are many things to do in life;
accomplishing half of them is difficult.
Note 1: The base pattern for this sentence is Ａ很多，Ｂ也不容易, where Ａ and Ｂ
are two things that the speaker compares. Of Ａ there is much and Ｂ is
not easy. In this case Ａ are the many things that one has to do in life
人生應該做的事, and Ｂis accomplishing only half of what is there 做完一半.
Note 2: The notions of 做事 and 做的事 appear to be very different. Whereas
the first refers to a job or one's work, the second refers to anything
that one does or has to do. In the subject phrase 人生應該做的事 the
noun 事 is modified by the
relative clause 人生應該做的 meaning "what one should do in life".
Note 3: The base pattern of the relative clause is Ａ應該Ｂ, where Ｂis an
activity in which Ａ should or has to engage. 應該 appears to be milder in
tone than the imperative must of the English language.
Note 4: The subject of the second clause is 做完一半. In English it could
stand alone as an entire sentence. Apparently it serves the same role
as that of a gerund.
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| 要是你知道他聽了這些話會那麼緊
張，你就不該告訴他。 |
If you knew his having heard what we
said would make him so nervous, you should not have told him.
Note 1: The base pattern of this sentence is 要是你知道Ａ，你就不詃Ｂ, where Ｂis
something 你 should not do, if he knows Ａ.
Note 2: The base pattern of the phrase 他聴了這些話會那麼緊張 is Ａ聴了ＢＣ, where Ｂis
something that Ａhas heard 這些話會, and Ｃis the result 那麼緊張.
Note 3: A 話會 is a conversation. Literally it means to speak and meet.
這些話會 means "these few words", "this brief conversation", or "this
little talk", etc.
Note 4: The expression 那麼緊張 is of the form 那麼Ａ where Ａ is some part of
speech described by 那麼. 那麼 is an adverbial phrase indicating degree or
intensity that goes beyond what one would normally expect under similar
circumstances.
Note 5: The clause 你就不該告訴他 that means "you should not tell him",
Because it occurs after the conjunctive indicator 要是, and because the
phrase 聴了 indicates a complete action that has already occurred, this
clause must be interpreted to mean "you should not have told him".
Note 6: The word 就 merely adds emphasis with regard to the probable
irritation of the speaker. |
| 這裡醫生不少，可是好的醫生不太
多。 |
There are many doctors here, but few
of them are any good.
Note 1: The base pattern for this sentence is Ａ不少，可是Ｂ不太多, where Ｂis a
qualification of Ａ that creates the contradiction given by the double
negative 不少 and 不太多.
Note 2: 不少 literally means not a few. As the opposite of few is many,
not a few, can be thought to mean many.
Note 3: 不多 means not many; 不太多 means not too many. The the phrase 不太多
can be thought to mean too few.
Note 4: The qualification 好的 is, of course, crucial to the
understanding of the the contradiction established by the pattern Ａ，可是Ｂ.
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| 連那個最有名的藥房都沒有這藥賣，
真奇怪。 |
Even that most famous pharmacy does
not carry this medicine. How very strange!
Note 1: The base pattern of this sentence is 連Ａ都沒有ＢＣ，Ｄ, where ＢＣ is
something that not even Ａ does, and Ｄ is an expression of the speaker's
amazement in this regard.
Note 2: The base pattern of the phrase 那個最有名的藥房 is 那個最Ｂ的Ａ, where 最Ｂ的Ａis
the most of whatever Ｂ的Ａis. In this case "that most well-known
pharmacy". As is so often the case, a counter is used after the
demonstrative pronoun 那 to indicate the noun that follows -- namely, 藥房.
Note 3: The pattern 沒有Ｂ賣 literally means "does not have Ｂ to sell".
Note 4: 真奇恎 can probably be translated many different ways depending on
the context -- for example, very strange, truly strange, a little
scary, etc.
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| 最近那個地方的情形很壞，你還是
不要去好了。 |
Recently that place has become very
bad, your not going is probably a good idea.
Note 1: The base pattern of this sentence is Ｂ很壞，Ａ還是Ｃ好了, where Ｂis a
poor condition or state that causes the speaker to recommend that Ａ
perform Ｃ. In other words, if C is performed 還是Ｃ, it will result in
some good end 好了.
Note 2: The base pattern of the the clause 最近那個地方的情形很壞 is 最近Ａ很壞, where
Ａis something that has recently become very bad. In this case Ａ is the
condition 情形 of a place 那個地方.
Note 3: The characters 還是 are used together as an adverbial modifier
indicating alternative.
Note 4: The modal verb 要 emphasizes the notion of choice. One could
just as easily write 你還是不去好了, and the notion of alternative action
would be understood.
Note 5: 最近 literally means nearest, but used here in a temporal context
it means recent.
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