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Of course,請不要用得理直氣壯!
2013/06/05 18:33:41瀏覽14101|回應1|推薦8

Of course是最常被濫用的英文句子,我們常用得理直氣壯,渾然不知得罪人了。來看看底下兩個例子:

ADo you hear what the boss said? (你有聽到老闆說什麼嗎?)

BOf course! (當然) =>隱含:我怎麼可能沒聽到!


A: Do you speak English? (你會說英文嗎?)

BOf course! (當然) =>隱含:我怎麼不會講!


我們經常很理所當然的把of course當做yes來回答,中外皆然。上周紐約時報有一篇文叫做"Of course, of course",作者在當天紐約時報就一天的新聞裡'挑出了九幾個不必用"of course"卻用了的例子。他說, of course 幾乎變成了新聞口頭禪。講"當然了"用意固然是強調,,但有它經常也暗含高傲、目中無人。

A colleague points out that “of course” risks becoming a tic in our stories. Sometimes the phrase is warranted for emphasis or, far less often, as a sly comment. But often it serves little purpose and can be omitted with no loss. Occasionally “of course” carries a whiff of condescension or superciliousness that should give us pause.

 

文章裡出現的of course,很多是可以省略的。我們來看看口語對話中怎麼用這個詞。

錯誤示範:

A: Do you know how to spell the word? 

B: Of course.

但這麼用“of course”就顯得自大了。這裡面隱含著"What a stupid question!",我怎麼可能不會。這時候你回答Yes/sure都可以。

 

Of course用好,也可以恰如其份。當你說of course的時候,表示這是一件不證自明的事。例如:

A:“Can you help me?”

B: “Of course!”

你很樂意幫忙,用“Of course!”意思是:我當然願意幫助你了,這還用問嗎?” 你也可以用Sure/certainly

 

Of course的否定是of course not。例句:

A: Do you mind if I open the window? 你介意我開窗戶嗎?

B: Of course not. 當然不會。

這時候,Of course not來得正是時候!

>>熟到老外都覺得你英文好,加入量身訂做的1on1 program

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Mira23
2022/12/30 17:21
Here are some of the concepts from my upcoming course on confidence, which should be ready in a few months. I sincerely hope you can use them. (If only ONE of them resonates, word wipe the consequence is that.)(sherronmira@gmail.com)