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Rain （雨）

Ø   暖身：請就以下中英譯文在括號中選出恰當的搭配詞

（① Sour ② Acid）rain plagued the northeastern United States for years, harming trees and fish.

酸雨多年來危害美國東北部，樹林和魚類都受災。

解答: ②

rain可作動詞「下雨」，例如以下英文成語：

It never rains but it pours. 或When it rains, it pours.

禍不單行 （指平日不下雨，但若一下雨則是傾盆大雨）。 

而rain作名詞時，臺灣同學在形容雨勢很大常會誤寫成big rain或strong rain的搭配，這是受中文「大雨」和「強雨」干擾而寫出的中式英文，要力求避免。常用寫法應為heavy /pouring rain 或downpour, downfall等。相反的，「小雨」或「毛毛雨」可用drizzle或drizzling rain等表達，而「陣雨」則為shower。另外「降雨量」可用rainfall或precipitation表達。如下句：

These windward mountain slopes receive abundant rainfall throughout the year.

這些迎風坡終年接受豐沛雨量。 

至於口語中使用May I take a rain check on that? 其中rain check實際上與下雨無關，而是指「對某事延期」或「改天再做」。 

l  動詞+ rain

例句：

The storm has dumped a record 42 inches of rain in northeastern Taiwan.

暴風雨在臺灣東北部降下破紀錄的42吋雨量。 

l  形容詞 + rain

例句：

The typhoon continues posing a severe threat with heavy rain.

颱風持續有暴雨造成威脅。 

Torrential rains brought by Typhoon Megi have seriously affected Yilan.

梅姬颱風所帶來的豪雨重創宜蘭。 

l  rain + 動詞

例句：

He sat on the train watching rain dribble down the windows.

他坐在火車上看著雨水流淌下車窗。 

Up to 20 inches of rain has pounded the region over the past three days, forcing the evacuation of more than 10,000 people.

過去三天來高達20英吋的雨量重擊該地區，迫使一萬多人必須撤離。 

Steady rains toppled hillsides and turned streets into rivers over the weekend, leaving at least 12 people dead and three missing.

週末期間不停降雨造成山坡崩塌，街道也變成河流，造成至少12人死亡，3人失蹤。 

u  相關詞彙之搭配使用

片語

occasional showers：偶有的陣雨

the annual spring plum rains：每年春天的梅雨

the plum rain season：梅雨季 

句子

Heavy rains and flash flooding have been reported in mountainous areas.

山區已傳出豪雨與暴洪的災情。 

It is raining cats and dogs.

傾盆大雨。

段落

Northern Taiwan was hit by① torrential rain, turning Keelung and the north coast into disaster areas. According to an initial report issued by the Central Emergency Operation Center, one person died, two went missing and five were injured, while 3,800 people had to be evacuated. Power and water supplies to about 15,000 households were disrupted and 970 sites were flooded. The weather front moved② south, and central and southern Taiwan were also hit. (Taipei Times)

臺灣北部遭受暴雨襲擊，使基隆和北海岸都變成災區。中央災害應變中心的初步報告指出，目前有一人死亡，兩人失蹤，五人受傷，同時有3,800位民眾必須撤離。另有約15,000戶家庭停水斷電，970處地方淹水。氣象鋒面已南移，臺灣中部和南部也受重創。（臺北時報）

說明：

① 陳述災難來襲的句型常用被動語態，如此處的was hit，或下方的were disrupted, were flooded等。

② front是氣候術語，譯作「鋒面」，其後可搭配動詞move「移動」。相關搭配還有cold front「冷鋒」、 warm front「暖鋒」。 

u  練習：

請從方格中挑選正確的搭配詞來完成以下的句子：

dumped        heavy     bring   plum    rainfall

1.      Typhoon Megi _______________ heavy rains throughout Taiwan.

梅姬颱風在全臺降下傾盆大雨。

2.      Taiwanese rescuers discovered a body after_______________ rains brought by Typhoon Megi.

在颱風梅姬帶來的豪雨後，臺灣的搜救隊發現了一具屍體。

3. Temperatures are expected to cool down nationwide today with the arrival of the   first _____________ rains of the year

  今年第一道梅雨報到，全國今日氣溫預期將下降。

4. The weather front is likely to ______________ heavy ______________ for the rest of the week in most regions, with temperatures ranging between 23°C and 29°C nationwide.

  鋒面可能在本週為大部份地區帶來大雨，全國氣溫則介於攝氏23度到29度之間。 

解答：

1.      dumped

2.      heavy

3.      plum

4.      bring; rainfall