What does that mean? 你真的瞭解這個慣用語嗎?
很多字詞並非表面所見的意思，字詞的組合會產生不同的解釋。這樣的慣用法，我們稱之為「比喻」。一個成功的比喻，作者本身必須相當瞭解字詞的源起。以下的句子為讀者介紹一個比喻及其來源。
Imagery buries itself in language and takes on new meaning. The transplanted and transformed sets of words are called “figures of speech.” For a figure of speech to be effective, however, a writer must first understand the original meaning of the phrase. The following sentence contains a common figure of speech. Its original meaning is explained.
“Unclean fossil fuels are popular, even though they deplete or harm natural resources, yet wind power also has the horses to keep lights on through the night—and is clean.”
儘管有耗竭的危機，又會傷害自然資源，不環保的化石能源卻大受歡迎；而風力能源，同樣能維持燈火終宵通明的馬力—而且乾淨許多。
The idiomatic expression “has the horses” alludes to the power of a horse. The animal has long been recognized for its endurance in running, its strength in pulling, and its heavily muscled physique. An early calibration of a horse’s power eventually evolved into measurement of machined engine output of all kinds, with output being referred to in terms of “horsepower.”
這次介紹的慣用語「has the horses」暗指馬的力量。人們早就知道，馬有長時間奔跑的耐力、拖車的力氣，還有肌肉結實的體型，因此早期人們以一匹馬的力量作為標準，後來更演變成所有機器引擎力量輸出的單位，亦即所謂的「馬力」。
As used in a paper about alternative wind power, “has the horses” is a shorthand expression of sufficiency, in this case, power sufficiency. The allusion to horses and horsepower is intended to dispel the notion that wind turbines are not powerful enough to substitute for fossil-fueled power plants. While a more straightforward word choice might have been preferable (“wind power can generate enough electricity”), the idiomatic expression enlivens the sentence.
在這篇討論風力替代能源的例子中，作者以馬力一詞暗示風力發電的強力足敷所需。選擇「馬力」一詞是為了破除一般人的誤解，因為一般認為渦輪風扇的強度不足以取代燃燒化石燃料的發電廠。雖然這裡也許可以寫得更直截了當（如「風力發電也能製造足夠的電力」），但用上了「馬力」一詞，句子就變得更加生動起來。
Imagery buries itself in language and takes on new meaning. The transplanted and transformed sets of words are called “figures of speech.” For a figure of speech to be effective, however, a writer must first understand the original meaning of the phrase. The following sentence contains a common figure of speech. Its original meaning is explained.
“Unclean fossil fuels are popular, even though they deplete or harm natural resources, yet wind power also has the horses to keep lights on through the night—and is clean.”
儘管有耗竭的危機，又會傷害自然資源，不環保的化石能源卻大受歡迎；而風力能源，同樣能維持燈火終宵通明的馬力—而且乾淨許多。
The idiomatic expression “has the horses” alludes to the power of a horse. The animal has long been recognized for its endurance in running, its strength in pulling, and its heavily muscled physique. An early calibration of a horse’s power eventually evolved into measurement of machined engine output of all kinds, with output being referred to in terms of “horsepower.”
這次介紹的慣用語「has the horses」暗指馬的力量。人們早就知道，馬有長時間奔跑的耐力、拖車的力氣，還有肌肉結實的體型，因此早期人們以一匹馬的力量作為標準，後來更演變成所有機器引擎力量輸出的單位，亦即所謂的「馬力」。
As used in a paper about alternative wind power, “has the horses” is a shorthand expression of sufficiency, in this case, power sufficiency. The allusion to horses and horsepower is intended to dispel the notion that wind turbines are not powerful enough to substitute for fossil-fueled power plants. While a more straightforward word choice might have been preferable (“wind power can generate enough electricity”), the idiomatic expression enlivens the sentence.
在這篇討論風力替代能源的例子中，作者以馬力一詞暗示風力發電的強力足敷所需。選擇「馬力」一詞是為了破除一般人的誤解，因為一般認為渦輪風扇的強度不足以取代燃燒化石燃料的發電廠。雖然這裡也許可以寫得更直截了當（如「風力發電也能製造足夠的電力」），但用上了「馬力」一詞，句子就變得更加生動起來。
Posted at 2012-09-14 11:10:17
最新回應