在中文裡有一句話叫,一句話百樣說。語言是一種藝術,如何措辭更是有講究。是「僧推月下門」還是「僧敲月下門」的也要好好推敲。
英文也是這樣。
要不要一起吃晚餐?
Would you like to eat dinner with me?
V.S
Would you like to have dinner with me?
雖然eat和have都是吃,但是前者只是單純指把食物放進嘴裡吞下去,而後者卻有「享用美味」的意味。
所以eat dinner會給人匆忙解決一頓飯的感覺,約女生顯得特別俗特別沒有誠意沒有情調,如果說have dinner,就好像是燭光、紅酒、牛排,享受美食帶給味蕾的刺激。
比如可以說:The coming Friday will be my day off. Would you like to have dinner with me?
這周五我休息,你願不願意和我一起吃晚餐呢?
我會暫住在朋友家
I will live with a friend.
V.S
I will stay with a friend.
這幾天確實是你和朋友同「住」,但用live這個詞彙讓別人以為你們會「長住」,stay才是指短期性的停留。
比如:I just found out that I have to go to Chicago on business for a week. I think I will stay with a friend during this period.
我剛剛知道我要去芝加哥出幾天差,我想我會去我朋友那裡住幾天。
2月15日是到期日,不可延期。
February 15 is the due date.
V.S
February 15 is the hard deadline.
due date雖然是「到期日」沒錯,但它屬於soft deadline,是「建議」的一個交期,在此日期之後也可以被接受,情況不是很嚴重。
第二句中的hard deadline,是說准了的截止日期,堅決不可延期,因此用due date不精確。
比如:You must hand in your proposal by Friday, which is the hard deadline.
你必須要在周五之前交出提案,那是最後的期限。