PETS-2語法講解 (122)

字號:

Time for high tea.
    對話
    Anne: It's 4 o'clock, time for high tea.
    Elisabeth: So early? Six o'clock or thereabouts is high tea time.
    Anne: What? Tea, sandwiches and cakes at 6 o'clock? That's surely far too late.
    Elisabeth: No, no. I think you're mixing up high tea and afternoon tea.
    Anne: Aren't they the same?
    Elisabeth: No, not at all. Afternoon tea means tea, perhaps sandwiches and definitely cakes around 4.
    Anne: What's high tea, then?
    Elisabeth: That's a proper meal, often with meat or fish, but also of course with tea to drink.
    安:四點鐘了,是傍晚茶時間了。
    伊莉薩白:這么早?六點鐘左右才是吃傍晚茶時間。
    安:什么? 六點鐘吃茶、三明治和蛋糕?那太晚了。
    伊莉薩白:不對,不對,你一定是把傍晚茶和下午茶混為一談了。
    安:傍晚茶、下午茶不是一樣的嗎?
    伊莉薩白:不一樣,完全不一樣, 下午茶是指四點鐘左右喝茶,也許還有三明治,蛋糕則一定有。
    安:傍晚茶又怎樣?
    伊莉薩白:傍晚茶是正餐,一般有魚或肉,當然也有茶喝。
    伊莉薩白說: Six o'clock or thereabouts is high tea time.讀者請勿見tea字就以為high tea只是簡單茶點。High tea其實是把下午茶(afternoon tea)和晚餐(dinner)合而為一的正餐,一般有魚或肉、牛油面包或蛋糕,茶則當然不可缺。這傍晚茶通常是五六點鐘吃的。We had high tea at half past five, and then we had a bedtime snack. 即‘我們五點半吃傍晚茶,睡前再吃了些點心’。下午茶和晚餐合而為一的叫high tea,早午餐合而為一的則叫brunch,以breakfast(早餐) 、 lunch(午餐)兩字合成,例如:Brunch is served at 11:00am in the hotel(旅館上午十一時供應早午餐)。
    Six o'clock or thereabouts一語,可以改作six o'clock or so。Or so和or thereabouts都有‘大約’、‘左右’的意思,但只用于數字, or thereabouts則可用于數字或地方,例如: (1)I will be away for two weeks or so/or thereabouts(我會離開兩個星期左右) 。(2)The child was last seen at the bus terminal or thereabouts(最后一次有人看到,是那孩子在巴士終點站或終點附近)。第二句的or thereabouts不可用or so取代。Thereabouts 也作thereabout。 和thereabout(s)相近的字,有hereabout(s)(在這里附近)和whereabouts(大概在哪里?)這兩字都限于說地方, 例如: (1)I lost my wallet hereabouts(我在這里附近丟了錢包) 。(2) Whereabouts are we?(我們大約在哪里?)