問:歌星泰勒.史薇芙特“ Love
Story "這首歌有以下兩句:( 1) Little did I know that you
were Romeo, you were throwing pebbles。( 2) You were
Romeo, I was a Scarlet Letter。這兩句意思是什麼?又 Little did I know是什麼句式?
答:英文有時為了加強語氣,會用倒裝句式(
inversion),即把 did、 will等輔助動詞( auxiliary verb)置於主詞( subject)之前。句子假如有 little、 never、 seldom之類帶否定含義的副詞( adverb),一般可以用這句式,例如 Seldom do I see him(= I
seldom see him我很少見他)、 Never did
I see him(= I never saw him我完全沒看見他)。讀者說的第一句,意思就是「當時我不知道,你是羅蜜歐,在拋卵石」。在街上,輕輕拋卵石進意中人卧房窗口,是示愛的手段。史薇芙特另一首歌“ The Other Side of the Door "也說: I said,"Leave," but all I really want is you to
stand outside my window, throwing pebbles, screaming,"I'm in love with
you."(我說「你走吧」,但心裏只盼你站在我窗外,把卵石拋進來,高聲喊:「我愛你!」)
讀者說的第二句,意思是「你是羅蜜歐,我是個猩紅字母」。從前,在清教徒( Puritans)治下的新英格蘭( New England),通姦婦女衣服上須印一個猩紅 A字,即
Adulteress(通姦婦)。美國作家霍桑的著名小說 The
Scarlet Letter,就是以此為題。“ Love Story "歌中那個「我」,不管家人反對,和情郎私通,所以自稱為 a Scarlet Letter。