問:英文歌"Wake-up
Call"有一句說And now you beat me at my own game,是什麼意思?
答:To
beat one at one's own game是成語,直譯是「在某人自己的遊戲之中,擊敗某人」,意思是「即使對方是能手,都勝過對方」,例如:He
is an amateur, but in the photography competition he beat the professionals at
their own game(他是業餘攝影家,但在這次攝影比賽之中,專業攝影師都輸給他)。讀者說的那首歌,講伴侶和他人鬼混,And
now you beat me at my own game就應解作「現在,你以我之道,反施於我之身」。
問:Where
have you been?可不可寫作Where have you been to?(你去了哪裏?)
答:Where
have you been to?和Where are you going to?(你要去哪裏?)都是正確英語,不過,那to字一般會略去,正如以下一句,at字一般也會略去:Where is the library at?(圖書館在哪裏?)留意where之後的from字,卻從來不會略去,例如:Where is the man
from?(那個男人是從哪裏來的?)
此外,簡單問句Where
to?(去哪裏?)的to字,一般不會略去,正如Where
from?(從哪裏來的?)那from字不會省略。例如:(1)"Let's go." "Where to?"(「我們去吧。」「去哪裏?」)(2)"We have only just arrived." "Where
from?"(「我們是剛剛到來的。」「從哪裏來?」)
﹝訂正﹞二十五日拙欄laid、crimson二字,應作lay及scarlet。下筆失慎,謹此致歉。