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Bear with me

發佈時間: 2016/12/09

Bear with me

「等一等,忍耐一下(bear with me),我出去取份文件。」開會有準備是常識吧!要多位同事一起等候,太昂貴!

"Bear" with me﹖Bear不是指毛茸茸的「熊」嗎﹖其實,bear用作名詞時,才是解作「熊」。在bear with me一語中,bear是動詞,解「忍受、忍耐」。例如,I can't bear the smell of paint. I have to stay in a hotel tonight.(我受不了油漆味,今晚必須住酒店。)

Bear with me一語用來「請求別人耐心或寬容」(request for patience or tolerance)。例句:If you bear with me a minute, I'll find the document.(請你忍耐一下,我會找到文件的。)Bear with me a little longer and I'll show you how it is done.(請你忍耐多一會,我就可以給你看怎樣做。)

有些人會將bear with me寫成"bare" with me,因為兩字的讀音一樣,而想起bear,立即想到「熊」,所以誤以為要用bare。首先,正如上文提到bear是可以用作動詞,解「忍受」。第二,bare解「裸露」,bare with me即是「和我一起裸露」,意思根本不對。

(本欄逢周一、三、五刊登)

撰文: Ally 最漂亮英文專業老師
欄名: WordDiscovery