同层单位装修,隔了老远,每天回家还是嗅到一股中人欲恶的气味,油漆不像油漆,非常霸道,令我想起awful这个字。
Awful是一个带贬义的字,近乎terrible、unpleasant,中文可解作「糟糕」,广东话叫「难顶」。且看它常见的配词:
1. Awful smell (难闻的气味)
2. Awful weather (糟透的天气)
3. Awful pain (剧痛)
懂用terrible的人多,但一如所言,用得多就滥了。下次想起一些糟透的经历,不妨说一句「It's an awfulexperience」。
Awful还可配搭合两个浅白的动词:
1. Feel awful (= feel unwell or unhappy orill)
例:I am feeling awful today.Ineed a doctor.
2. Look awful (= look ill, sad or worried)
例:What's wrong with you today, Bill? Youlooked awful this morning!
至于Awesome,近年的褒义愈来愈重。首先,awesome解「a person or thing that is veryimpressive and often frightening」(《CollinsCOBUILD》),中文就叫「令人敬畏」。
常见的配搭包括:
1. awesome achievement (令人钦佩的成就)
2. awesome responsibility (责任重大,大得令人惊惧)
3. awesome task (任务艰巨,压力重大)
显然,Awful与awesome都涉及说话者的个人态度。就以上述三句为例,一般的说法是major achievement、keyresponsibility、importanttask之类。用得多了,流于滥调,难以引起共鸣。有时候不妨加点个人态度,拉阔英文,给对方一点清新和惊喜。
之所以说Awesome近年多了褒义,是因为美国年轻一辈爱用这字形容了不起的事物,等同extremely good,例如:Hey,your new T-shirt is awesome!