20种句型错误英语(从Fallover)(1)

fall over oneself to do sth

前几天新学了一个词组“Fall over oneself to do”,看书上给出的解释是:特别卖力(做某事),多含贬义。带着谨慎的态度,我查了Collins字典,解释是:If you say that people are falling over themselves to do something, you mean that they are very enthusiastic about doing it, and often that you disapprove of this.

Ok,没有问题,正是我学到的意思,例句:

Within days of his death those same people were falling over themselves to denounce him.

20种句型错误英语(从Fallover)(2)

网上搜索“fall over onefelf to do”,多无负面含义

可在Cambridge dictionary中,这个词组的解释是:to be very eager to do something。例句

Publishers are falling over themselves to produce non-fiction for seven-year-olds.

仅仅如此,剑桥字典中并未提及那种贬义的感觉。这是为何?问了问身边的老外,“fall over oneself to do”在英国英语中没有贬义,纯纯就是“尽全力(做某事)”的意思。而在美国英语中则含有淡淡的贬义、批评含义。看来同一个词组,美国英语,英国英语也会有细小差异,作为外语学习者,我们需要谨慎对待。

再说一个中国人容易说的中式英语

“加油”不能说成fighting(老生常谈),也不能说成add oil(虽然字典中收录了此词,但老外还是不会知道)。如果使用fighting,可以说“keep fighting”、“don‘t give up the fight”,但二者说的是意义较大的事情,比如为某种理想奋斗,keep fighting for equality、fight for your dream,但不可以说fighting for 100K followers on social media.

其他的常见“加油”:

1. Come on (别想歪了……)

2. You got this

3. Keep going

4. You’re almost there

作为中国人学习英语,不仅要注意英语、美语之间的差异,更要注意中式英语(这个更容易犯错)。

您学会了吗?

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