簡單又傳神的英文小字

究竟英文要講長還是講短？用字要簡單還是複雜？多數人會說，「見人見智」。這是最糟的答案，因為等於沒有答案。

學英文必經三個過程：一是見山是山，二是見山又不是山，三是見山又是山。

起初你都用簡單得不得了的字溝通；單字越背越多，於是你開始用很難的字溝通；最後你發現，其實簡單就夠了。所以，如果你現在英文都講得太短、太簡單，請發展複雜的句子；如果你常常要要用多字、很長的句子才能講明白一件事，那就回歸簡單。

這篇文章是為了經常覺得自己英文講得太複雜的人寫的，怎麼從繁入簡，我們就從「小字」開始，much (more) of…「多；比較像是……」就是個簡單又道地的小片語，會讓你的英文出現道地感，但它們太簡單，簡單到讓人容易忽略。先試試看下面這些句子，英文你會怎麼說：

希望有機會可以多見面。
這比較像是把案子聚焦。
我不太懂你的意思。
我太太不擅長下廚。
買了音效卡效果真得有比較好嗎？

下面整理出重複使用率過高的說法，和換上much (more) of 的對照：

1、希望有機會可以多見面，如此一來我們雙方未來可有更好的互動。
I hope we’ll have more chances to see each other, as our two companies work toward a better future.
→ I hope to see much more of you, as our two companies work toward a better future.
第一句是我們會反射出的說法，但稍嫌冗長，又有些官方制式感；hope to see much more of you 是個比較簡潔、親切的說法。

2、並不是他們把案子轉變了方向，這比較像是聚焦。
It’s not so much that they change the project direction. It’s more about focusing on a specific issue.
→ It is much more of a case that they focus on a specific issue.
第二句的用法常會在新聞報導中聽到，在much more of 後方說出這是什麼 (a case)，並且再加以詳述。第一句 more about… 是可以接受的說法，但如果是在書寫英文或是較正式的場合，這樣的用法太隨意。

3、我不太懂你的意思。可以多做些解釋嗎？
I don’t understand what you’re talking about. Could you explain more?
→I can’t make much of your point. Could you explain more?
第一句也是台灣學生很擅長的講法，但殊不知它語帶挑釁、反駁：「我壓根兒聽不懂你在說什麼。」用I can’t get you. 可能還好一些。若要表達「很渾沌，似懂非懂」，can’t make much of your point 是比較好的說法。

4、我太太不擅長下廚。
My wife is not good at cooking.
→My wife is not much of a cook.
not good/bad at… 也是大家都用過頭的說法了。說某人不像是那塊料，not much of…也是簡單又傳神。

5、買了音效卡效果真得有比較好嗎？
Does getting a soundcard really make any improvement?
→Does getting a soundcard make much of an improvement?
第一句是最安全的說法，但如果你想要再讓表達多變，make much of an improvement 就可以說出「有這麼一丁點…嗎？」同時點出 really 和 any 的含意。

在英文中還有哪些簡單又傳神的小字？下面再給大家一些範例：

1、Do they want to know every detail in the presentation?
→Do they want to know the presentation down to every last detail?

2、You should always let the listener catch some of the best sides of the product.
→You should always relate to the listener some of the best sides of the product.

3、Like I mentioned before, set the product up as something the customer needs.
→Like I touched on before, set the product up as something the customer needs.

4、She was checking to see if his work was as good as expected.
→She was checking to see if his work was up to par.

以後看文章時，時時留意這些傳神小字。每天找出一個，不知不覺你的英文會更道地。