在中文里有一句话叫,一句话百样说。语言是一种艺术,如何措辞更是有讲究。是“僧推月下门”还是“僧敲月下门”的也要好好推敲。
英文也是这样。
要不要一起吃晚餐?
Would you like to eat dinner with me?
V.S
Would you like to have dinner with me?
虽然eat和have都是吃,但是前者只是单纯指把食物放进嘴里吞下去,而后者却有“享用美味”的意味。
所以eat dinner会给人匆忙解决一顿饭的感觉,约女生显得特别俗特别没有诚意没有情调,如果说have dinner,就好像是烛光、红酒、牛排,享受美食带给味蕾的刺激。
比如可以说:The coming Friday will be my day off. Would you like to have dinner with me?
这周五我休息,你愿不愿意和我一起吃晚餐呢?
我会暂住在朋友家
I will live with a friend.
V.S
I will stay with a friend.
这几天确实是你和朋友同“住”,但用live这个词汇让别人以为你们会“长住”,stay才是指短期性的停留。
比如:I just found out that I have to go to Chicago on business for a week. I think I will stay with a friend during this period.
我刚刚知道我要去芝加哥出几天差,我想我会去我朋友那里住几天。
2月15日是到期日,不可延期。
February 15 is the due date.
V.S
February 15 is the hard deadline.
due date虽然是“到期日”没错,但它属于soft deadline,是“建议”的一个交期,在此日期之后也可以被接受,情况不是很严重。
第二句中的hard deadline,是说准了的截止日期,坚决不可延期,因此用due date不精确。
比如:You must hand in your proposal by Friday, which is the hard deadline.
你必须要在周五之前交出提案,那是最后的期限。