2013年2月19日 星期二

A few months到底有多少個月


早兩天在研讀一份英文閱讀考卷,文章寫某人八月時染病,a few months 後離世。之後翻答題簿,見對應的時間軸 (timeline) 上,寫某人在翌年一月去世。當時心想:由八月到翌年一月,大約半年,用 a few months 來描述,正確嗎?a few months 到底有多少個月?

根據 OALD 第八版,a few 解作 a small number、some,但記憶所及,a few 的數量應比「幾」要少。有道「無三不成『幾』」,a few 的數值應為 1 或 2。

之後再到 Wordreference.com 看別人的討論,見到以下留言,十分認同:

A number described as "a few" is always relative to what it might have been (and smaller than it might have been).
There were a few people in the crashed car: probably not more than 4.
There were a few people on the bus: probably not more than 12.
There were a few people in the stadium: probably not more than 100. 

(資料來源:http://forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php?t=255950)

若 a few 的數量是相對的話,那 a few months 應該是三至四個月左右。文章的時差近半年,太多了。

3 則留言:

  1. 可能八月底至一月頭!
    [版主回覆02/20/2013 21:54:09]其實四個月我都嫌多架,三個月就可接受。

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  2. 嘩,第一次知道有Wordreference.com 這種forum,多謝介紹!
    p.s.同意你的看法
    [版主回覆03/10/2013 00:16:03]不客氣!其實最好用係Google,只要選中keyword,就乜都搵到。

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  3. the 幾 in 「無三不成『幾』 would be "several". "A few" would depend on context. I agree with Wordreference.
    [版主回覆03/10/2013 00:19:06]You're right, Teacher. 幾 should be 'several' or 'some'.

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