PETS-2語法講解(239)

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Could you direct me to the Town Hall please?
    對話考試大論壇
    Driver: Could you direct me to the Town Hall please? I'm a stranger here.
    Pedestrian: Yes, of course. Carry straight on to the next set of traffic lights and turn left.
    Driver: How far is that?
    Pedestrian: About a kilometer. Then keep going for about another kilometer until you come to a large traffic circle covered in flowers.
    Driver: Is that what people call the floral traffic circle?
    Pedestrian: Yes, go straight across and the Town Hall is 100 meters along on the left-hand side.
    司機:可不可以告訴我去市政廳的路線?我是外地人。
    行人:當(dāng)然可以。向前直走,走到一組紅綠燈號前,就向左轉(zhuǎn)。
    司機:那有多遠?
    行人:大約一公里。然后再向前直走一公里左右,走到一個花卉叢生的圓形交叉路口。
    司機:是不是叫‘圓環(huán)’的那個圓形路口?
    行人:不錯。穿過這路口,走大約一百公尺,左邊就是市政廳了。
    向人問路,除了以前說過的Could you tell me the way to a certain place?(可以告訴我怎樣去某處嗎?)還有一個常用說法:Could you direct me to a certain place?
    Direct作動詞,有‘指路’的意思,Can you direct me to the nearest supermarket?即‘可以告訴我怎樣去這里最近的超級市場嗎?’留意direct someone和take/guide/lead someone不同。Direct someone只是告訴他怎樣走,take/guide/lead someone則是親自帶人家走:take是最普通的用法,guide有‘道路多歧難認(rèn)’含義,lead則是‘在某人前面或執(zhí)著某人的手引路’,例如:(1) I took him to the Central Library(我?guī)ブ醒雸D書館)。(2) He guided us out of the forest(他帶領(lǐng)我們走出森林)。(3) Taking the blind man by the hand, she led him across the road(他握著那盲人的手,帶他走過馬路)。除非你希望人家?guī)?,否則不要說Could you take/guide/lead me to a certain place?
    假如你帶著地圖,要問人家‘我現(xiàn)在是在地圖上哪個位置?’英文可以說Where am I (located) on the map?或Could you show me where I am on the map?請人家在地圖上指路,則可說:Could you show me on the map?
    最后說the floral traffic circle。Floral(花的)是flower的形容詞,traffic circle則是圓形交叉路口,也叫rotary,英式英文叫roundabout,例如:When you get to a traffic circle, always turn right(遇到圓形交叉路口,就向右轉(zhuǎn))。