格言必修【68】

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Trouble is only opportunity in work clothes. —— Kaiser
    困難只是穿上工作服的機遇。 ——凱澤
    這里我們來分析“機會”的表達方法。
    opportunity, occasion, chance, break這組詞的一般含義是“時機”或“機會”。不管在口語中或者在文學作品中,這幾個都是常用的詞。
    opportunity表示某時機符合自己想干某事的意愿、目的、雄心甚至野心。比方:“伺機而動”,這“而動”即去做自己想去完成的事情,此語可譯為wait for an opportunity to take action:“借此機會說幾句話”,這“說幾句話”即說明該時機符合自己想干某事的意愿, 此語可譯為to avail oneself of the opportunity to say a few words.
    例如:
    Perhaps there is an element of truth in both these pictures,but few of us have had the opportunity to find out.
    或許這兩種想象中都有一定的真實成分,但是我們中很少有人有機會去發(fā)現(xiàn)它。
    A man without an education,many of us believe,is an unfortunate victim of adverse circumstances deprived of one of the greatest twenty-century opportunities.
    我們許多人都相信,沒有受過教育的人是境況不佳的不幸犧牲品,他們被剝奪了20世紀最了不起的機會之一。
    occasion含有opportunity所能表達的這樣一層意思:某時機能激發(fā)或喚起某人的某種行為,如:在“必要時”一語中便包含著激發(fā)某行為的時刻,此語可譯為When occasion demands…:“這不是哭泣的時候?!边@句話可譯為It's no occasion for crying.在to have no occasion todo…固定詞組中,occasion之所以能夠引申為reason或cause的含義,也是與occasion的上述基本詞義有關(guān)的。
    例如:
    This sort of thing is usual on occasions like this.
    這類事情在這種場合是常見的。
    This is not an occasion for laughter.
    這不是笑的時候。(指不適合于笑,或不是笑的場合。)
    chance表示幸運或偶然的時機。
    例如:
    Perhaps it is the desire for solitude or the chance of making an unexpected discovery that lures men down to the depths of the earth.
    可能正是尋覓幽靜的去處,或者找個獵奇的機會的欲望引誘著人們進入地球的深處。
    No one discovers a rarity by chance.
    僥幸發(fā)現(xiàn)一件珍品的人是沒有的。
    break作為時機解,一般要求修飾語,如:a good break, a bad break,即“走運”或“壞運氣”。這個詞的基本意思是:走運不能老走運,倒霉不能老倒霉,總有個break的。
    例如:
    That fellow gets all the breaks;he has been working there for only six months and has already been promoted to the position of vice-president.
    那個家伙真走運,在那里才干了6個月,就已經(jīng)被提升到總副經(jīng)理的職位了。
    He has been assailed by bad breaks all these years.
    這些年來他接二連三地倒霉。