PETS-2語法講解(199)

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It's my favorite soap.
    對話   Melissa: Did you watch Friends yesterday?
    Wendy: Of course, it's my favorite soap.
    Melissa: Which of the boys do you like best?
    Wendy: I like Chandler best, because he's so funny.
    Melissa: I'm really keen on Ross myself.
    Wendy: You obviously like tall, dark, handsome types.
    梅利莎:昨天有沒有看電視劇《老友記》?
    溫迪:當(dāng)然有,那是我挺愛看的連續(xù)劇。
    梅利莎:劇中的男演員,你最喜歡哪一個?
    溫迪:我最喜歡錢德勒,因為他十分風(fēng)趣。
    梅利莎:我最喜歡的則是羅斯。
    溫迪:你看來喜歡高大黝黑的美男子。
    溫迪說《老友記》是她愛看的電視連續(xù)?。篒t's my favorite soap。一九三○年代,美國不少深受歡迎的收音機廣播連續(xù)劇都由肥皂(soap)商贊助,所以這類連續(xù)劇稱為soap opera。Opera本是‘歌劇’,但soap opera卻不是歌劇,往往簡稱為soap,例如:(1) I have watched this soap for many years(這出連續(xù)劇,我看了很多年)。(2) He tried to learn English by watching American soaps(他看美國電視連續(xù)劇,藉此學(xué)英文)。
    留意對話中Friends這個劇名用了斜體字(italics)印刷。假如改用引號(inverted commas)而不用斜體,寫作Did you watch "Friends" yesterday?那正確嗎?嚴(yán)格而言,連續(xù)劇、戲劇、電影、長篇歌曲、書籍、報紙、雜志、油畫和其它藝術(shù)作品,其名稱都應(yīng)用斜體字印刷,不應(yīng)加引號,例如:Dynasty was a very popular soap in America(《朝代》這出連續(xù)劇在美國風(fēng)靡一時)。手寫時,可在應(yīng)用斜體字的名稱下畫一直線,例如:Have you read Animal Farm?(有沒有看過《動物農(nóng)莊》?)
    報刊的文章、書籍的章節(jié)、短篇歌詩、電視或收音機上固定但不是連續(xù)劇式的節(jié)目,其名稱則應(yīng)加引號,不用斜體字,例如:She was humming "Que Sera, Sera" to herself(她獨自哼著Que Sera, Sera這首歌)。《圣經(jīng)》(the Bible)、《可蘭經(jīng)》(the Koran)等神圣經(jīng)書則例外:書名不用斜體,《圣經(jīng)》中新舊約各書的名稱也不需加引號,例如:I quoted from the Bible(我引述《圣經(jīng)》的話)