1. 斧頭是有用的工具。
ˇ An axe is a useful tool.
χ An axe is an useful tool.
Photo: AdobeStock l 照片：AdobeStock
註：a 用在以子音開頭的詞前面，如 a student、a university、a one-sided view、a European 等。an 用在以母音開頭的詞的前面，如 an apple、an interesting story、an hour 等。這裏所說的子音和母音指音（sound）而言，不指字母（letter），所以，一位聯邦調查局幹員是 an FBI agent，因為 F 唸 /?f/。
2. 王清能設計軟體，以小學生來說是很了不起。
ˇ Wang Ching can create software programs, which is amazing for a primary school student.
Photo: AdobeStock l 照片：AdobeStock
χ Wang Ching can create software programs. This is amazing for the primary school students.
註：定冠詞 the 表示特指事物，這裏用不定冠詞 a 以泛指小學生。中文表達通稱時不需冠詞，所以一般學生用英文表達類似情況常忘了要加冠詞。
3. 他一向積極參與學校的活動。
ˇ He always takes an active part in school activities.
χ He always takes active part in school activities.
註：動詞詞組 to take part in 作「參加」解，若為「積極參加」，該用 take an active part in，這是習慣用法。也不宜說 *take part in school activities actively。Google 統計（8/14/2025）：
“to take an active part in school activities” About 19,400 results
“to take part in school activities actively” About 3 results
4. 對我說謊，你會後悔的。
ˇ If you ever lie to me, you’ll regret it.
ˇ Don’t ever lie to me or you’ll regret it.
χ If you ever tell lie to me, you’ll regret it.
註：「說謊」平常用動詞 lie，也可以說 to tell a lie 或 tell lies。類似的有 to take a walk、to have a look、to make a fuss（小題大做）等，但不能說 to have looks、to make fusses。
5. 她現在上台大研究所了。
ˇ Now she has started graduate school at NTU.
χ Now she has started the graduate school at NTU.
註：與 start school 一樣，「讀研究所」是 start graduate school，不需加冠詞。但若指有事到某研究所去時，則可加 the。
Exercises
A. 許教授能將唐詩譯為法文，對以中文為母語的人來說是很了不起的。
Professor Hsu can translate Tang poetry into French, which is amazing for __________ native Chinese speaker.
1. a 2. an 3. the 4. x
B. 該公司為開發長期專案簽署了合作備忘錄。
The corporation has signed __________ MOU for the development of a long-term project.
1. a 2. an 3. x
Answers: A. 1 B. 2
文章由書林出版公司提供：
www.bookman.com.tw
蘇正隆 — 台灣翻譯學學會前理事長、師大翻譯研究所兼任副教授; 編著《走讀自然.花言樹語》，《英語的對與錯》，《世紀病毒：必讀防疫英文知識與詞彙》...等。國家教育研究院中英雙語詞彙審議委員；研究領域為翻譯、術語及詞典編譯，從事植物與人文導覽數十年，亦曾應邀遠赴國外大學做植物人文導覽。
A: K-pop supergroup Blackpink is finally touring Taiwan again. B: I can’t believe we’re going to Blackpink’s concert at the Kaohsiung National Stadium over this weekend. A: The group has caused a global sensation since it went international in 2020. B: And the four members — Jisoo, Jennie, Rose and Lisa — have achieved success as solo artists. A: Seeing them live will be like a dream come true. A: 韓流天團Blackpink終於又來台巡演啦。 B: 真不敢相信我們這週末要去她們在高雄國家體育場的演唱會。 A: 該團自2020年進軍國際，便持續造成全球轟動。 B: 而4位團員––Jisoo、Jennie、Rose、Lisa––單飛也很成功。 A: 這次能去她們的演唱會真是美夢成真！ （By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times／台北時報張迪）
Many popular English expressions originate from the world of sports. While their roots lie in athletics, their meanings extend far beyond the playing field. Here are three examples. Hat Trick This expression comes from cricket. When a bowler dismisses a batter, it’s called “taking a wicket.” Taking three wickets in a row is a great achievement, so in the past, a bowler who achieved this was rewarded with a hat. Later, sports like hockey and soccer adopted it to mean scoring three goals in a game. Nowadays, this phrase means to achieve any three successes consecutively, not just in sports. For example,
A: Is K-pop still popular now? B: Sure! The 110,000 tickets for supergroup Blackpink’s two shows to be held this weekend were all snatched up within three minutes. A: Apart from Blackpink, what other K-pop stars are visiting? B: I-dle’s Taiwanese member Yeh Shu-hua, King of K-pop G-Dragon, and Super Junior are all coming soon next month. A: Super Junior’s 2009 hit “Sorry, Sorry” boosted this Korean “Hallyu” to a peak. Let’s go experience SJ’s magic again. A: 韓國流行音樂還是很受歡迎嗎？ B: 當然啦，光是天團Blackpink本週末兩場演唱會，11萬張門票3分鐘內就被秒殺！ A: 除了Blackpink，還有哪些韓國歌手最近會來台？ B: I-dle的台灣成員葉舒華、韓流天王G-Dragon權志龍、Super Junior下月也都將來台。 A: Super Junior 2009年金曲《Sorry, Sorry》曾將「韓流」推上高峰，我們再去重溫一下SJ的魔力吧。
In today’s fast-paced world, many individuals are turning to alternative lifestyles that prioritize sustainability and simplicity. Two such lifestyles are sustainable living and minimalism. They both share some common threads: living more intentionally, reducing our environmental impact, and focusing on what truly matters. 1. Sustainable Living Sustainable living is about making choices that are environmentally friendly in every aspect of one’s life. The primary goal is to minimize one’s ecological footprint, conserve natural resources, and reduce waste. It might sound abstract, but in fact, it is rather easy to practice sustainable living. What we eat has a great impact on the environment. Small
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