1. 我記得上個月見過他。
ˇ I remember that I met him last month.
χ I remember that I ever met him last month.
Photo: AdobeStock 照片：AdobeStock
註：ever 表示「曾經」，但不能用在肯定直述句中，只用在疑問句、否定句中，或與最高級連用，強調語氣。例如：
Have you ever been to Green Island?
Nothing ever happens in this sleepy town.
Photo: AdobeStock 照片：AdobeStock
This is the worst book I have ever read.
2. 他母親去世已久。
His mother has been dead for many years.
His mother died long ago.
χ His mother has been dead long ago.
註：ago 表示「從現在算起若干時間以前」，而不是指從過去某一時刻到現在的一段時間，例如：an hour ago, a few years ago, long ago 等。凡有 ago 的時間副詞只能與過去時態連用。
3. 我三天前就把那本書借給他了。
ˇ I lent him the book three days ago.
χ I lent him the book three days before.
註：同上例，表示「從現在算起若干時間以前」，應用 ago。只說「以前」，也可以用 before。例如：
I have never seen it before.
I never saw it before.
4. 她兩小時前離開的。
ˇ She left here two hours ago.
χ She left here before two hours.
註：before 作介詞時，與表示一個時刻、日期或年代的詞或詞組連用，例如：before 5 o’clock, the day before yesterday, before 1949，而不能與表示一段時間的詞連用。
5. 我好愛你，真的。
ˇ I love you dearly, true and sincerely.
ˇ I love you very much, true and sincerely.
χ I very love you, true and sincerely.
註：very 不能直接修飾動詞，用以修飾動詞表示程度的副詞是 very much。另 “I love you dearly, true and sincerely” 的出處是 Paul Barnes 於 1902 年創作的流行歌。
Exercises
A. 他弟弟去世己久。
His younger brother __________ long ago.
1. has died 2. has been dead
3. died 4. dies
B. 他半小時前完成報告。
He finished the report __________.
1. before three hours 2. three hours ago.
3. before three hours ago. 4. since three hours.
Answers: A. 3 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。
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