2017年6月27日 星期二

short 並不止於「短」

short 除了表示長度、身高、時間這些常見的意思外,還有一個用法很普遍,但感覺上香港好像不太多人會用,反而多數人會用其名詞形式 shortage,例如
There’s a shortage of food and water in the poor area.(在那貧窮的地區裡,糧食和水都很困乏。)

不過,shortage 未免太書面了,日常生活中其實有很多情況可以用到 short當我們想表達某個數目「還差多少」才足夠,這個時候 short 就可以大派用場了

例如,你想買的零食要 $12,但你的口袋裡只有 $10,還「差」兩元,此時你可以說 I’m two dollars short(我差兩元才夠錢)

又例如你想和其他人進行籃球比賽,但對方有五個人,而你方只有三個人,那麼你可以說 Our team is two players short(我隊還缺兩名球員)

這個用法的 short 有時後面可以跟 of on,表示所欠缺的東西,例如:
The public library is short of English storybooks.
(公共圖書館缺乏英語故事書。)
The pantry is short on coffee. Could anyone get some in the afternoon?
(食品室的咖啡剩下不多了,下午有沒有人可以去買一些?)

如果用否定式說 not short of,還可以帶有明顯的嘲諷意味,例如:
She’s not short of excuses when she’s late every time.
(她每次遲到,總是不乏藉口。)

此外,口語上有時會聽到 I’m a bit short I’m a little short,意思是「我手頭有點緊」,換言之就是暗示 Don’t ask me for money

2 則留言:

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  2. "Fall short of (expectation, goal...)" is also a good, common phrase.

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