本文章由春喜在線英語于2017.5.15日編輯發布

 

 

1． Although/though（盡管，雖然），even though/even if（即使）

Although與though兩者意思相同，一般可互換，都可以與yet, still或nevertheless連用，但不能和but連用。

There is no such thing as a convincing [令人信服的] argument, although every man thinks he has one.

根本就沒有什么令人信服的論證，雖然每個人都認為自己可以。

注：每個人都覺得自己不會被別人說服，但自己可以說服別人。

It has been said that although God cannot alter the past, historians[歷史學家] can.

據說盡管上帝不能改變過去，歷史學家可以。

注：有些歷史是歷史學家編的。

Although there exist many thousands of subjects for elegant conversation, there are people who cannot meet a cripple（瘸子） without talking about feet.

盡管存在無數個優雅的話題，總有一些人遇見瘸子就談論腳。

注：有些人說話沒有水平，別人不愛聽什么他就說什么。

I own I would rather choose a wife of mine to have the usual number of limbs（肢體）….and although one eye may be very agreeable, the prejudice has always run in favor of two.

我承認我寧愿選擇一個四肢健全的妻子……盡管一只眼睛也很令人愉快，但世俗的偏見還是認為兩只眼睛好。

注：他最終還是沒有沖破世俗的偏見，選擇了兩只眼睛的妻子。

First, I want to thank you for that great introduction[介紹] ____ although it did confuse my wife. Half-way through she nudged （用肘輕推）me to find out who else was speaking tonight.

首先我想感謝你們這么精彩的介紹——盡管確實迷惑了我太太，她一直用胳膊肘捅我想知道今晚的演講者還有誰。

注：演講嘉賓聽完主持人對自己全是溢美之詞的介紹后這么說，意思是我太太都不知道你們介紹得是誰。

Though I am the perfect height of five-feet-nine-and-a-half I always feel depressed[沮喪的] in the presence of a man six-feet-two.

盡管我有著完美皿英尺9寸半的身高，但在身高6英尺2的人面前總感到情緒低落。

注：這是一個容易受傷但很有上進心的男人。

注意：though還可以用作副詞，意為“可是，然而”，置于句末。

He said he would come; he didn't, though.

I have been a selfish human being all my life, in practice, though not in principle.

我一生都很自私，只是在實踐上，原則上可不是這樣。

注：嘴上可不自私。

場景再現：鼓勵別人勇于表達自己：

Speak your mind, even if your voice shakes.

說出你的思想，即使你的聲音在顫抖。

注：聲音顫抖可能是緊張，也可能內心有不可告人的秘密，怕說錯話被別人發現。

Let us all be happy and live within our means, even if we have to borrow the money to do it with.

我們要在力所能及的情況下愉快地生活，即使不得不借錢這樣做。

注：如果有能力借錢生活，是不是也是力所能及的生活呢？

No furniture is as charming as books, even if you never open them or read a single word.

任何家具都不象書這樣有魅力，即使你從來沒有打開或一個字都不讀。

注：有些人家里、辦公室里擺了很多書，就想顯著有學問，實際上他們從來不看。

 

2． As引導讓步狀語從句倒裝

As從句一般放在主句之前，須用倒裝語序。從句中的表語、狀語或動詞原形置于句首。若表語是名詞，前置時要省略冠詞。

Much as he is opposed to lawbreaking, he is not bigoted[固執的] about it.

盡管他十分反對干違法的事，但并不一根筋。

注：有一些政府官員也想遵紀守法，但有人稍微一誘惑，他們就改變了主意。

Child as he is, he knows a lot.

Try as he might, he could not find a job.

注意：though引導的從句也可象as引導的從句一樣用倒裝語序，但是although引導的從句只能用正常語序。注意比較下面的說法：

Smart though/as she is, she doesn't study hard.

Though she is smart, she doesn't study hard.

Although she is smart, she doesn't study hard.

不能說：

Smart although she is, she doesn't study hard.

As she is smart, she doesn't study hard.

 

3．Whether….or….（不管…..還是….）；疑問詞 + ever與no matter + 疑問詞（不管…..；無論….）。

What number has nothing left if you take a half from it?

The number is 8, because only 0 is left whether you take away the top half or the bottom half.

哪個數如果你拿走一半什么也剩不下？

數字8，因為不管你拿走上半部分還是下半部分只剩下0。

A man bitten by a dog, no matter whether the animal is mad or not, is apt to get mad himself.

被狗咬了，不管是不是瘋狗，人很容易瘋。

注：“他不想被狗咬，可是被狗咬了，所以他瘋了”這樣的推理是否合乎邏輯？

場景再現：你每天給老板端茶倒水，老板還不滿意，你抱怨說：

No matter how much you do, you can never do enough.

不管你做了多少工作，你總是做得不夠。

No matter how hard you try, you can''t fall off the floor!

不管你多努力，你也從地板上摔不下去。

注：有些事情努力也做不到。

Whatever advice you give, be brief.

不管你要給我什么建議，要簡短。

注：表明他不想聽長篇大論的建議。

Whatever bad things people say about Him, our poor old God is unable to defend Himself.

不管人們說上帝什么壞話，我們可憐年邁的上帝都不能為自己辯護。

注：幽默思維就是從不同的角度看問題，信仰上帝的人認為上帝是萬能的，這里卻認為上帝可憐年邁。

注意：whoever, whatever, whomever, whichever還可以引導名詞性從句。

You can take whatever you like.