There are many differences between American and British English on the subject of education. Here are some of them.
In the UK, students go to a university for an academic degree and to a college for more skills-based vocational training; in US English, college also refers to a university in which one gets their bachelor’s degree.
In the UK, a student is someone studying in a college or university, while a child in elementary — or primary — school is called a pupil. In the US, a student is anyone studying, from elementary school up through university. Someone in the US who has completed their bachelor’s degree and is pursuing a further degree is called a graduate student; in British English, the term is postgraduate student. The system used in the US to refer to the four years as an undergraduate — freshman, sophomore, junior and senior — is not used in the UK, where they simply say first/second/third and final year student.
In both countries, the word “class” refers to the unit of people you are studying with (as in, “I was in the same class as your brother in senior high school”). In the US, a class is also a course of instruction in a given subject (as in, “I’m taking a class in math”) but in the UK this would be called a course (“I’m taking a course in maths”). The idea of class collectively referring to every student graduating in a certain year (“I was in the class of 1997”) does not exist in the UK.
Finally, in the US, class is the specific period during which you are taught (“What time is your math class today?”) but in the UK they would use lesson for this (“What time is your maths lesson?”).
(Paul Cooper, Taipei Times)
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
照片:維基共享資源
美式英文和英式英文的教育用語有許多差異,此處介紹幾個例子。
在英國,學生到「university」(大學)去攻讀學位,而到「college」(學院)去接受比較屬於技能方面的職業訓練。在美式英文中,「college」也指可修讀學士學位的大學。
在英國,「student」(學生)是指在「university」或「college」就讀的人,而上小學──「elementary school」(或「primary school」)的孩子則稱為「pupil」(小學生)。在美國,從小學到大學的學生都可稱為「student」。已獲學士學位並繼續深造的學生,在美國稱為「graduate student」(研究生∕博士生),而英式英文則是說「postgraduate student」。美國稱呼大一生至大四生的用語分別是「freshman」、「sophomore」、「junior」、「senior」,但英國並未採用這套用語,而只是稱為「first year student」、「second year student」、「third year student」,以及「final year student」。
在英、美兩國,「class」都是指「班級」──例如,「I was in the same class as your brother in senior high school.」(我高中和你哥哥同班)。在美國,「class」也是一門課的教學課程──例如,「I’m taking a class in math」(我修數學課),但在英國則是用「course」這個字──例如,「I’m taking a course in maths」。美國的「class」也有「屆」的意思──例如,「I was in the class of 1997」(我是一九九七級/一九九七年畢業的一屆),但在英國並沒有這樣的用法。
最後,「class」在美國也指上課的特定時段──例如「What time is your math class today?」(你今天幾點上數學課?),但在英國則是用「lesson」這個字──「What time is your maths lesson?」。
(台北時報林俐凱譯)
A: Yet another shopping mall has just opened in Taipei. B: Do you mean the Mitsui Shopping Park LaLaport Nangang? A: Yeah, the shopping mall run by Japanese Mitsui & Co. opened last week. B: I hear the mall features about 300 stores, Vieshow Cinemas and Japanese Lopia supermarket. A: With the opening, a war is breaking out between Taipei’s department stores. A: 台北又有新的購物商場可逛啦。 B: 你是說Mitsui Shopping Park LaLaport 南港? A: 對啊這家日本三井集團旗下的商場上週開幕。 B: 聽說商場有威秀影城、樂比亞日系超市,還有多達300家專櫃。 A: 新商場一開幕,看來又要掀起一場百貨大戰啦! (By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times/台北時報張迪)
A: Hey, didn’t you go to the opening of the Mitsui Shopping Park LaLaport Nangang last week? B: Yeah, there are about 300 shops, including the first overseas branch of Japan’s Mahou Dokoro — a famous Harry Potter-themed store. A: Wow, I’ve always wanted to get a magic wand. B: There are also a bunch of great restaurants, such as Smart Fish hotpot restaurant. A: I wish I had Harry Potter’s “apparition” and “disapparition” magic, so I could teleport to the mall right now. A: 你上週不是有去LaLaport南港的盛大開幕嗎?有什麼特別的? B: 那裡有多達300家專櫃,包括魔法之地的海外首店——它可是日本知名的《哈利波特》專賣店。 A: 哇我一直想買根魔杖。 B: 另外還有各式各樣的美食,像是林聰明沙鍋魚頭。 A: 真希望我也有哈利波特的「現影術/消影術」魔法,能瞬間移動到商場去! (By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times/台北時報張迪)
When it comes to movies, some people delight in watching spine-chilling horror films. Surprisingly, apart from containing a few scares, horror movies may also offer an unexpected __1__. According to a study, watching 90 minutes of a scary movie can burn an average of 113 calories, which is roughly __2__ to taking a 30-minute walk. Researchers from the University of Westminster carried out an experiment in which they __3__ participants’ oxygen intake, carbon dioxide output, and heart rates while they were watching horror movies without any distractions. The results revealed that physiological responses to fear play a crucial role
Dos & Don’ts — 想想看,這句話英語該怎麼說? 1. 你覺得這部電影怎樣? ˇ What do you think of the movie? χ How do you like the movie? χ How do you think of the movie? 註︰What do you think of = What is your opinion of。 think 的受詞是 what,不能用 how。 2. 你認為哪一個歌星唱得最好? ˇ Which singer do you think is the best? χ Do you think which singer is the best? 註︰英語中 which singer 似乎是 do you think 的受詞,實則 do you think 是插入語,其他例子如下: 你以為他喜歡誰? Who do you think he likes? 你以為我住在哪裏? Where do you think I live? 你想我昨天在公園裏碰到了誰? Whom/Who do you think I met in the park yesterday? 3. 他不論到什麼地方,總是帶著一把雨傘。 ˇ No matter where he goes, he