問：「望眼欲穿」或「等到頸都長」，可不可譯做I've been waiting for ages？
答：「伸長脖子去望」，英文叫做to crane one's neck to see，那crane作名詞，指「鶴」；作動詞，指脖子伸得鶴頸那麼長，例如：To get a better view of the carnival procession, those standing at the back had to crane their necks（站在後面的，得伸長脖子，看嘉年華隊伍）。Crane one's neck to see和廣東話所謂「望到頸都長」，意思當然不同。
「望眼欲穿」和「等到頸都長」，意思也有點分別，一可譯做to look forward to something eagerly，一可譯做to wait for ages。要加強語氣，可用for what seems like an eternity（像是永恒那麼久）這說法，例如：（1）I have been looking forward to this day for what seems like an eternity（我望眼欲穿，等候這一天）。（2）I waited for what seemed like an eternity / I waited so long that time ceased to exist（我等了不知多少時間）。永恒之中，時間觀念自然泯滅。Time ceases to exist（時間不復存在）也就是「永恒」的意思。
問：我的外籍英文導師說，香港人多誤解as soon as possible一詞，以為是指「盡快」，殊不知那是「不用急，可以不理」的意思，對嗎？
答：「盡快」的意思，很難界定，同一件「盡快」要做的事，甲可能明天就做好，乙卻可能明年才做好。所以，真要盡快，最好說明期限，不要說as soon as possible。