問:以下一句,那個選擇正確?──I studied / had studied Japanese for one year ten years ago(我十年前學了一年日語)。
答:這一句當然應用studied。凡是說過去的事,無論是過去了一天還是十年,都應用簡單過去式動詞。過去完成式應用來說過去某件事之前發生的事,例如:(1)I could not understand a word of the English flying around me at the dinner party although I had studied the language for three years(我雖然學了英文三年,但是,在那晚宴上,周圍說的英語,我一個字都聽不懂)。(2)I do not study English as hard as I did(=studied English)twenty years ago(我現在學習英語,沒有二十年前那麼用功了)。
問:要表示某個地方可供一群狗安全居住,那地方英文怎麼說?
答:那樣的地方,可稱為a dogs' haven或a canine haven。Haven的本義是「港口」,一般用來比喻「避難所」或「安全的地方」,例如:(1)The inlet offered a haven for our boat during the storm(風暴期間,我們的船在那小水灣中得保安全)。(2)This house is a haven for tramps(這棟房子,是流浪者的庇護所)。Canine是「狗的」,例如a book on canine care是「講述養狗之道的書」,man's canine teeth是「人的犬齒」。The place is a canine / dog's haven, free from motorbikes and cars即「這裏沒有摩托車和汽車,是狗的安樂窩」。