每日一句英譯英：老鼠，rat or mouse?
今天鼠年有點「開年不利」，不過，從英語學習角度看，中文「鼠」在英語裡的表達「更不利」：Is it a rat or is it a mouse(mice when you have two of it).
何止是「鼠」，「牛年」「羊年」「雞年」「豬年」在英語表達裡同樣麻煩：牛年：Year of Cow,or Year of Ox,or Bull,or Buffalo? 羊年：Year of Sheep or Year of Ram,or Year of Goat? 雞年：Year of Cock(a bad word),or Year of Chicken,or Rooster?豬年：Year of Pig or Year of Boar?
這裡不討論這個問題：中國特有的表達，跟著人家約定俗成就是。
我們還是用rat和mouse做英譯英口語訓練：
1) A rat
1.Well,a rat is larger than mouse,a rat is medium-size or large size.
2. Usually we find a rat in the fields,so we call it a field rat.
會說這些高中英語比只會用中文解釋二者有什麼區別有意義的多。
2) A mouse
1. Well,a mouse is smaller than a rat.
2.We usually find a mouse in our house or our home,so we usually call it a house mouse.
3. We usually think a mouse is very cute and loving,so we usually keep a mouse as a pet,but not a pet rat.
4. And we have Mickey Mouse,too.It is cute and lovely.
我覺得能用這些英語討論rat和mouse已經足夠了，達到我們口語訓練的目的。
至於你有搞混了，可以跟人說這些英語啊！
我就會說Well,you know,one of them is larger,the othet is smaller.One is often seen in our home,and we usually keep it as a pet.
有了這樣的口語能力，你讓「真正的老外」告訴你哪個是rat，哪個是mouse吧，總好過你只會說rat和mouse兩個單詞。