生活英語對話 Episode 46: A day at the beach

本單元是關(guān)于海灘一天的對話

Michal: I'm so glad we decided to come to Brighton!

Helen: Yeah, so much better than going to the poxy World Cup in Germany.

Michal: Let's sit here on the beach. What a perfect spot for an ice-cream!

Helen: Oh, look at that guy over there. He looks nice ...tall and handsome.

Michal: Ahem, I thought you were here with me!

Man: Excuse me?

Helen: Oh, hello can we help you?

Man: I wonder if you could tell me where Brighton Pier is?

Michal: It's right over there!

Man: Oh, course it is, silly me. Thanks, bye.

Michal: Helen, how about that ice cream now?

Helen: Oh no! I can't find my purse!

Michal: It must have been that man!

Helen: Oi you! Stop!

Michal: I'll get him!

Vocabulary:(字匯)

a pier :(碼頭)

a large platform which sticks out into the sea and which people can walk along

poxy (informal):(非正式用語，毫無價值的)

rubbish, not good

a spot:(地點，場所)

a place

本單元的語言點是直接引語和間接引語，在英語中有兩種問句的句型 - 直接問句和間接問句。兩種句型意義相同，但是間接問句比較客氣, 正式 或比較沒有 質(zhì)問的口氣。 可以使用直接問句 - Where is Brighton Pier? 也可以使用比較正式和比較客氣的間接問句 - I wonder if you could tell me where Brighton Pier is?

Indirect questions

There are two main ways of asking questions - directly and indirectly. Both have the same meaning but we use indirect questions when we want to be more polite, more formal or less confrontational.

We can ask a direct question - Where is Brighton Pier? Or to be more formal or polite, we can ask an indirect question - I wonder if you could tell me where Brighton Pier is?

Word order(字的順序)

When we create indirect questions, the question (What time is it?) becomes part of a longer sentence or questions (Do you know?) and the word order changes from the order of a direct question. For example:

Direct: What time is it?

Indirect: Do you know what time it is?

Direct: Why was he late?

Indirect: Can you tell me why he was late?

Direct: What is that?

Indirect: Would you mind telling me what that is?

Using 'do'('do'的使用)

When there is no auxiliary verb (be, do have, can, will etc) in a sentence, we need to put in do, does or did when we create a direct question. When we make this into an indirect question however, we don't use the verb 'do'. For example:

Direct: When does the lesson end?

Indirect: Could you tell me when the lesson ends?

Direct: What car does she drive?

Indirect: Can you tell me what car she drives?

Direct: How did you make that cake?

Indirect: Would you mind telling me how you made that cake?

Using 'if' or 'whether':('if' 或 'whether'的使用)

If there is no question word (who, what, when, why, how) in a direct question, we need to use if or whether in the indirect question. For example:

Direct: Did she make it on time?

Indirect: Can you tell me if she made it on time?

or

Can you tell me whether she made it on time?

Direct: Is this the right bus for Oxford Street?

Indirect: Do you have any idea if this is the right bus for Oxford Street ?

Direct: Is she French?

Indirect: Do you know whether she is French (or not)?