What does that mean? 你真的瞭解這個慣用語嗎?
很多字詞並非表面所見的意思，字詞的組合會產生不同的解釋。這樣的慣用法，我們稱之為「比喻」。一個成功的比喻，作者本身必須相當瞭解字詞的源起。以下的句子為讀者介紹一個比喻及其來源。
Imagery buries itself in language and takes on new meaning. The transplanted and transformed sets of words are called “figures of speech.” For a figure of speech to be effective, however, a writer must first understand the original meaning of the phrase. The following sentence contains a common figure of speech. Its original meaning is explained.
“In the light of the teacher’s explanation, the classroom of students suddenly saw the anagram that had hidden itself in full view.”
「教師的講解讓教室裡的學生眼睛一亮，原本不甚明白的字謎豁然開朗。」
Anyone with less than perfect eyesight knows how much easier it is to read text when it is fully lit by a direct light source. The shapes of the letters grow crisp, the contrast between the white background and the black lettering becomes stark. Shadow that blurred comprehension retreats and the page is perceived in total clarity. And it all is a result of light illuminating the written matter so that the retinas of your less-than-perfect eyes can function as they are engineered to function. The thing called vision is taken for granted until light fails us and we cannot see.
視力一般的人都知道，如果有充分光線直接照耀，閱讀會容易許多。字體輪廓變得清晰，白紙黑字對比更銳利，干擾理解的陰影退去，能徹底看清書面的字句。這都是因為光線照亮了文字，讓原本不完美的眼睛視網膜徹底發揮原有的功能。我們向來把視覺看得理所當然，但沒有光線，我們也就看不見了。
Writing that the students suddenly perceived the full possibilities of a word “in the light of the teaching’s explanation” does not mean that the teacher literally threw a switch on the classroom wall. Rather, she helped the students “see” the answer by giving them hints or otherwise guiding them in the right direction. In doing so, she enlightened the students as surely as a lamp lights a page. The metaphor is an old one that plays on the concept of “seeing” with the mind’s eye. It is not so commonly used as to be a cliché; it communicates so clearly that it always seems fresh.
文中說明教師的講解讓學生眼睛一亮（in the light of the teaching’s explanation），豁然開朗，頓時了解詞彙所有意思。教師並不是真的打開牆上電燈的開關，而是提點學生，讓學生往正確方向思考，從而「看出」答案。如此一來，就像燈光照亮書頁，教師也啟發了學生。這個隱喻以心智的雙眼所見為發想，雖然並不新穎，但不致常用到成為陳腔濫調，且能清晰地傳達意義，因此總讓人耳目一新。
Imagery buries itself in language and takes on new meaning. The transplanted and transformed sets of words are called “figures of speech.” For a figure of speech to be effective, however, a writer must first understand the original meaning of the phrase. The following sentence contains a common figure of speech. Its original meaning is explained.
“In the light of the teacher’s explanation, the classroom of students suddenly saw the anagram that had hidden itself in full view.”
「教師的講解讓教室裡的學生眼睛一亮，原本不甚明白的字謎豁然開朗。」
Anyone with less than perfect eyesight knows how much easier it is to read text when it is fully lit by a direct light source. The shapes of the letters grow crisp, the contrast between the white background and the black lettering becomes stark. Shadow that blurred comprehension retreats and the page is perceived in total clarity. And it all is a result of light illuminating the written matter so that the retinas of your less-than-perfect eyes can function as they are engineered to function. The thing called vision is taken for granted until light fails us and we cannot see.
視力一般的人都知道，如果有充分光線直接照耀，閱讀會容易許多。字體輪廓變得清晰，白紙黑字對比更銳利，干擾理解的陰影退去，能徹底看清書面的字句。這都是因為光線照亮了文字，讓原本不完美的眼睛視網膜徹底發揮原有的功能。我們向來把視覺看得理所當然，但沒有光線，我們也就看不見了。
Writing that the students suddenly perceived the full possibilities of a word “in the light of the teaching’s explanation” does not mean that the teacher literally threw a switch on the classroom wall. Rather, she helped the students “see” the answer by giving them hints or otherwise guiding them in the right direction. In doing so, she enlightened the students as surely as a lamp lights a page. The metaphor is an old one that plays on the concept of “seeing” with the mind’s eye. It is not so commonly used as to be a cliché; it communicates so clearly that it always seems fresh.
文中說明教師的講解讓學生眼睛一亮（in the light of the teaching’s explanation），豁然開朗，頓時了解詞彙所有意思。教師並不是真的打開牆上電燈的開關，而是提點學生，讓學生往正確方向思考，從而「看出」答案。如此一來，就像燈光照亮書頁，教師也啟發了學生。這個隱喻以心智的雙眼所見為發想，雖然並不新穎，但不致常用到成為陳腔濫調，且能清晰地傳達意義，因此總讓人耳目一新。
Posted at 2012-09-11 10:55:41
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