2011/12/17

Got Paid and a Raise? Hurrah! 老闆加薪!英文說對了嗎?

發薪、加薪、升職,這些讓人開心的事,英文該怎麼說,才不會詞不達意?下面看似正確的句子,你找得出bug嗎?下回要恭喜同事或宣布自己的好消息時,就不會不小心用錯字了!

1. I got increased pay today! (x)我今天加薪了!

2. My boss paid me today. (x)今天領薪水。

3. Congratulations for your promotion! (x)恭喜你升遷!

4. I got bigger bonus this month. (x)我這個月獎金比較多。

5. I hope I will get both bonus and increased pay. (x)真希望我能拿到獎金又加薪。

6. His good work made the boss recognize him. (x)他的工作表現獲得了老闆的賞識。

Debugged

1. I got a raise today.

這是「被加薪」最精簡的講法。不需用increased當形容詞放在pay前。也可說I got higher pay today.

2. It's payday.

直接用payday(發薪日)就可完整說出「今天領薪水」。口語中,也可說I am getting paid today. 用pay動詞的被動用法來表達get paid (領薪水)。

3. Congratulations on your promotion!

雖然for有表明原因的意思,例Thank you for helping me out. 但「恭喜別人」congratulations後面需用on,再加上原因。這句也可說成更簡單的Congratulations! You got promoted!

4. I got a bigger bonus this month.

這句乍看像沒問題,但要小心bonus (紅利、績效、獎金)是一筆一筆的來算,要加上冠詞a。

5. I hope I will get both a higher bonus and higher pay.

承上句,bonus是一筆筆來看,在英文裡是可數的。反觀pay卻不可數,要表達「加薪」,英文只需說 I got higher pay. 或 I got a raise.

6. His hard work has gained the recognition of the boss.

這個字recognition (認可、賞識),在英文注重時態的邏輯裡,需要用到完成式has gained來清楚表達「老闆目前已認可此人的表現」。




作者: 吳青樺

2011/12/14

A Bad Hair Day? 是三千煩惱絲讓你抓狂了嗎?


文/吳青樺

某國際時尚雜誌曾統計並分析各國女性最在意的外觀部分,亞洲女性追求白皙無暇的肌膚(fair skin);而北美洲女性則是對於髮型有相當程度的偏執!不過,當美國人說 "I had a bad hair day!” 可不一定在抱怨他的髮型有多糟多亂!頂著一頭亂髮出門見人,的確讓人心情不佳,甚至影響一整天的辦事效率,口語中衍生出了這個和頭髮相關的俚語來形容--「諸事不順的一天」!

I had a bad hair day! First, my computer shut down this morning. And then, I forgot an important meeting with my clients. I came home with bad hair. 今天真是諸事不順!一開始是電腦在早上當機,接下來我又忘了和客戶有個重要的會議。最後心煩意亂的回到家。

原來,a bad hair day就是a day when everything seems to go wrong! (這天什麼事都不順),也可以用"It’s not my day!"來表達同樣沮喪的感受。

當然,這個俚語也是可以用來描述因為髮型不佳,而影響到一整天心情的:

Is she having a bad hair day or what? I’ve never seen hair that color before! I don’t mean toget on her case, but I’ve never met anyone who canget on my nerveslike her!
她頭髮是怎麼了?可以再糟一點!我從來沒有看過誰的頭髮是那種顏色的!無意在背後這樣說她,可是我還真的沒遇過誰可以讓我這樣受不了的!

例句中有兩個實用片語:
get on one’s case「故意針對某人去挑毛病」。

get on one’s nerves「令人抓狂」。

你被難以整理的頭髮影響心情了?下回聽到人家說I had a bad hair day可別先急著安慰對方的髮型,要適時展現關心、表現同理心,示意對方你理解他/她倒楣的心情!