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文法a
| 從這裡坐火車去香港，十分鐘就到了，不是很快嗎﹖ |
One boards the train for Hong Kong here. It takes only
10 minutes. Isn't it fast?
Note 1: The base pattern of the first sentence part is 從這裡坐Ａ去Ｂ，Ｃ分鐘就到了where
Ｂis the destination to which one travels in Ｃ minutes. The starting
point is where one is at.
Note 2: The pattern of the second sentence part is 不是Ｄ嗎﹖It
appears to mean the same as 是不是Ｄ嗎.
Note 3: The phrase 從這裡 means "from here".
Note 4: 到了 apparently means to arrive. It is not clear whether
it is a compound verb, or a special use of 了 used in combination
with 到 to express finality. It is obviously not an indicator
of past tense.
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| 他們在外頭等了半天了，你還不去，他們會生氣的。 |
They have been waiting outside for a very long time. If
you do not go now, they could become angry.
Note 1: The base pattern of the first sentence part is Ａ在Ｂ等了Ｃ了
where Ａ has waited at Ｂ for some length of time Ｃ.
Note 2: The base pattern for the second sentence part is Ａ還不Ｃ，Ｂ會生氣的
where Ｃ is something that Ａ has yet to do that could cause Ｂ
to become angry.
Note 3: 等了could mean either "have waited" or "have
been waiting". The latter appears to be more correct in
this instance, because the listener has yet to go -- namely,
還不去. This suggests that the others are still waiting.
還不去 means "yet to go" or "still have not gone".
In effect the speaker is telling the listener, "You still
have not gone" or "You are still here". I have
captured this meaning with the word "now", meaning
that the listener has probably overextended a reasonable waiting
time.
Note 4: In the phrase 他們會生氣的 the word 會 suggests that those
waiting may or may not be angry, but could certainly become angry,
if the listener does not go right away.
Note 5: In this context the word 的 is probably best ignored.
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| 他回來了，我想明天請他吃飯，好不子﹖ |
He has returned, and I intend to invite him for dinner
tomorrow. What do you think?
Note 1: The base pattern of the first sentence is ＡＢ了 where
Ｂ is some completed action that Ａ has performed. In this case
the completed action is composed of the compound verb 回來 and
the past tense indicator 了.
Note 2: The base pattern of the second sentence is Ａ想請ＢＣ，好不好﹖where
Ａintends (is thinking about inviting) to invite Ｂto do Ｃ and
seeks the approval of the listener.
Note 3: 明天 (tomorrow) is the time when the speaker plans to
invite the person who has returned. It is placed before the verb
that it modifies.
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| 他甚麼時候回家呢﹖要是他回來了，告訴我吧。 |
What time is he coming home? Let me know if he returns.
Note 1: The base pattern for the question is Ａ葚麼時候Ｂ呢﹖where
Ｂis some action that Ａ expects to occur, but does not know when.
Note 2: The base pattern of the second phrase is 要是ＡＢ了，告訴Ｃ吧
where Ｃ wants the listener to notify him, when Ａ has completed
Ｂ. A more simpler rendering of the base pattern would be 要是Ａ，告訴Ｂwhere
Ｂwants to know whether Ａoccurs, and tells the listener to notify
him.
Note 3: 吧 indicate that either a request or command has been
made.
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| 前幾天我寫了信給你，你為甚麼還不回信﹖ |
I wrote a letter to you a few days ago. Why have you still
not replied?
Note 1: The base pattern for the first sentence part is 前幾天ＡＣ了Ｄ給Ｂwhere
Ａperforms some action Ｃ了Ｄ for Ｂ.
Note 2: The base pattern for the second sentence part is Ａ為甚麼還不Ｂ﹖in
which the speaker asks why Ａ still has not performed Ｂ.
Note 3: 前幾天 means "several days before" or more
correctly in this context "several days ago". This
phrasing appears particular to Chinese, as a Japanese would normally
place the word 前 after the words that it modifies.
Note 4: The word order is especially important in the phrase
我寫了信給你 for two reasons: one, we learn that 寫信 is separable; and
two, the phrase 給Ａ occurs after the direct object of the verb.
了 indicates that the verb 寫 is a completed action.
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| 現在是甚麼時候了﹖是不是晚上十一點﹖ |
What time is it now? Is it not past 11:00 PM?
Note 1: The sentences 現在是甚麼時候了﹖and 是不是晚上十一點﹖are closely related,
but each can stand alone. The first asks how late it has become
by asking for the exact time, and the second asks, if it is not
11:00 PM. Together the speaker wants to know, if it is past 11:00
PM.
Note 2: The base pattern of the first appears to be Ａ是甚麼Ｂ了﹖In
other words Ｂ is a kind of Ａ about which the speaker wants to
know more -- in this case the time at present. The 了 appears
to indicate a certain finality in the speaker's attitude towards
Ａ. It gives the impression that the speaker has been thinking
for sometime about Ａ and has finally decided to ask.
Note 3: The base pattern of the second sentence is 是不是Ａ點﹖,
where Ａ is the time that the speaker believes it to be and about
which he asks for confirmation. The word order 晚上十一 is both crucial
and typical - general time (evening) occurs before exact time
(11:00). More simply 11:00 PM.
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| 我小的時候，天天都跟朋友去火車站看火車。 |
When I was little, I went to the station everyday with
my friends and watched the trains.
Note 1: The base patternＡ去ＢＣ where Ａis the subject 我 and Ｂ
is the place to where Ａ goes to perform Ｃ -- namely, 我去火車站看火車.
Note 2: The phrase 小的時候 clearly indicates that the action
took place in the past; thus, the verbs 去 and 看 must be translated
as went and watched. 小的時候 must refer to the time when the speaker
was very young.
Note 3: The order of the adverbial phrases is probably worth
noting: time of action 小的時候, frequency of action 天天都, persons
with whom the subject acts 跟朋友. The comma between 小的時候 and 天天都
does not appear necessary. All three phrases occur between the
subject 我 and the verb phrase 去火車站看火車.
Caution: Another interpretation of 我小的時候 might be 我的小的時候 where
的 is understood, and the entire phrase is used as an introductory
statement to the clause which follows. With this interpretation
我 becomes an understood subject of the second clause 夭夭都跟朋友去火車站看火車.
Note 4: The 都 in the phrase 天天都 emphasizes the notion of 天天,
and can be interpreted to mean everyday without exception. This
apparently follows a more common pattern ＸＸ都.
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| 明天你可以跟我一塊兒送張太太的孩子回家嗎﹖ |
Can you spend some time with me tomorrow taking Mrs. Cheung's
child home.
Note 1: The base pattern of the sentence is Ａ可以送Ｂ回家嗎﹖where
Ａ is 你 and Ｂis 張太太 的孩子. 嗎 is the usual question marker when asking
for someone's consent about something.
Note 2: Important here is the placement of the temporal adverbs
明天 and 一塊兒. 明天 tells when the action will take place, and occurs
at the very beginning of the sentence before the subject. 一塊兒
tells for how long the action will take place and occurs just
before the verb.
Note 3: Once again, it is a temporal Chinese adverb that indicates
the English tense of the verb. In this case 明天 employed with
送Ｂ回家 means "will take Ｂ home tomorrow". Thus, the Chinese
simple past can indicate the future and past in addition to the
present.
Note 4: The placement of the adverbial phrase 跟我 and 一塊兒 appears
somewhat arbitrary, but may have more to do with tonal harmony
than meaning.
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| 他拿了我的新衣服賣給他的朋友，我真生他的氣。 |
I am really angry at him for having taken my new clothes
and sold them to his friends.
Note 1: The base pattern of the first phrase is Ａ拿了Ｂ賣給Ｃ。Where
了indicates that 拿Ｂ賣給Ｃ is a past action performed by Ａ. Ｂis what
Ａtook -- namely, the speaker's new clothes 我的新衣服. Ｃ are the people
他的朋友 to whom Ａlater sold the speaker's clothes -- his friends.
Note 2: The base pattern of the second phrase is Ａ生Ｂ的氣, which
means that Ａbecomes angry with Ｂ. The word 生 in this context
apparently means to "cause", "bring about",
or "give rise to". Ｂ的氣 is the "air" of another.
When one becomes angry surely the air of the other becomes heated.
Note 3: The word 真 in this context indicates emphasis.
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| 我不知道香港現在有多少英國人會說中國話。 |
I do not know how many Englanders in Hong Kong today can
speak Chinese .
Note 1: The base pattern is Ａ不知道Ｂ, where Ｂis something that
Ａ does not know.
Note 2: The base pattern of what is not known is given by
Ａ有多少Ｂwhere Ｂis something that Ａ has, and the speaker wants to
know how many of Ｂthere are. In this case Ｂis 英國人會說中國話 -- namely,
English people who can speak Chinese.
Note 3: 現在 indicates the present.
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