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文法a
| 要是先生說：「明天天氣不好，你們不用來了！」真是太好了。 |
It would be jolly good, if the teacher says, "Tomorrow
the weather will be bad, and there is no need to come",
Note 1: The base pattern is 要是Ａ，Ｂ which is of the English
pattern: "if A, then B". 要是 stands together as a single
logical marker meaning "if".
Note 2: What the teacher say is of the form Ａ說：「Ｂ」where Ｂ
is a quoted statement. This construction differs markedly in
punctuation from its English counterpart.
Note 3: The base pattern of the teacher's utterance is of
the form Ａ不好，不用Ｂ了. In other words A is not good, and B does not
have to be performed as a result. The cause and effect relationship
between Ａ and Ｂis understood.
Note 4: 真是 appears to be an exclamatory affirmation of the
speaker's opinion about what the teacher said. The whole phrase
真是太好了is translated here as "It would be jolly good".
Other possible translations might be: "It would be too good
to be true", "It would be too good to believe".
Note 5: The function of 了after 太好 appears to indicate how
things would become, if the teacher really says, what the speaker
would like to hear. It indicates an expectation on the part of
the speaker with regard to what could result.
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| 用來寫字跟看書的桌子是書桌，用來吃飯的是甚麼﹖ |
A table used for reading and writing is a desk, what is
a table used for eating?
Note 1: The base pattern of the first clause is Ａ跟Ｂ的Ｃ是Ｄ where
Ａ and Ｂ are attributes of Ｃ that make it Ｄ. Specifically Ａ and
Ｂ are uses of Ｃ indicated by the phrase 用來Ａ and 用來Ｂ where Ａ and
Ｂ are verbs that express activities for which Ｃ is commonly used.
Note 2: The base pattern of the second clause is 用來Ｅ的（Ｃ）是甚麼
﹖where Ｅ is another use of Ｃ that would make it Ｄ or something
else. The speaker wants to know what that something else is.
Having already explained Ｃ in the first clause, there is no need
to repeat it in the second.
Note 3: As is so often the case 甚麼 replaces the noun which
is the answer to the question that 甚麼 asks. No change in word
order is necessary.
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| 從前到他的家去，都是坐船的，這次我坐車，因為可以快些。 |
1) Previous to now I always took a boat to get to his house,
this time I will take a car, because it is faster.
2) Previous to now getting to his house was also a matter
of taking a boat; this time I will go by car, because it is faster.
Note 1: The base patterns for this sentence appear to be 從前Ａ,
這次Ｂ，囚為Ｃ. Where Ｂ is an activity that replaces Ａ for the reason
given by Ｃ. In this case activity Ａis 坐船到他的家去 and activity Ｂis
坐車到他的家去. The reason for switching from activity Ａ to activity
Ｂ is given by 我可以去快些。從前Ａ refers to an activity that occurred
before "previous to now", and 這次 refers to an activity
that takes place "this time".
Note 2: Although the pattern 從前Ａ，這次Ｂis straight forward the
resulting construction is not. The base pattern for the phrase
從前到他的家去，都是坐船的 appears to be 從前Ａ（的事），都是Ｂ的（事）where what is written
in parentheses is understood. In other words the matter of getting
to his house, was also a matter of boarding a boat.
Note 3: Some have suggested that the word 的 should simply
be ignored in this instance, because it adds no additional meaning.
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| 你每天在外頭吃飯，要用很多錢，來我們家吃，好不好﹖ |
You eat out every day and spend much money. Why don't you
come and eat with us?
Note 1: The base pattern of this sentence is Ａ，Ｂ，Ｃ好不好﹖where
Ａ and Ｂare the reason for suggesting Ｃ. The cause and effect
relationship between Ａ,Ｂ, and Ｃ is assumed.
Note 2: The word order of the first phrase is that which we
would expect: subject + temporal adverb + location + verb: 你每天在外頭吃飯.
The second phrase 要用很多錢 builds on the first, in so far as the
subject is understood. The subject of the third phrase is also
that of the first.
Note 3: Though translated as "spend", a more literal
translation of 要用 might be "must use" or "require".
In light of the speaker's suggestion and his implied reason for
the suggestion, a more literal translation appears unnecessary.
Note 4: The more formal construction 到我們家來 has been replaced
with the less formal construction 來我們家. Notice that the possessive
prepositional modifier 的 is not necessary between 我們 and 家.
Note 5: Eat out is rendered here as 在外頭吃飯. 在外頭 tells where
the eating 吃飯 takes place.
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| 昨天他放了一塊錢在桌上，今天不見了。 |
Yesterday he put a dollar on the table, and today it is
gone.
Note 1: The base pattern for the entire sentence is 昨天他Ａ了，今天Ｂ了where
Ａand Ｂare activities performed by the same subject 他. Placing
the temporal adverb at the beginning of each phrase allows for
good temporal contrast. Both events Ａand Ｂappear to take place
in the past, as both verbs 放 and 見 are followed by the character
了.
Note 2: The base pattern of the first phrase is Ａ放Ｂ在Ｃ上 where
Ａis the agent that place Ｂon Ｃ. Previous examples suggest that
the adverb of location 在桌上 is improperly placed, because it does
not occur before the verb. Perhaps this can be explained, in
so far as 在桌上 is the place where the action is received rather
than the place where it occurs.
Note 3: Does 見 mean to see or to be visible? In note 1 I assumed
the former, but in the translation I chose the latter. In this
instance it probably does not make a big difference, but in another
it might.
Note 4: 塊 is the counter for money. So, 一塊錢 appears to mean
one of an unspecified currency. In Mandarin 一塊錢 translates as
"one yuan". In translation I have rendered it as "one
dollar", as it probably refers to Hong Kong money.
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| 他的衣服太長，不好看，短一些會好些。 |
1) His clothes are too long and do not look good. Shorten
them a little, and they would look better.
2) His clothes are too long and do not look good. They
would look better, if they were a little shorter.
Note 1: The base pattern is ＡＢ，不好看，Ｃ會好些, where Ｂis some charactertistic
of Ａwhich detracts from its appearance. If Ｃ occurs then Ａwould
look better. In this case Ａis 他的衣服, Ｂis the characteristic 太長,
and Ｃ is 短一些.
Note 2: One interpretation of the phrase 短一些 is that of a
verb phrase meaning to "make shorter", "shorten
a little", or "shorten somewhat". 一些 is used as
an adverb of measurement telling how short.
Note 3: Another interpretation of the phrase 短一些 is that of
an adjectival phrase with adverbial modification meaning shorter.
This second interpretation corresponds to the second translation.
Note 3: 會 seems to indicate some sort of conditional future
in this context.
Note 4: The meanings of the character 些 in the phrase 好些 and
in the phrase 一些 are apparently different. In the first it takes
on the meaning of 的 in spoken Cantonese, and indicates more.
In the second it appears more idiomatic in combination with 一
in the phrase 一些 and means some or a little.
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| 他說：「孩子們的衣服都舊了，給他們買些新的，好嗎﹖」 |
He says, "The children's clothes have all become worn.
What if you were to buy them some new ones?"
Note 1: The base pattern is of course Ａ說：「Ｂ﹖」.
Note 2: One cannot know from what is said whose children 孩子們
are in question.
Note 3: 舊了 indicates that something has become old. This notion
is often rendered in English as "become worn". 都 apparently
emphasizes that all of the clothes have become worn.
Note 4: The base pattern for the phrase 給他們買些新的 is 給Ａ買些Ｂwhere
Ｂis what the speaker is recommending should be purchased for
Ａ -- the children, whose clothes are worn and to whom the speaker
refers with the pronoun 他們.
Note 5: 些 appears to modify the verb 買telling how much or
how many -- in this case, "some" new clothes. 新的 is
probably an abbreviation for 新的衣服.
Note 5: 好嗎 is the tag question marker that renders the entire
statement into a suggestion.
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| 這張桌子是在那個鋪子買的，不很美，可是很有用。 |
This table is the one bought in that store. It is not a
beautiful table, but it is very useful.
Note 1: The base patterns for this phrase are Ａ是Ｂ的（Ａ） and
（Ａ）不Ｃ，可是Ｄ, where Ａ is the understood subject of the second pattern,
是Ｂ的 （Ａ）is a predicate noun describing Ａ in the first pattern,
and Ｄ and Ｃ are or are not attributes of Ａ, respectively.
Note 2: 張 is the counter for 桌子 and is used in combination
with the definite pronoun 這 to tell which 桌子.
Note 3: 在那個鋪子買的（桌子）is a relative clause used as a predicate
noun indicating which table. 桌子 is the understood noun after
的 .
Note 4: 有用 apparently means useful. It is not clear whether
this is a compound verb or something else. Maybe a future example
will reveal its identity. Perhaps 用 can be used either as a verb
or a noun, in which case it would mean utility in this context.
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| 我的家有五個大人，每天都要坐船跟坐車去做事。 |
There are five adults in my family. Everyday they board
a boat and train (some vehicle) to go to work.
Note 1: The base patterns for this sentence are Ａ有Ｂ and （Ａ）都要坐Ｃ跟坐Ｄ去Ｅ,
where Ａis the speaker's family, Ｂare the number of adult members
in the speaker's family, Ｅis the activity which Ｂperform after
boarding Ｃand Ｄ and travelling.
Note 2: My family is written as 我的家. Why it is not written
as 我家 is not clear. Perhaps it is because the speaker is not
the head of the family -- namely, a lesser feeling of possession.
Note 3: 每天 means every or each day.
Note 4: 跟 means "and" in the second clause but indicates
no particular order of action. It appears that everyone must
board a boat and a train.
Note 5: 去做事 means "go to work".
Note 6: 坐車 could refer to any number of different vehicles
including a train, a car, a bus, etc. In this context it probably
refers to a train, but not necessarily.
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| 他真是你的家人嗎﹖怎麼不跟你住呢﹖ |
Is he really a member of your family? So, why does he not
live with you?
Note 1: The base pattern of the question is Ａ真是Ｂ嗎﹖where Ａis
the person 他 about whom the speaker inquires, and Ｂis who the
speaker believes Ａ might Ｂ. 嗎 indicates that a question is asked.
Note 2: The base pattern of the second sentence is 怎麼不Ｃ呢﹖where
Ｃ is an activity that Ａdoes not do -- in this case 跟你住.
Note 3: 跟你住 means "live with you". In other words
the speaker does not understand why a member of the same family
does not live with his family. 怎麼 asks the question "Why?"
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