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文法a
| 他住在又一村，那個地方又美又高
貴。 |
He lives in Yau Yat Chuen. It is a beautiful and
very expensive place to live.
Note 1: The base pattern of the first phrase is Ａ住在Ｂ,
where Ｂis the place where Ａ lives. In spoken Cantonese the verb
住在 is replaced with 住係.
Note 2: The base pattern for the second phrase is
Ａ又Ｂ又Ｃ, where Ｂand Ｃare characteristics of Ａ. The pattern
Ａ又Ｂ又Ｃis an elaboration of the simpler pattern ＡＢ，ＡＣ. In this case Ａ is
又一村: that place, or the previously mentioned place -- namely, 那個地方.
The characteristics Ｂ and Ｃare 美 and 高貴, respectively.
Note 3: Literally translated the expression 高貴 means
highly valued. I have rendered it here as very expensive.
Note 4: As is usually the case, the counter 個 is
necessary when using 那 as a demonstrative pronoun telling which
location -- 地方.
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| 這個山有那個山那麼高，可是沒有那個山那麼美 |
This mountain is as high as that one,
but not as beautiful.
Note 1: The base pattern for this sentence is
Ａ有Ｂ那麼Ｃ，可是沒有Ｂ那麼Ｄ, where Ａ and Ｂ are compared with respect to the
qualities Ｃ and Ｄ. Though Ａ and Ｂ are similar with respect to quality
Ｃ, Ａ does not match Ｂ with respect to Ｄ.
In this case, two mountains are compared: one which is close relative
to the speaker -- namely, 這個山; and one which is far from the speaker --
namely, 那個山. The qualities by which the two mountains are compared are
height and beauty. These qualities are expressed as adjectives in the
form 高 and 美.
Note 2: The opposite of Ａ有Ｂ那麼Ｃ is Ａ沒有Ｂ那麼Ｃ. In both cases Ａ is compared
with Ｂ with respect to Ｃ. In the first case Ａ compares well with Ｂ. In
the second Ａfalls short of Ｂ.
Note 3: These methods of comparison are grammatically awkward for
English speakers. Consider the following patterns by way of example:
1) 他高，你不高。
2) 你沒有他那麼高。
In English these two comparisons translate as
1) He is tall, you are not tall.
2) You are not as tall as he.
In English both comparisons use the predicate adjective construction.
In Chinese the first comparison uses predicate adjectives, the second
does not. In the second comparison 高 appears
to behave as a noun meaning height. In the first 高 appears
to function as an adjective meaning high.
Note 4: Always the counter 個 appears between the demonstrative
adjective and the noun which follows. As it were, 這個山 and 那個山.
Note 5: The construction 那麼Ｃor 那麼Ｄ as an expression of comparison
appears standard and can probably be found elsewhere.
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| 謝先生下個禮拜才去英國，因為他怕這個禮拜天氣不好。 |
Mr. Tse will not leave for England
until next week, because he fears this week's weather will not be good.
Note 1: The base pattern for this sentence is Ａ，因為Ｂwhere Ａcorresponds
to Mr. Tse's putting off his travel to English until next week, and Ｂis
the reason for his having done so. As the Chinese is written entirely
in the present tense, the English verb tense must be fashioned
according to the probable meaning.
Note 2: The base pattern of the first clause is ＡＢ才去Ｃ, where Ｃ is the
place to where Ａwill go, but not until Ｂ. In this case 謝先生 will not go
to 英國 until 下個禮拜
Note 3: 上 and 下 are commonly used to express time that occurs
before and after a particular moment, respectively. The counter 個 must
be employed with 下 to express this notion with 禮拜.
Note 4: The base pattern of the second clause is Ａ怕Ｂ, where Ｂis
something that Ａ fears. In this case it is the reason that Ａwill not go
to England until next week. The reason is of course that 這個禮拜天氣不好
--namely, this week's weather is not good. Of course one cannot know,
if this weeks weather is good or bad until the week has finished. Thus,
in English the present tense is inappropriate.
Note 5: Once again the counter 個 is employed with 禮拜 in order to
indicate which week -- namely this week 這個禮拜.
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| 謝太太喜歡午飯的時候吃中國菜，晚飯的時候吃日本菜，每天都是這樣 |
At lunch time Mrs. Tse enjoys eating
Chinese, at dinner she eats Japanese. Everyday is the same.
Note 1: The base pattern of the entire sentence is
Ａ喜歡Ｂ，Ｃ，每天都是這𣖙, where Ｂand Ｃ are things that Ａ likes to do everyday --
in this case, eating Chinese food at lunch, and Japanese food at dinner.
Note 2: The phrases Ｂ and Ｃ are nearly identical and change only in the
words 午飯 and 晚飯, and 中國菜 and 日本菜. This repetitive sentence structure is
also commonly found in the Japanese language and reflects the rhythmic
nature of both the Japanese and Chinese languages.
The idea of lunch time and dinner time are captured by the phrases 午飯的
時候 and 晚飯的時候.
Note 3: Differentiating between Chinese and Japanese cuisine is
achieved by placing the country names before the word 菜 --
namely, 中國菜 and 日本菜.
Note 4: The word 這樣 indicates sameness.
Note 5: The phrase 每天都是 highlights the meaning of 每 as each, rather
than every. For if it meant every the word 都 would be unnecessary to
convey the notion that each day is the same.
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| 這句法文是甚麼意思，為甚麼那麼難說呢？ |
What is the meaning of this French
sentence, and why is it so difficult to pronounce?
Note 1: The base pattern of the first clause is
Ａ是甚麼意思, where Ａis something whose meaning the speaker would like to
know. The phrase 甚麼意思 asks the question "What meaing?".
Note 2 The base pattern of the second clause is 為甚麼那麼Ｂfor which
the subject is understood to be that of the first clause -- namely,
這句法文. Ｂ is a characteristic of Ａ which is present to some degree more
than what the speaker had expected before making the statement.
Though it is likely that 那麼 describes the word 難, and that the phrase
那麼難 describes 說, it is not necessarily so. What if, for example, 難說
were a compound verb that meant "difficult to say"? Then, 那麼
would serve as an adverb telling us the degree to which the sentence is
difficult to say.
Note 3: Here I have rendered 說 as pronounce, rather than to say. In
this context they probably mean the same.
Note 4: The subject phrase 這句法文 is somewhat confusing, because the term
法文 appears to have more than one meaning. In this particular context it
means "French phrase" or "French sentence" as opposed to the "French
language". 句 is used as a counter of 文, and 法文 tells us that it is a
French sentence.
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| 那個名人的名字是英才，他寫的東西很有名，他說的話是名言。 |
The name of that famous person is
Ying Tsoi. His works are well known, and his sayings are famous.
Note 1: The base pattern of the first clause is Ａ是Ｂ, where Ａis a famous
person named Ｂ. The name of the famous person is 英才 which also means
genius in written Chinese.
A more literary interpretation of the word 名字 might also allow one to
translate 英才 as genius. In other words, the person's name is
synonymous with the word genius.
Note 2: This clause is of particular interest because it highlights two
important uses of the character 名. 名字 refers to the characters of a
person's name; in effect it is the person's name expressed in writing.
名人 refers to a person who is famous; it is a person, who has a name
that is known by everyone. The use of the character 名 to express
fame is also illustrated in the second and third clauses, where it
appears in the expressions 有名 and 名言, respectively.
Note 3: The base pattern of the second clause is ＡＢ, where Ｂis the
predicate adjective 很有名. The phrase 很有名 means very famous; it describes
the works of the author -- namely, 他寫的東西. Surprizingly, 有名 is
employed as an adjective -- not as a verb phrase.
Note 4: The base pattern of the third clause is the same as the first
-- namely, Ａ是Ｂ. Like the character 名 in the word 名人, 名 in the word 名言
serves to emphasize that the spoken words 言 are well known. Thus, the
spoken words of 英才 -- namely, 他說的話 are well known sayings 名言.
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| 各位，今天我要說的話巳經說完了，明天再見吧，謝謝！ |
Ladies and gentlemen. What I needed
to say today I have already said. Tomorrow I will see you again. Thank
you.
Note 1: As 位 is a formal expression indicating
a person, 各位 probably translates well as "ladies and gentlemen".
Note 2: Though apparently little more than a formality, the use of
passive voice in the first clause is of interest. The base pattern is
Ａ巳經Ｂ完了, where Ａis something that has already been acted on in the
manner indicated by Ｂ. In this particular case Ａ is something that has
already been said 說 by the speaker -- namely, 今天我要說的話.
Note 3: 今天 refers to today, and 明天 refers to tomorrow.
Note 4: The endparticle 吧 suggests a command or request.
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| 我今天十分忙，請你下個禮拜五再來一次，好嗎？ |
I have my hands full today. Would it
be possible for you to come again next Friday?
Note 1: The key phrase in the first clause is 十分. It
means enough, plenty, or full. Thus, when used in combination with 忙,
it appears to mean busy to such an extent that one cannot do any more.
Note 2: The second clause is a request whose base pattern is 請Ａ再Ｂ一次,
where Ｂ is something that the speaker would like Ａto do again. In this
particular case Ａ refers to the listener and Ｂ his or her coming
another time.
Note 3: Once again we see the pattern 下個Ｃ, where Ｃ refers to a time
period which comes after the period in which the speaker is talking.
The speaker refers to the following Friday -- namely, 禮拜五.
Note 4: The tag question 好嗎？ asks for the listener's approval to the
speaker's suggestion.
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| 這些錢我怕用不到下個禮拜就沒有了，請你多給一些吧！ |
I am afraid this money will not be
enough, and next week I won't have any. Could you
please give me some more?
I am afraid this money will not last until next week. Could you please
give me some more.
Note 1: The base pattern for the phrase 這些錢我怕用不到 is
ＣＡ怕Ｂ不到, where Ｃ is the accusative object of Ｂ, and Ａ is the subject,
who fears that ＢＣ will not be sufficient. The concept of insufficiency
is given by 不到 which more literally means "not reach", "not
attain", or "not arrive". This notion is seconded by the
sentence part that follows -- namely, 下個禮拜就沒有了
Ｎote 2: The subject of the phrase 下個禮拜就沒有了 appears understood and is
the little money which the speaker is likely to use up.
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| 以前張少姐穿的衣服又舊又難看，現在她穿的衣服又新又美。 |
The clothes that Miss Zheung wore
before were old and ugly; the clothes she wears now are new and
beautiful.
Note 1: The base pattern for this phrase is
以前Ａ又Ｂ又Ｃ，現在Ａ又Ｄ又Ｅ. The repetition of Ａ -- namely, 張少姐的衣服 ﹣﹣
although unnecessary to the English ear, is a common feature of the
Chinese and Japanese languages with important syntatical uses
elsewhere. Thus, it should be tolerated.
Note 2: The patterns 又Ｂ又Ｃ and 又Ｄ又Ｅ have been seen before, and express
qualities of Ａ -- namely, Ｂ and Ｃ, and Ｄ and Ｅthat are of equal
importance in the mind of the speaker for each of the specified times
以前 and 現在.
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