因為(某個東西) Due To

Due to是台灣人常常會用錯的一個詞

Due to的意思是什麼呢

很多人把它當作"因為"

或者更進一步的說 當成"因為某件原因"

所以你常看到下面的句子

Dear Customer,

Due to we will have a tyhpoon this week, we won't be able to ship on time.

Due to this cake is very popular in Japan, he bought a dozen of them.

這樣的句子錯在什麼地方呢?

英文的句子結構是非常在意詞性的,這個句子就變的看的懂可是很奇怪

因為due to的意思應該是"因為某個東西"而非"因為某件事情"

所以如果你在Due to後面接一個子句就不對了

即使你想要表達的是一個事件

你還是要想辦法把它寫成一個名詞

所以第一個句子要改寫成

Dear customer, due to the typhoon hitting Taiwan this week, we are not able to ship on time.

把"因為有颱風來襲"改為"因為這個侵襲台灣的颱風"就對了

第二句則要改成

Due to its popularity in Japan, he bought a dozen of these cakes.

如果你覺得你轉不過來

那就要改成As或是because

另外

如果因為的原因是一個正面的原因

你也可以把due to改為thanks to

比如

Thanks to her diligence, the project was completed long before the deadline.

(因為她的勤勉,專案比期限早很多完成)

Thanks to its powerful beak, Bisou can crack very hard nuts.

(因為牠強壯的喙,比朱可以吃很硬的堅果)

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撕碎 Rip Something Apart

小鸚最喜歡撕碎東西了

尤其是母小鸚

喜歡撕碎紙條往屁股上插

撕碎東西的講法叫Rip something apart

Poulet ripped the paper bag apart(布蕾把紙袋撕碎了)

She ripped his heart apart (她讓他心碎了)

布蕾又要去撕我的東西了

我們下次再聊

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剛巧碰到 come across

To come across有好多意思

第一個意思是巧遇 剛好遇到 碰巧找到

I came across a green bird on my way back home.

(我在回家的路上巧遇一隻青鳥)

She came across this gashapon in the City filled with little bird models.

(她在市區找到這台都是鳥公仔的扭蛋機)

第二個意思是看起來顯得怎樣怎樣

Bisou came across as shy when I first found her in the pet shop. That impression can't be wronger I later found out.

(比朱一開始在寵物店裡看起來很害羞,這個第一印象真是大錯特錯)

If you happen to come across me or Bisou, make sure that you say hello to us!
(如果你在路上巧遇比朱記得和我們打招呼喔!)

盡其可能 Go out of one's way

Go out of one's way的意思就是特別的努力 用盡所有方法去做某件事

別人可能都不會想到你會這麼努力的那種努力法

Bisou goes out of her way to keep its feathers clean and shinny, for which she takes a lot of showers in Summer.

(比朱盡其可能讓羽毛乾淨閃亮)

Mommy goes out of her way to make sure that the office AC is set at a reasonable temperature to avoid wasting energy.

(媽咪盡其可能讓辦公室的冷氣溫度合理不要浪費能源)

I go out of my way to take buses when I travel

(當我旅行時總會盡量搭公車)
My uncle goes out of his way to ride scooters to work.
(我叔叔盡可能都騎摩托車去上班)

What do you go out of your way to do?

很消火 put someone off something

夏天到了，到處都熱

但是如果你想做甚麼事卻碰到一些麻煩事

可能就會讓你很消火 很沒勁了

比如

His way of eating really puts me off

(他的吃相讓我很倒胃)

Not being able to expense the trip put him off traveling to Europe.

(不能報公帳讓他打消了去歐洲的念頭)

Put off的另一個意思是延遲做某件事，特別是由於你不想做

I can't put off cleaning the bird cages any more

(我不能再拖拉不清理鳥籠了)

因此比朱媽咪要去清鳥籠了，掰掰~

小題大作 Make a fuss over

今天要講的是Make a fuss over something意思是"大驚小怪/小題大作"
鳥兒新陳代謝快 常便便所以鳥爸媽第一件要學會的是就是和鳥便便和平相處
比朱如果便便到媽咪身上 會笑咪咪地跟媽咪說
Don't make a fuss over it. It's just POO. Keep calm and wipe it off!
如果當做不及物動詞,有太過寵愛某樣東西的意思:
E.g. The old man fusses over his grandson 這個老人暱愛他的孫子
也可以是大吵大鬧惹人注目的意思Dinner will be here soon, please don't make a fuss!
單字:
Fuss 大驚小怪
poo 便便

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Preaching to The Congregation

今天要學的是preaching to the congregation

意思是"白費唇舌和跟自己心意相同的人傳道"

Preach是講道

Congregation是教眾

所以當你說you are preaching to the congregation，意思就是我和你的想法是一樣的，別忙著說服我了

那這個用起來是正面還是負面的感覺呢

其實沒有不好的意思喔

通常有人跟你講的話正是你所想的

你就可以這麼說

比如如果媽咪在比朱的粉絲專頁宣導說不要害怕禽流感

那就是preaching to the congregation

因為會來看的人都是愛鳥人士啊

又

很多人說preaching to the congregation其實是不正確的講法

因為牧師本來就要對教眾講道的

所以應該是preaching to the choir "對唱詩班講道"

他們都聽了幾百遍啦

不過還是很常很常有人說preaching to the congregation唷

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翻白眼 Roll Your Eyes

比朱在家聽新聞，聽說有人要去玩還叫別人捐錢，比朱就翻了白眼
翻白眼的英文叫做Eye rolling
Arrogant fund raising makes Bisou roll her eyes.