2016年6月6日星期一

【英文本色】Even though 和 although 的分別

由淺入深，未說 even though 和 although 之前，先看看 although 和 though 的分別。

基本上，although 和 though 的意思是一樣的，而 though 就會比較口語化一點。看看以下兩句，意思完全一樣。

Although we were not that close, he shared with me a lot of his secrets.

Though we were not that close, he shared with me a lot of his secrets.

兩者的最大分別，就是 though 可以放在句子的最尾，但 although 絕不可以。你同我講，Amy 好好人㗎，然後我就話，但係我唔鍾意佢喎。英文你可以話，I don't like her though，但千祈唔可以講 I don't like her although。

至於 even though 和 although 的分別，其實是很微妙的。首先，一般情況下，兩者是可以互相通用的。

Although we were not that close, he shared with me a lot of his secrets.

Even though we were not that close, he shared with me a lot of his secrets.

不過，如果我自己講或寫出嚟嘅話，我通常都會覺得，although 同 even though 其實係有兩個分別。

第一個分別，用 although 嘅話，比較隨意，前面講「好」後面講「壞」又得，前面講壞後面講好亦得。舉個例，先是前好後壞：

Although I am rich, I am sad.

然後是前壞後好：

Although I am poor, I am happy.

但如果是 even though 的話，很少會是前壞後好的，通常都是前好後壞。

Even though she worked really hard, she got fired. 前好後壞，呢句用 even though 冇問題。

Even though she was lazy, she got promoted. 前壞後好，呢句用 even though 怪怪哋，用 although 會好啲。

第二個分別，even though 和 although 都是在說明一個「雖然但是」的關係，但 even though 所說明的反差，通常是更加明確和巨大的。說得清楚一點，even though 那個明確的反差，是因為在前面建立了一個很大的「期望」。

舉個例。

法國足球隊上半場領先七比零，係人都估佢哋今場贏梗，點知最後竟然輸七比八畀英格蘭。

Even though France was ahead by seven goals in the first half, they ended up losing to England.
謝菲老師（魏徵）
酷愛英文，劉家傑是永遠偶像，幾乎背得出當年《英語一分鐘》的每集內容。

電郵：jing.ngai@outlook.com
（《英文本色》專欄逢周三及周日網上刊出）