複合字面面觀（3-3）

許長庚

November 3, 2004

作者簡介：現任政治大學英文系兼任教授，教授新聞英語----閱讀。曾任政大公企中心語言組主任，政大英文系主任、外語學院院長。

複合字面面觀（三）

E. Preposition Compounds : 以(Noun + Preposition + Noun)為構成複合字的主要成份，其中的介系詞以to. by. for 和in為主。

E-1 (N - to - N):

(a) (N - to - N): (Same):

face-to-face meeting (面對面的會議)

shoulder-to-shoulder fight (並肩作戰)

heart-to-heart talk (衷誠的談話)

eye-to-eye agreement (完全的同意)

neck-to-neck contest (不分上下的比賽)

(b) (N - to - N): (from N to N):

cover-to-cover reading (逐字逐頁的閱讀)

house-to-house sale (挨家挨戶的推銷)

coast-to-coast tour (全國性的旅遊)

(c) (N - to - N): (from A to B):

dusk-to-dawn curfew (傍晚至天亮的戒嚴)

rags-to-riches man (白手起家的人)

hand-to-mouth life (僅足餬口的生活)

cradle-to-grave plan (一生的計劃)

nine-to-five man (朝九晚五的人)

E-2 (N - by - N):

step-by-step teaching (按部就班的教學)

case-by-case basic (個別的方式)

side-by-side fight (並肩作戰)

E-3 (N - for - N):

word-for-word translation (逐字的翻譯)

eye-for-eye revenge (以眼還眼的報復)

tooth-for-tooth bloodshed (以牙還牙的流血)

tit-for-tat lashing (一報還一報的鞭打)

E-4 (N - of- ( the ) -N):

state-of-the-art hi-tech (頂棒的尖端科技)

top-of-the-line weapon (精良的武器)

wind-of-change politician (巨變中的政治人物)

run-of-the-mill affair (平凡的事物)

E-5 (N - in- ( the ) -N):

head-in-the-sand thinking (不切實際的想法)

hole-in-the-wall store (簡陋的小店)

flash-in-the-pan success (短暫的成長)

pie-in-the-sky vision (虛幻的遠景)

F. Conjunction Compounds :

F-1 (N - Conj - N):

(a) (N - and - N):

carrot-and-stick policy (軟硬兼施的政策)

salt-and-pepper issue (黑白的問題)

nickel-and-dime store (小本的生意)

five-and-ten store (同上)

mom-and-pop store (同上)

boom-and-bust cycle (繁榮與不景氣的交替)

(b) (N - or - N):

rain-or-shine picnic (風雨無阻的郊遊)

neck-or-nothing election (決定性的選舉)

all-or-nothing election (同上)

feast-or-famine business (時好時壞的生意)

F-2 (V - Conj - V):

(a) (V - and - V):

wait-and-see attitude (觀望的態度)

touch-and-go situation (一觸即發的局面)

open-and-shut case (簡單的案件)

give-and-take compromise (互相讓步的妥協)

hum-and-haw answer (吞白吐吐的回答)

(b) (V - or - V):

make-or-break election (決定性的選舉)

make-or-mar election (同上)

put-up-or-shut-up warning (提出更好的意見否則閉嘴的警告)

shape-up-or-ship-out warning (整頓否則解散的警告)

F-3 (Adj - Conj - Adj):

(a) (Adj - and - Adj):

thick-and-thin friend (同甘共苦的朋友)

null-and-void treaty (完全無效的條約)

high-and-dry help (孤苦無助)

rough-and-ready method (權宜的方法)

(b) (Adj - or - Adj):

more-or-less loss (或多或少的損失)

now-or-never chance (千載難逢的機會)

(c) (Adj - but - Adj):

slow-but-sure progress (穩定的進步)

separate-but-equal education (隔離但平等的教育)

F-4 (V-ing - Conj – V-ing):

flipflopping-and-zigzagging policy (優柔寡斷的政策)

huffing-and-puffing warning (怒沖沖的警告)

toing-and-froing distance (來回的路程)

wheeling-and-dealing manager (精明能幹的經理)

F-5 (V-pp - Conj – V-pp):

cut-and-dried meeting (預先定好的會議)

buried-and-forgotten man (被遺忘的人)

G. Idiosycratic Compounds:

G-1 Quotation compounds:

no-news-is-good-news attitude (無消息即好消息的態度)

catch-as-you-catch speech (臨時應付的演說)

pay-as-you-go system (預扣所得稅制度)

引用複合字，為權宜起見，凡較長而無法歸類於上述幾項類型者，皆屬

本此類型。形成簡單，把全句，片語視為形容詞，字與字間加上連字號(-)即可。

G-2 Adj - N-ed – Compounds

這是複合字中最特殊的一種，其中名詞加上動詞過去式(N-ed)，用途有

下列三種，分別說明如下:

(a) 身體任何部位(肉體上的或是精神上的):

long-faced girl (拉長臉的女孩)

quick-witted diplomat (機警的外交官)

cold-blooded murder (殘酷的謀殺)

tip-lipped official (守口如瓶的官員)

(b) 房屋的任何部分:

high-ceiling house (天花板高的屋子)

green-roofed building (綠頂的大樓)

glass-walled atrium (玻璃牆的中庭)

gold-domed building (金圓頂的大樓)

(c) 顏色、大小尺寸、口味等等:

black-colored dress (黑色的衣服)

medium-sized car (中型的車子)

sour-flavored fruit (酸味的水果)

G-3 Odds-and-ends compounds:

would-be hero (自充的英雄)

also-ran candidate (落選的候選人)

has-been writer (江郎才盡的作家)

odds-on candidate (很可能當選的候選人)

can-do confidence (幹勁十足的信心)

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