PETS-2語法講解 (163)

字號:

I've got it on thirty days' free trial.
    對話
    Alistair: Why are you talking to your computer? Is it lonely?
    David: No, don't be silly, I'm trying out some new speech recognition software.
    Alistair: How does it work?
    David: Well I just speak what I want to say into the microphone and my words appear on the screen. It's magic!
    Alistair: It must be very expensive.
    David: It's not cheap but I haven't actually paid anything yet.
    Alistair: How come?
    David: I've got it on thirty days' free trial. If I'm not satisfied with it, I can return it free of charge as long as I do so within 30 days.
    阿利斯泰:你為什么跟計算機說話?怕它寂莫嗎?
    戴維:不是,別胡說。我在試驗一種新的聲音辨識軟件。
    阿利斯泰:那是怎樣操作的?
    戴維:我只須把要說的話向著麥克風說,那些話就會在屏幕上出現(xiàn),簡直是魔術!
    阿利斯泰:那一定很昂貴。
    戴維:是不便宜。但我至今還未付過一毛錢。
    阿利斯泰:為什么?
    戴維:我有三十天的免費試用期。假如不滿意,可以免費退還,但不能超過三十天。
    戴維在試用聲音辨識軟件,說I'm trying out some speech recognition software。Software是不可數(shù)名詞(uncountable noun),所以不可說a speech recognition software,只可說some(或a piece of)speech recognition software。Try out是‘測試’或‘試用’,例如:We decided to try her out to see if she could handle the job(我們決定試用她,看她能不能應付這份工作)。買東西先試用,那 ‘試用’可用on trial來說,試用期則是trial period,例如:(1) They let me have the camera on trial for two weeks(他們給我試用照相機兩個星期)。(2) I found the camera unsatisfactory and sent it back at the end of the trial period(我不滿意那照相機,在試用期滿,就送回去了)。 Recognition當然是recognize(認得、承認)的名詞,The place has changed beyond all recognition即‘這地方改變得完全無法辨認了’。Speech recognition這種科技,讀者都會聽過,不必多說;值得談談的,是recognition的另一個意思:贊許、賞識?!澰S’的意思,由‘承認(其優(yōu)點、貢獻等)’的原意引申而來,例如:His service to the community is widely recognized/His service to the community has won wide recognition(他為社會服務,獲得大眾推許)。