記得從高中的階段開始,英文老師就會開始建議我們使用 "英英字典" 取代 "英漢字典" ,英文才能更進步,並逐漸練習用英文去思考。可是……
記得從高中的階段開始,英文老師就會開始建議我們使用 "英英字典" 取代 "英漢字典" ,英文才能更進步,並逐漸練習用英文去思考。可是,當時包括我在內的許多同學雖然真的聽話了去買 "英英字典" 來用,卻是越用越不愛用。
因為,我們查一個簡單的單字,有可能在英文解釋裡面,卻用了更難更深的單字去解釋它!
於是,我們又要去查那個更難更深,我們原本不認識的單字。然後,它的解釋又衍生出了三個更難更深的單字……天哪!這樣要查到什麼時候啊!?
有時,為了查一個單字,變成要查15個單字!
早期使用英英字典,為了查一個英文生字,變出了另外15個生字要查!
不過後來還好,慢慢地,各家字典的出版社也逐漸注意到這個問題,因此逐年來都有不斷改版,以及不斷地出版適合不同程度的版本出來。
這裡就簡單藉由 "aisle" 這個單字,看看在不同的字典中的解釋文中,用到了些什麼單字去解釋它,蠻有趣的:
aisle
→a way between lines of seats
(in a church, plane, etc.)
★Oxford Elementary Learner's English Dictionary
◆只用了「way」這個最基礎的簡單單字去解釋
→a long passage between rows of seats
(in a church, plane, theatre etc, or between rows of shelves in a shop)
★Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
◆用了「passage」這個較深的單字去解釋
→passage between rows of seats
(in a church, theatre, railway carriage, etc)
★Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary of Current English
◆也用了「passage」這個較深的單字去解釋
→a long narrow gap that people can walk along between rows of seats
(in a public building such as a church or between rows of shelves in a supermarket)
★Collins Cobuild Advanced Learner's English Dictionary
◆用了「gap」這個較簡單的單字去解釋
→a long narrow space between rows of seats
(in an aircraft, cinema or church)
★Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary
◆用了「space」這個較簡單的單字去解釋
→a passageway between rows of seats;a passageway for inside traffic
(as in a department store, warehouse, or supermarket)
★The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language
◆用了最難的「passageway」這個較長較難的單字去解釋