每日英語 #042: The Power of Punctuation

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The Power of Punctuation

“Punctuation”—the marks we use in writing, such as , : “ . – are very important to “convey” (communicate) meaning. Here is perhaps one of the most well known stories that “illustrate” (shows) the importance of punctuation.

「標點符號」——我們在寫作中使用的標記，例如 , : “ . – 對於「傳達」（溝通）意思非常重要。以下也許是最著名的故事之一，用來「說明」（顯示）標點符號的重要性。

A “panda” (animal that looks like a bear and is typically black and white) walks into a café. He orders a sandwich, eats it, then takes out a gun and “fires it” (shoots it) at the other “patrons” (customers).

一隻「熊貓」（看起來像熊的動物，通常是黑白相間的）走進一家咖啡館。他點了一份三明治，吃完後，拿出一把槍，朝其他「顧客」（客人）「開槍」（射擊）。

“Why?” asks the confused, surviving waiter, as the panda “makes towards” (walks towards) the exit. The panda produces a badly punctuated “wildlife manual” (information book about animals living in nature) and gives it to the waiter.

「為什麼？」一位困惑的倖存服務生問道，當熊貓「走向」（走向）出口時。熊貓拿出一本標點符號很差的「野生動物手冊」（介紹生活在自然中的動物的資訊書），遞給服務生。

“Well, I’m a panda,” he says, at the door. “Look it up” (look for the information in the book).

「嗯，我是熊貓，」他在門口說。「查查看」（在書中查找資訊）。

The waiter turns to the information on pandas in the manual and finds an explanation. “Panda. Large black-and-white bear-like animal, “native to” (comes originally from) China. Eats, shoots, and leaves.” The correct punctuation is: “Eats shoots and leaves.”

服務生翻到手冊中關於熊貓的資訊，找到了說明。「熊貓。大而黑白相間的類熊動物，「原產於」（來自）中國。吃、開槍和離開。」正確的標點應該是：「吃竹葉和離開。」

“shoots” =

1) (verb) to fire a gun; to cause a bullet to leave a gun

2) (noun) new growth of a plant, especially a bamboo

“shoots” =

1)（動詞）開槍；使子彈離開槍

2)（名詞）植物的新芽，尤其是竹子的嫩芽

重要單字

• Punctuation /ˌpʌŋktʃuˈeɪʃən/ 標點符號
• Convey /kənˈveɪ/ 傳達
• Illustrate /ˈɪləstreɪt/ 說明
• Panda /ˈpændə/ 熊貓
• Fires it /ˈfaɪərz ɪt/ 開槍
• Patrons /ˈpeɪtrənz/ 顧客
• Makes towards /meɪks təˈwɔrdz/ 走向
• Wildlife manual /ˈwaɪldˌlaɪf ˈmænjuəl/ 野生動物手冊
• Native to /ˈneɪtɪv tuː/ 原產於
• Shoots /ʃuːts/ 開槍; 嫩芽