外文新知

2022/07/01

What's the catch?不是問你抓什麼(一)


1、What's the catch?
(錯)抓到什麼?
(對)有什麼蹊蹺嗎?

Catch在口語中,有「看似順利的計劃或提議中隱藏的不利因素或問題」,白話一點,就是「好到不像真的,其中可能有問題」。

例如,辦公室裡有個同事經常吐你嘈,突然說要請你吃飯,你心裡會嘀咕:他想幹什麼?這時就用得上「What's the catch?」

突然有一天朋友說要把他的車賣給你,用很低的價格,也可以說:

★ This looks like a good deal. What's the catch?
是很便宜,但這裡面有什麼我不知道的事嗎?

★ The plan sounds too good to be true. There is a catch, isn't it?
這個計劃聽起來好得讓人難以置信,有圈套,是吧?

Catch用在肯定句,也可以這麼說:

★ Don't fall for the low-price travel deal. There's always a catch!
不要輕信廉價的旅遊團,常常有陷阱!

★ It all seems too perfect. There must be a catch.
一切都看起來太完美了,這其中定有蹊蹺。

2、You won't catch me...
(錯)你不會逮到我
(對)我絕不會

「You won't catch me doing something」是口語強調,「別指望我會做;我絕不會做」。

★ You won't catch me at work after six o'clock.
別指望我6點以後工作。

Won't是will not的縮寫,也可以用wouldn't,would not的縮寫。

★ You wouldn't catch me taking work home every night.
我絕不會每天把工作帶回家做。

這說法還有更進階版的。

★ wouldn't be caught dead。
意思是差不多,「打死我都不會」,只是語氣更強烈。

★ I wouldn't be caught dead wearing a dress like that. It's like something my grandma would wear!
打死我都不會穿這個,這像是我祖母才會穿的衣服。