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韓Sir 資深英語教師
英國18世紀劇作家李察沙里登(Richard Sheridan)在他其中一齣《The Rivals》內創造一個人物，叫Mrs. Malaprop(下稱麥太)。這位麥太經常於對話中誤用發音近似的字，鬧出不少笑話。先看下列舉例：
發音相近 誤用惹笑
1. "O, he will dissolve my mystery !"
2. "I have since laid Sir Anthony's preposition before her."
句一的"dissolve"應為"resolve"。麥太的本意是「噢！他會解答我的疑團！」。誤用dissolve，便解作「消失」或「終止」，並非其原意。
句二的"preposition"(介系詞)應為 "proposition" (主張)，把「主張」說成為「介系詞」，是否滑稽惹笑呢？
麥太這個角色在劇作界不脛而走，她的名字因此被套用解作「發音近似的誤用」，稱malapropism(下稱「麥語」)。英語世界其實很多時候會出現這種情況。您能否找出下列句子內麥太所說的「麥語」？
1. "......promise to forget this fellow─to illiterate him, I say, quite from your memory."
2. "He is the very pine-apple of politeness !"
3. "I hope you will represent her to the captain as an object not altogether illegible."
4. "......she might not reprehend the true meaning of what she is saying."
5. "I am sorry to say, Sir Anthony, that my affluence over my niece is very small."
6. "I am sure I have done everything in my power since I exploded the affair."
7. "I thought she had persisted from corresponding with him."
KEY:
Malapropism(誤用字) Correct Words(正確字)
1. illiterate(使其文盲) obliterate(抹去)
2. pine-apple(鳳梨) pinnacle(頂峰)
3. illegible(難以辨認的字跡) eligible(合資格的)
4. reprehend(指責) comprehend(明白)
5. affluence(富裕) influence(影響)
6. exploded(爆炸) exposed(揭露)
7. persisted(堅持) desisted(停止)
麥太的「麥語」本來是劇作家的幽默創作，搬上舞台以博一粲，以討觀眾歡心。我們卻要留神，英語要說得好、說得準，千萬不要向麥太學習，麥語「勿」語！
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