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女孩子年紀還輕，突然說要結婚，搬到內地偏遠的鄉村生活。大家聽罷當然震驚不已，說不出話。如此驚訝無言的感覺，筆墨怎樣形容？英文就有些諺語可用。
其中一句是You could have knocked me down/over with a feather （你可以用一根羽毛擊倒我）。字面意思是「你只要用一根羽毛，就可以輕易把我打倒。」這當然是誇張的說法，處於震驚狀態，稍稍被一根羽毛碰一下，都會跌倒。表示所見所聞不太可能是真的，十分驚奇，難以置信：
1. When I heard that he won the championship in the competition, you could have knocked me over with a feather.
我得知他在比賽中贏了冠軍，實在匪夷所思，不敢相信。
2. "Do you know that the manager has resigned?"
"Oh, you could have knocked me down with a feather."
「你知道經理已經辭職了嗎？」
「是嗎？太出人意表了。」
「誰又會想得到？」非問句
另一句可以用來表達驚訝態度的是Who would have thought it?（誰又會想得到？）這不是真的問句，不是要找答案，只是表示震驚，慨嘆世事難料。聽的人不必回答這句話：
3. She is going to leave home next month and move to a small village on the mainland. Who would have thought it?
她下個月就要離家，搬到內地一條小村居住。誰又會想得到？
4. So, even the officials were involved in this criminal case. Who would have thought it?
看吧，即使官員也牽涉入這宗刑事案件裡。誰又會想得到？
5. "She got promoted after working in the company for just half a month."
"Who would have thought it? Everyone was shocked."
「她在公司上班才半個月就升職了。」
「誰又會想得到？大家都很震驚。」
很多時候，面部表情和身體語言會自然流露內心情感。不過，懂得用適當的文字語言，就可以更清晰地把自己的感想表達出來，省得別人猜測和揣摩。■Lina CHU
[ linachu88@gmail.com ]
隔星期三見報
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