L5 Communicating with Signs

單元教學目標

1. 觀察及認識日常生活中常見的標示。
2. 學會並靈活運用本課單字、片語。
3. 學會用while及All you need to do is… 的句型。
4. 藉由標示學會看懂、並且能夠口說簡易的日常生活英語。

課文重點分析

1. As you drive or walk along the streets in almost any city, you can't help but notice that there are signs everywhere: store signs, street signs, traffic signs.

連接詞as可連接兩個同時發生的事件，譯為「當……時候」，用法與while接近。
例：
(1)  Tim cried as he spoke. (Tim cried and spoke at the same time.)
(2) As he talked, we all looked at the big pimple on his nose. (He talked and we all looked at the big pimple on his nose at the same time.)

比較：以上句子也可以用while，即 I cried while I spoke.

但若一件事緊接著另一件事發生，而非同時，則用when，不能用as。
例：
(1) When he got home, he took a hot bath.（先到家再洗澡，不可能同時到家兼洗澡。)
(2) They got married when (while) they were living in Kaohsiung.

總之，兩個動作同時發生用as。若一個動作先發生，或持續的狀態較久，則用when。而while則可以是as，也可以是when；關於while的用法，詳見本課Grammar Focus。

2. While many of these signs communicate with words, there are many others that rely entirely on symbols.
(1) 連接詞while可用來連接兩個子句，在此強調兩件事的差異。
例：
(a) While I like staying home, my husband likes traveling.
(b) The afternoon tea set costs $120, while the refill is free.
(2) 此處之others 為代名詞，指other signs。

3. Anyone from any country, speaking any language, can understand them quickly and easily.
原為形容詞子句who speaks any language修飾先行詞anyone。
例：
Many signs that use symbols to communicate can convey a message quickly.
= Many signs using symbols to communicate can convey a message quickly.

4. That is why they are called international signs.
wh-疑問詞可帶出名詞子句。此處why they are called international signs是一名詞子句，用來作主詞補語。
例：
(1) That is why he was late.
(2) Spring is when the birds fly back to the north.

5. International signs have become more important around the world as more and more people are traveling from country to country.
連接詞as可引導一個表示原因的子句，意思接近because。
例：
(1) As it was getting dark, they decided to stop traveling.
(2) You should learn to be independent as you are grown up.

6. On the highway, if you’re looking for a gas station or a phone, all you need to do is watch for the (… ) or (….) signs.

此處之all為強調用法，即the only thing，用後面的形容詞子句you need to do修飾。主詞all you need to do (= the only thing you need to do)為單數主詞，故動詞用單數動詞；be V. 之後可加不定詞或名詞做主詞補語。
例：
(1) All you need to do is (to) go home and have a good sleep.
(2) All she wants is (to) take a hot bath.

7. In some places, you may even need to watch for signs that warn of deer or cattle wandering onto the road.
(1) 介係詞of 表示「……的存在」。warn of 即「提醒……的存在」。
例：
(a) His speech warned of the terrorists around us.
(b) He warned me of the danger of joining the race.

(2) 原為形容詞子句which wander into the road修飾先行詞deer or cattle。詳見課文重點分析3。

8. Therefore, in order to understand signs, we need to know words as well as symbols.
(1) 副詞therefore「因此」為一轉折語(transitional word)，可承接上下文之因果關係，使文章較有連貫。例：
Not all of the signs use symbols to communicate; therefore, learning languages is also important.
“I think; therefore, I am.” 我思故我在。(笛卡爾之名言)

比較：therefore語氣較so強烈，且是副詞無法連接兩個子句。

(2) in order to + 原形V. 可表示目的「為了……」in order to understand signs亦可放在句首或句末。即
(a) In order to understand signs, we need to know symbols as well as symbols.
(b) We need to know symbols as well as symbols in order to understand signs.