美国文化脱口秀 第358期:最容易被理解错的单词

 It's your call说的不是打电话，而是做决定。Company的意思除了公司，还有陪伴？今天的节目，我们说说日常最容易被理解错误的英语多义词。

关键词：

相同的词在不同句子里，意思完全不一样？"多义词"顾名思义是一个词有多个意思，但在老外看来，每个不同的意思都是不同的词。这也算是文化差异吧。

Every language has words with many meanings: 各种语言都有多义词

Today, we're going to talk about English words with multiple meanings that seem entirely¹ unrelated to each other: 今天我们要说的这些英语多义词，它们的多个意思相差特别远

These words have a primary meaning that is well known to all and at least one common but lesser² known meaning: 这些词最主要的意思大家都知道，但它们另外还至少有一个常用的意思你可能不知道

Words with multiple meanings: 多义词 (比较常见的"多义词"在英语中的表达)

Many native speakers think of it as two different words: 很多英语是母语的人会把多义词看成几个不同的词

But for many English learners, they are the same word because the spelling and the pronunciation are the same: 但对很多学英语的人来说，它们拼法一样，念法也一样，明明就是一个词啊

"Title"

刚打完的NBA总决赛、激战正酣的欧洲杯，都会用到"title"这个词。我们先来说说title吧，最常见的有以下三种意思：

Title:

1. name of a book, article and so forth³: 书名、文章标题等

2. description of a position, rank, status: 职称、头衔

3. championship: 冠军

Job title: 工作职位、头衔

Title of a book or article: 书名或文章的题目

In the context of sports, title means championship: 在体育相关的文本中，title指的是总冠军

You can think of championship as something like a job title: 你也可以把总冠军看作一个像工作职位一样的头衔

A person can be the president of a company while a team can be the champion of a competition: 一个人可以是公司的老总；一个球队可以是比赛的冠军（两者都是头衔）

This year, Spain is defending their Euro Cup title: 今年西班牙是欧洲杯的卫冕球队

"Conference"

Conference:

1. meeting: 会议、大会

2. an association of sports teams that play each other: 体育联合会、赛区，只有NBA和NHL(全美冰球联赛)等一些赛事才分conference

You can also see a conference as a meeting of teams : 你可以把体育赛事中的conference看作是一场球队的集会

Eastern and Western Conference: 东部赛区、西部赛区

说完体育，说说口语中最容易造成误解的多义词！

最容易被理解错的单词

"Fine"

Fine有两个截然不同的意思:

1. good, great: 好、棒

2. money one has to pay as punishment: 罚款、罚金 (亦可作动词，表示对...处以罚款)

I always like talking about the word "fine", because so many of my Chinese friends say this word every day: 我觉得fine这个词很有意思，我的很多中国朋友常把它挂嘴边

It's one of the very first English words that people learn: Fine算是大家学英语最早接触的词之一了

One meaning of "fine" is "good": "Fine"的一个意思就是"好、不错"

Right now, in Shanghai, there're so many police on the street, stopping people on their motorcycles and scooters and giving them a fine: 现在上海路上警察不少，专拦那些违反交规的骑摩托车、骑电动车的人，然后开罚款

I got fined today: 我今天被罚款了

Singaporeans often say that Singapore is a very "fine" country: 新加坡人喜欢说自己的国家是一个很"fine"的国家，一语双关，一来说国家好，二来表示这个国家各种罚款很多

Spitting on the street could result in a 2000-Singapore-dollar fine: 随地吐痰可能就要罚2000新币

"Mean"

Mean的不同含义：

intent to convey or refer to: 表示…意思 (动词)

unkind: 不友好的、刻薄的、凶凶的 (形容词）

excellent: 出色的，口语中使用，形容技术、技巧高超， (形容词）

The word "mean" really confused the hell out of me: Mean这个词以前我真是怎么都搞不清

What does this word mean?: 这个词什么意思？

Mean Girls: 一部美国电影，讲的是一群很刻薄的高中女欺负其他同学

My mom makes a mean Lasagna: 我妈做的千层面特别好吃

He plays a mean guitar: 他吉他弹得特别棒

When talking about a person's skills, "mean" is a compliment that suggests he or she is high-skilled: 如果mean形容的是一个人的技巧、技能，那这个时候mean其实是说这个人做得特别好、特别棒

Maybe it's a slang. Maybe it's not. But people say it: 不管算不算是俚语，这个用法现在依然流行

Jenny records a mean podcast: Jenny的播客做的特别好

When referring to skills, "mean" is good; when referring to personalities⁴, "mean" is bad: 讲一个人的技术、技能，用mean是褒义的；提到一个人本身或其性格，mean就是个贬义词了

"Neat"

Neat的意思：

1. clean and tidy: 干净整洁

2. very good, cool: 极好的

For a lot of you who have learned the word "neat", you might know it means "clean and tidy": 学过neat这个词的人都应该知道neat有干净整洁的意思

It's a really nice, simple word to use in everyday spoken English to mean "cool": 在日常英语口语中，用neat代替cool特别好用

That's neat: 好的，不错，真棒

You can also replace "good" with "neat": 想说good的时候也可以用neat来代替

"Correct"

Correct的主要意思:

1. (adj.) right: 正确的

2. (verb) put right; make right: 修正、纠正

I think about this word every time I use the bank machine: 我每次用ATM机的时候都会想到这个词

Especially when I need to pay the rent, I need to put in so many numbers: 付房租的时候我要往ATM机里输好长一串数字

landlord's bank account/bank card number: 房东的银行账号/银行卡号

Sometimes I make a mistake: 有时候不小心输错了

I look at the button on the side and it says "correct": 我看到旁边的一个按钮写着"correct"

But this word can have two different meanings: 但这个词有两个意思

That's correct: 没错 (表示信息正确)

If you made a mistake, then you need to correct it: 如果出错了就要将其改正

Have you figured it out?: 你最后搞清楚了吗？

I just use the Chinese. It's much easier: 我就直接看中文，反而比看英语轻松

"Note"

note作为名词的主要两个意思：

1. a piece of paper with information written on it: 纸条

2. banknote, paper money: 纸币

to write someone a note: 给某人写纸条、留便条

Some students take notes in class while some pass notes to each other: 上课的时候，有些同学记笔记，有些同学互相传小纸条

banknote: 纸币

coins and notes: 硬币和纸币

In monetary⁵ terms, notes refer to paper money: 讲货币的时候，notes指的就是纸币

This machine can only provide five-dollar notes: 本机只提供面值5美元的纸币

＊说到纸币，note在英式英语里更常用；而美国人更习惯用bill这个词。也是多义词，除了账单，还有一个意思是纸币。如: five-dollar bills五元纸币"

"Company"

Company的主要两种意思：

1. a firm or business: 公司

2. the state of being with someone: 他人的陪伴

I'm very lonely. I could use some company: 我好孤单，要有人陪陪我就好了

Adam, you are great company: Adam, 有你陪伴真好

to keep somebody company: 陪某人

You're the company you keep: 近朱者赤，近墨者黑

Party

Party的意思:

1. a social event: 派对

2. a group of people: 一群人，一个团体

As you go into restaurant, the waiter/waitress might ask you "How many people in your party?": 进餐厅的时候服务员会问你"请问几位?"

The bride, bridegroom, groomsmen and bridesmaids are collectively known as the wedding party: 新郎新娘伴郎伴娘一行人统称wedding party

The party after the wedding is actually called the wedding reception: 婚礼后的宴会不叫wedding party，叫做wedding reception

"Call"

Call的两个意思：

1. a telephone call or to make a telephone call: 电话、打电话

2. decision: 决定

You make the call／Your call: 你拿主意，由你决定

That's a good call／Good call: 好主意！

to make bad calls or wrong calls: 吹黑哨

Where are we going to dinner tonight?: 今晚去哪吃?

It's your call: 你来决定

We don't really say "Bad call" to our friends: 朋友之间不太会把call作贬义用

That was a terrible call: 这个球吹得太烂了 (在看足球、篮球赛的时候经常说)

1 entirely   

ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
• His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。

2 lesser   

adj.次要的，较小的；adv.较小地，较少地

参考例句：

• Kept some of the lesser players out.不让那些次要的球员参加联赛。
• She has also been affected,but to a lesser degree.她也受到波及，但程度较轻。

3 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

4 personalities   

n. 诽谤，（对某人容貌、性格等所进行的）人身攻击； 人身攻击；人格, 个性, 名人( personality的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• There seemed to be a degree of personalities in her remarks.她话里有些人身攻击的成分。
• Personalities are not in good taste in general conversation.在一般的谈话中诽谤他人是不高尚的。

5 monetary   

adj.货币的，钱的；通货的；金融的；财政的

参考例句：

• The monetary system of some countries used to be based on gold.过去有些国家的货币制度是金本位制的。
• Education in the wilderness is not a matter of monetary means.荒凉地区的教育不是钱财问题。