9/08/2005

"when" versus "while"

英文解釋請看:參考資料1 + 參考資料2

UPDATE:中文有解釋了哦!快快來看吧…

以下是綜合那兩個英文網站的解釋,大致上有個情形:



"when" "while" 兩人都是一家人的情況==> during the time

當動作B發生,用這兩個字任一個帶出一個長時間正在持續的"背景"動作或情況(動作A)。

The prisoners escaped when/while the prison warders were eating their lunch.
When/While the prison warders were eating their lunch, the prisoners escaped.
<當嶽警正在吃中餐的時候,那群囚犯逃走了。>

Somebody broke into the house when they were playing cards.
While they were playing cards, somebody broke into the house.
<當他們正在玩牌的時候,有人闖入屋內。>

*when/while句子可置前或置後。

*可替換的另兩個字是"as""whilst",不過有時候聽來會挺文謅謅的。
As the sun went down, I sipped a rum and coke on the balcony.
<當太陽下山時,我在陽台上啜飲著蘭姆和可樂。>
I sipped a rum and coke on the balcony whilst the sun went slowly down on the horizon.






"when" "while"分家,只能用"when"的情況: ==> at the time

(1)"A"持續進行一段時間時,"B"發生了,"B"用"when"帶出。

I was asleep in my chair when Dora rang to say she wasn't coming home.
<正當我在椅子上睡著的時候,朵拉打電話說她不回家了。>

We were playing monopoly when the lights went off.
<正當我們在玩大富翁的時候,電燈熄滅了。>

(2)兩件事皆短時間同時發生

I thought of it (just) when you opened your mouth.
<當你開口時,我剛好想到它。>

When the lights went out, everybody groaned: "Oh no, not another power cut!"
<當電燈熄滅時,每個人抱怨著說:"不要啊!別再停電啦!">

(3)講到過去的某段時間

When
I was a little boy, power cuts were very frequent, but that was just after the war.
<當我還是個小男生的時候,停電是非常頻繁的,但那也僅是戰爭之後。>

When I was a child we lived in London (NOT While I was a child …)

His parents died when he was twelve (NOT … while he was twelve)






"when" "while"分家,通常偏用"while"的情況: ==> during the time

"A"和"B"動作維持較的時間或"A"和"B"兩者長時間的同時動作。

Dora left a message on the voice mail while I was asleep in the chair.
<朵拉在語言信箱留言的同時,我正在椅子上熟睡。>

While I was writing my Christmas cards, the children were decorating the tree.
<我在寫聖誕卡的同時,孩子們正在裝飾著樹。> OR 我在寫卡片,孩子們在裝飾樹。
*用「而」來想,就會用"while"。

I cooked the supper while Jenny did the ironing.
<我煮著晚飯的同時,珍妮在燙衣服。> OR 我在煮晚飯,珍妮在燙衣

While you were reading the paper, I was working.
<你在看報的同時,我在工作。> OR 你在看報,我在工作。






參考資料裡講到的大致就是這樣,while 動作是長時間(during that time),when 是短時間(at that time),while 不可指一點時間(a point of time),when可使用的機率應該比較大。

測驗:

He rang me up ________ he heard of it.
_____ I had finished my letter, I posted it.
I was about to start _____ it began to rain.
He was going to bed, _____ a letter came.
The case was heard yesterday, _____ her lawyer did his best to defend her.


答案:全都是when



再來一些例句:

When I arrived, he was talking on the phone.
When I got there, he had already left.
When it began to rain, I stood under a tree.
When I was in Chicago, I visited the museums.
When I see him tomorrow, I will ask him.

While I was walking home, it began to rain.

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