有一個外商公司高階主管說,有一次她外籍老闆說:
"I forgot to tell you I'll have to go this afternoon."
她回答:"Oh, it's ok. I don't care."
老闆瞪著她,好一會兒才會過意,"I see what you mean."
其實她應該說"I don't mind"(我不介意),而不是I don't care(我不在意)。
"I don't care (about)" 和 "I don't mind" 意思接近但語氣不同,前者是表示 "不在乎、不關心",語氣顯得驕傲自大或自私。後者是表示 "不介意、不反對"。
我們很容易混淆這care和mind,因為有時候它們確實可以混用,在否定疑問句裡,care和mind很接近,在肯定疑問句,含義差別很大。如
例1:
A: It will be very expensive. (這東西會很貴。)
B: I don't mind the expense (or I don't mind what it costs).(價錢多少沒有關係。)
或I don't care about the expense (or I don't care what it costs).(價錢多少我不在乎。)
例2:
Don't you care (or mind) what happens to him?(你難道不關心他出了什麼事嗎?)
Do you care? (=Are you concerned?) (你在不在乎?)
Do you mind? (=Do you object?) (你介不介意?)
"I don't like to see him." 是 "我不願見他。"或"我討厭見他。" 如果要說 "我不是喜歡見他,也不是討厭見他。" 也就是說見不見我無所謂,英文是:
"I don't care to see him."。
mind是及物動詞,後面直接接受詞,而care必須與 about連用才能接受詞。請看以下句子:
I don't mind being left alone. (我不介意被單獨留下來。)
I don't care about being left alone.(我不介意被單獨留下來。)
引用來源:
http://www.core-corner.com/Web2/index.php?stat=EEC
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