TA的每日心情 | 开心 2019-12-18 19:08 |
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签到天数: 5 天 [LV.2]偶尔看看I
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––How is it one careless match can start a forest fire, but it takes a whole box to start a campfire?––
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Logically, a person can be careless, but a match can not be. ( And in my first language Chinese the equivalent or parallel expression is not allowed. You have to speak at least like this: a carelessly thrown match can start ...). But this is a common and economical way in English communication.
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I was wondering when one can use an adjective which is essentially related to mankind to qualify an inanimate concrete noun?
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" j' O* {+ G$ ?! H4 Q/ i; n/ X' TI have once written “an easy understanding” and similar phrases, but "understanding" is an abstract noun and obviously a human action. j: M3 V9 X/ a6 u7 E
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