One careless match

鸭呼嘿 · 发表于 2019-12-13 08:24:37

––How is it one careless match can start a forest fire, but it takes a whole box to start a campfire?––

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.

I was wondering when one can use an adjective which is essentially related to mankind to qualify an inanimate concrete noun?

I have once written “an easy understanding” and similar phrases, but "understanding" is an abstract noun and obviously a human action.

鸭呼嘿 · 发表于 2019-12-13 17:50:43

这是一种英语修辞格，叫Hypallage，也叫transfered epithet。是一种常见的书面语和口语都常用的修辞格。但是常见的将修辞格的书限于篇幅都讲不到它。我在英语学习资源区分享了一个资料: 英语修辞格大全，里面讲到了很多我们平时可以见到却不了解的修辞格。

englishpatient · 发表于 2019-12-14 10:16:29

汉语里这种”不合语法“但意思明了的意会表达，比英语不知多到哪里去了，多到我随便举个例子都会显得挂一漏亿。

mxh3698 · 发表于 2019-12-15 08:49:56

this subforum is really a lonely one.
one has to think aloud, talk to oneself, which is what you and I are doing right now

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[语言求助] One careless match

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