Answer the following questions. Your answers should be clear and short.Can you determine the meanings of the following sentences? Explain and make some alterations in the context so as to pin down the meaning.(a) The fish is ready to eat.(b) I
Answer the following questions. Your answers should be clear and short.Can you determine the meanings of the following sentences? Explain and make some alterations in the context so as to pin down the meaning.(a) The fish is ready to eat.(b) I like Mary better than Jean.
【正确答案】:

THE AMBIGUITY ARISES FROM GRAMMATICAL STRUCTURE. (A) IT MEANS “THE FISH IS COOKED OR SERVED, SO READY FOR PEOPLE TO EAT” OR “THE FISH IS READY TO EAT THINGS”, FISH DEFINITELY MEANS THE FORMER. (B) IT MAY MEAN “I LIKE MARY BETTER THAN I LIKE JEAN” OR “I LIKE MARY BETTER THAN JEAN LIKES MARY”. TO ACHIEVE CLARITY, WE CAN EITHER SAY “I LIKE MARY BETTER THAN JEAN DOES” OR “I LIKE MARY BETTER THAN I DO JEAN” OR “I LIKE MARY BETTER AS JEAN IS UNTIDY”, ETC.


【题目解析】:歧义产生于语法结构。(a)意思是“鱼是烹饪的或者上菜的,所以可以供人们食用”或“鱼可以吃东西”,鱼肯定是前者。(b)它可能意味着“我喜欢玛丽胜过我喜欢琼”或“我喜欢玛丽胜过琼喜欢玛丽”。为了清楚起见,我们可以说“我比琼更喜欢玛丽”或者“;比起喜欢琼,我更喜欢玛丽”或者“我比琼更喜欢玛丽,因为琼不整洁”,等等。
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