李陽的瘋狂英語把我樂瘋了!

那對自己公司講才用OUR,對外就用MY,代表而已,BUSH對外講MY GOVERNMENT,MY COUNTRY,難道是他一個人的.如對中國人他也用OUR GOVERNMENT,那聯合政府了,胡主席做什麼?

Your point has aleady been taken but...Is it necessary to jump on such a person? He is a businessman first, then an English teacher.

I can tell it is a typical Chinese way of thinking ------我國政府，中國政府，中國人民，or 我們公司。President Hu will never use "my government"， 「my people" or "my fellow citizens" -----我的人民，我的政府，etc. instead he will always use phrases like 我國政府，中國政府，中國人民 -----these collective nouns.

Have you heard of it elsewhere? I know you have easy access to all sorts of information, so why don't you bring them all up here to support your viewpoint.

To pick on Li in this forum will tarnish your great image as a big-hearted literati and it will also show how petty you are as a professional person, I am a-fraid.

我只想告訴你你在和老外談話說OUR就是包含了在座的每一位,President Hu will say Chinese Government, Chinese people, 我想你誤解了我的初衷,改錯練習是提高英語的好方法,我寫的也有很多錯,大家改就好,誰管他李陽王羊,加拿大政府僱員考試就有很多讓你改文章,單詞,句子啦,或整段,要想參加考試,如你在加拿大,請到http://www.psc-cfp.gc.ca/index_e.htm


註冊,是免費的,你申請了某職位后就會有要求你考何種考試.WRITTEN　COMMUNICATION滿分１００（１００題），１８分就算通過，但很多職位要求更高．

don't want to discurage you. one question: in the following is the first sentence in your revised version. it is not good. can you improve it?[/COLOR]
A few moments ago, I nearly got a heart attack as I was asked to make a speech in English. [/COLOR] 我不懂你什麼意思,我只是重寫了李陽的句子,和他是一樣的.你要用他的也行.只是去掉BECAUSE就行.

okay, i'll tell you.
the two parts "got a heart attack" and "asked to make a speech" are not necessarily connected. use of "as" or "because" doesn't help. you need to work on the verbs to make them logically connected. for instance, you may change the main clause to "i was shocked to feel like getting a stroke when asked to make a public speech". since being asked to speak can cause a shock feeling, you get the connection.[/COLOR]

先生:你鑽牛角尖了,這裡的AS和WHEN只是時間狀語從句!不是因果關係,關鍵是他真有心臟病的話那麼主句這樣講是對的,沒有的話則用虛擬語氣.　BECAUSE是指他後面講站著我沒得沒有因果關係．
I guess I didn't have one, fortunately, because (去掉) I am still standing here firmly on my feet.

read the original sentence and consider the following:

when i said a logical connection, i meant an inherent causal relation. it is independent of the conjunction used. in the following three sentences, the logical relation between the two clauses remains the same.

i was wet all over because i walked in rain.
i was wet all over after having walked in the rain.
i walked in the rain and i became wet all over.

please note the change of the verb "was" to "became" in the third sentence, which follows the assumed causal relation.

now back to the original sentence in discussion (marked brown[/COLOR] on top). "a few months ago" specifies the time when "i nearly got a heart attack", for which the cause is "i was asked to make a public speech in english". the speaker was shocked to hear that he was going to make a public speech. this logical relation exists in all the three sentences below:

i was shocked (*) when i was asked to make a public speech.
i was shocked (*) after i was informed that a public speech had been arranged for me.
i was shocked (*) by the announcement that a public speech had already been arranged for me.

with * standing for an indefinite expression "to feel like getting a heart stroke" in the above three sentences.[/COLOR]

Sorry, I am living in China, so please bear with me.

A few moments ago, I nearly got a heart attack as I was asked to make a speech in English.
  --------here NO "an inherent causal relation"

"a few moments ago" specifies the time when "i nearly got a heart attack", "When or As" IS NOT for which the cause [/COLOR] is "i was asked to make a public speech in english".  

AS 是當什麼....,不是因為.....是時間狀語,不是因果關係.口語中常用,和李陽用的是WHEN是一樣的.李陽和我用的都不是因果關係,但李陽在第二句犯了這個錯.

when ?? (hwn, wn) KEY ?

ADVERB:

At what time: When will we leave?
CONJUNCTION:

1.At the time that: in the spring, when the snow melts.
2.As soon as: I'll call you when I get there.
3.Whenever: When the wind blows, all the doors rattle.
4.During the time at which; while: when I was young, I was sick all the time.[/COLOR]
5.Whereas; although: She stopped short when she ought to have continued.
6. Considering that; if: How can he get good grades when he won't study?

"a few moments ago" specifies the time when [/COLOR] "i nearly got a heart attack", "When or As" IS NOT for which the cause is "i was asked to make a public speech in english".

請不要定死在第一種解釋上照你的說法,YOUNG就一定引起[/COLOR]SICK嗎?

A few moments ago, I nearly got a heart attack WHILE[/COLOR] I was asked to make a speech in English.
----OK?

A few moments ago, I nearly got a heart attack WHILE I was asked to make a speech in English.

montrealer, i am not worrying about missing the right conjunction. it's a lesser concern. i want to focus on the inherent connection between the clauses. this connection doesn't change with the specific conjunction used. i have explained that on floor #24.

the solution is in the verb instead. "have" or "get" isn't a good verb to choose here. the actual effect is "feeling a shock". so the first choice is shock (of course you have other choices depending on how you recompose the clauses). then you ask the question: how is the shock felt? the answer: it is like getting a heart attack. now you have the main verb and an indefinite expression as a modifier. you can further this search process to find better main verb and modifying expressions.

"feeling a shock". 是你的感受,但李陽沒有這樣的感受,他只是開個玩笑,他久經沙場了會FEEL A CHOCK, 我也不會,做過很多PRESENTATION了,所以開個玩笑,我請教了我公司的專職翻譯(是NATIVE英法),他認為沒錯,大家都會這麼開玩笑.你把他改成feeling a shock就成了實話實說,還有什麼幽默感,和李的大師身份也不符.在這裡他只是誇張而已.

Nikki nearly managed to give me a heart attack (誇張) just [/COLOR] now. I was in the
bathroom for my morning ablutions, when I heard Nikki going uh-uh-uh-uh
somewhere in the flat. This sound usually means she is going to throw up. I
prepared myself to clean up the mess. Suddenly she started going RRRROWLLL
ROOOWWLL MRROOOWW MROOOOWW in an incredibly loud voice. I thought she must
be having some kind of seizure, so rushed out to see if I could save her
life.

She was sitting in the middle of the floor beside the piggy I gave Frank for
his birthday. She looked at me and patted the piggy, as if saying, "well,
you took your time getting here. Look at the nice little piggy I found."
Lately, Nikki has adopted the piggy (Frank soon grew bored with it, of
course), and she's been carrying it around and announcing that fact in a
loud voice, but this time, with the preceding uh-uh-uh sound, I thought she
was dying or something. Little b*st*rd.

I don't know why she has to yowl when she carries the piggy around. She
doesn't want to play with it. I've tried throwing it for her, but she
ignores it. That cat is and always will be a mystery to me.

你是不是想說
I nearly was given a heart attack, .....

你是不是想說
I nearly was given a heart attack, .....

note, the original sentence was "Nikki nearly managed to give me a heart attack just now." you didn't understand this sentence at all. you wouldn't ask this question if you read the sentence with context and thought about the ideas behind.

take this sentence as a standalone. we have the main verb "manage" with the adjective "nearly" as a modifier. now, you have borrowed from the sentence the indefinite expression modifier and used it as the main verb in "i was nearly given a heart attack...". but it is still an incomplete sentence. why don't you try to finish it? remember, you should finish it with the clause by Li Yang, i.e., "i was asked to make...". can you?

[quote=montrealer]

[INDENT][quote=Adelyn]
montrealer wrote: A few moments ago, I nearly got a heart attack WHILE I was asked to make a speech in English.  

montrealer, i am not worrying about missing the right conjunction. it's a lesser concern. i want to focus on the inherent connection between the clauses. this connection doesn't change with the specific conjunction used. i have explained that on floor #24.

the solution is in the verb instead. "have" or "get" isn't a good verb to choose here. the actual effect is "feeling a shock". so the first choice is shock (of course you have other choices depending on how you recompose the clauses). then you ask the question: how is the shock felt? the answer: it is like getting a heart attack. now you have the main verb and an indefinite expression as a modifier. you can further this search process to find better main verb and modifying expressions.[/COLOR]  [/quote][/INDENT]
"feeling a shock". 是你的感受,但李陽沒有這樣的感受,他只是開個玩笑,他久經沙場了會FEEL A CHOCK, 我也不會,做過很多PRESENTATION了,所以開個玩笑,我請教了我公司的專職翻譯(是NATIVE英法),他認為沒錯,大家都會這麼開玩笑.你把他改成feeling a shock就成了實話實說,還有什麼幽默感,和李的大師身份也不符.在這裡他只是誇張而已.[/quote]
please don't mix an intermediate step in an analysis with the final result. please read the sentence that contains "feeling a shock" and the parargaph where the sentence is. the final result is a suggestion to use a verb different than that used by Li Yang and you, and a indefinite expresion modifying the verb.

it seems that we have a communication problem here. if you can't discuss with me in english, you can ask me to use chinese. then, we will have to find another forum to continue our discussion. here is the reason: as a moderator on this board, i discourage lengthy discussion in chinese.[/COLOR]

I lost inetrest in continuing this topic. I asked a few of my friends (native speakers )inculding my professor. They confirmed that "A few moments ago, I nearly got a heart attack WHILE I was asked to make a speech in English." is 100% correct.

I don't want to constantly dig grammars. I descrided my topics in Chinese for Those people who really need it.

got a heart attack = "got a great SHOCK"

You may use more formal word "receive": I RECEIVED (a great shock) a heart attack when I was asked to make a speech in English a few moments ago.

note (You selected a wrong word if you use this verb to represent Chinese "ZHU YI[/COLOR]", sometimes you cannot directly translate Chinese into English, use LOOK better than note, ) , the original sentence was "Nikki nearly managed to give me a heart attack just now." you didn't understand this sentence at all. you wouldn't ask this question if you read the sentence with context and thought about the ideas behind.

please don't mix an intermediate step in an (how do you count analysis? (it is Chinese) [/COLOR] analysis with the final result. please read the sentence that contains "feeling a shock" and the parargaph where the sentence is. the final result is a suggestion to use a verb different than (either different from or other than, no different than) [/COLOR] that used by Li Yang and you, and a (an) indefinite expresion modifying the verb (n I didn't get it, is English?.[/COLOR]

Sometimes I prefer to use Chinese.Why not? WE ARE CHINESE. Langauage is used to communicate.

... I asked a few of my friends (native speakers )inculding my professor. They confirmed that "A few moments ago, I nearly got a heart attack WHILE I was asked to make a speech in English." is 100% correct.

did you show another version "A few month ago, when i was asked to make a public speech in English, I was shocked like getting a stroke." to your native english speaker mentors?

now you compare your own words appeared in this thread and another related thread: [/COLOR]

[INDENT](1) "A few moments ago, I nearly got a heart attack WHILE I was asked to make a speech in English."

(2) Well, I almost had (用過去時表明真的差一點得心臟病,有癥狀了)[/COLOR] a heart attack〖心臟病發作；心臟麻痹〗a few moments ago, when I was asked to speak in English. I guess I didn't have one, fortunately, because I am still standing here firmly on my feet〖仍好端端地站在這裡〗.

好吧,剛才當我被要求講英語時,我差一點心臟病複發----(是複發,就是確有病,但他是開玩笑的,所以要用虛擬語氣才合適). 我想正因為(BECAUSE)我站在這裡所以沒得心臟病.-----(BECAUSE是上下有因果關係,站著和心臟病有因果關係嗎?典型的中式英語翻成英文,但美國人和英國人不認為有這種因果,頂多PROOF或DEMONSTRATE我沒得心臟病)[/COLOR]

(3) Well, I almost had ("had" means he exactly experienced, but he didn't. Here he just made a kidding. I will say "I would have a heart attack[/COLOR]")[/COLOR] a heart attack〖心臟病發作；心臟麻痹〗a few moments ago, when I was asked to speak in English. I guess I didn't have one, fortunately, because (Standing here is the reason of no heart attack? no logical relationship! so remove "because", just simply say, I am standing here, or  since I am standing here[/COLOR]![/COLOR] I am still standing here firmly on my feet〖仍好端端地站在這裡〗.[/INDENT]
is there a substantial difference between "I almost had a heart attack" and " I nearly got a heart attack" that would make one expression be misunderstood?

now what is that fuss you made with Li Yang?  you retained the past tense-- shot yourself with a bullet right on the head; you replaced had with got, and almost with nearly, after producing all the shameless red banners and the deafening noises-- shot yourself with another two bullets on the two arms, non fatal.[/COLOR]