12個最易犯的語法錯誤，看看你中招了嗎？

I could care less

You may think you’re a stickler for all things grammar-related, but don’t be surprised if you realize you’re guilty of these tricky mistakes.

你可能覺得自己堅定支持語法一定要對，但是以下這些錯誤可能是你的死角，千萬別詫異喲。

You probably mean “I couldn’t care less,” which means that you flat out don’t care at all. You care about whatever that thing is—say, grammatical errors—in the least possible amount. If you could care less, then you do care about grammatical errors a little bit, and it would technically be possible for you to care even less than you do now.

可能本來想說：“我賊關心這事兒（I couldn’t care less）”，想表達自己對某語法錯誤事無鉅細的關懷，但是其實是在說不關心語法錯誤。“could care less”是說你只有一點點在意語法，而且傳遞出以後可能對這方面的注意力會更少。

For all intensive purposes

People have started using this incorrect saying because it sounds just similar enough to the original expression, which is the cause of many grammatical errors. The correct expression, in this case, is “for all intents and purposes.” According to Business Insider, it came from an old English law that used the phrase “to all intents, constructions, and purposes” to mean “officially” or “effectively.” The condensed version we use today means “in every practical sense.”

大家使用這個錯誤語法可能是因爲它聽上去和原版非常像，但是其實滿是尬點。正確的說法是“for all intents and purposes（實際來看）”。美國知名科技博客中說，“for all intents and purposes”來自古英語法，“爲了所有意圖、結構、目的”這個短語是要表達“正式、有效”。我們今天延用的簡略版是“in every practical sense”。

Case and point

Usually, you cite a specific case in order to make a point about something; they don’t happen simultaneously. That’s how you can remember that the correct expression of this sentiment: case in point.

通常舉例是爲了引出論點。兩者不會同時發生。這也是記住正確表達“case in point”的方法。

Bear

You already know to use this spelling when writing about huge furry mammals of the grizzly or polar variety, but the difference between bare and the other definition of bear can be confusing. As an adjective, bare means not clothed or basic and simple. The verb bare means to uncover or expose something. Bear as a verb means to carry or hold up something for support.

寫作提到灰色或者極地皮毛哺乳動物時大家都知道要用這個詞，但是這個詞的其他意思和“bare”不太好區分。做形容詞時，bare表示裸露的、基礎的、簡單的，作動詞時，bare表示揭露。而bear作動詞時表示支撐。

Deep-seeded

Sorry gardeners, this is the incorrect spelling of this adjective. The right way to describe something that is firmly established at a deep or profound level is deep-seated.

對不住各位園藝工，這個詞拼寫錯誤。正確寫法是“deep-seated”表示某物堅實的建立於較深層次。

Piece of mind

This grammatical error is likely a combination of “piece of my mind” and the correct version of this phrase, “peace of mind.” The latter refers to a feeling of being safe and protected; it is an absence of worry.

此處的語法錯誤看起來是因爲把“piece of my mind”和該短語正確寫法“peace of mind”結合了起來。後者表示安全感，毫無焦慮。

Peaked my interest

Like many grammatical errors, this phrase seems perfectly normal. It means that your interest has reached its highest level, its peak, no? No, it doesn’t. The correct saying is “piqued my interest,” where “piqued” means “aroused or excited.”

這個短語和很多語法錯誤一樣，看起來很好。難道它是說你的興趣達到峯值的意思嗎？不，並不是這個意思。正確說法是“piqued my interes”，“piqued”意爲“激起、激發”。

Unthaw

At first glance, you probably believe this word to mean “thaw out.” But let’s take a closer look. When something thaws, it gets warmer because it was previously cold or frozen. Unthaw, then, must mean the opposite; it’s making something get colder or re-freezing. The next time someone tells you to unthaw the chicken, just leave it in the freezer.

第一眼看上去這個詞好像是“暖和起來（thaw out）”的意思，仔細再看，當某樣東西溫度升高，說明它此前是涼的或者處於冷凍狀態。所以“Unthaw”肯定是其反義，表示某物正在變得更冷或是再次冰凍。要是下次有人和你說“unthaw the chicken”，就把雞肉放在冰凍層吧。

Emigrate to

Whoever decided to make emigrate and immigrate such similar sounding words must have liked creating utter confusion. Emigrate means to leave one’s country for another, in other words, to come from somewhere. Immigrate means to come to another country, or to go somewhere else. Therefore, the phrase “emigrate to” makes no sense; you can only emigrate from a place. Likewise, you can only immigrate to a new country.

喜歡把“emigrate”和“immigrate”發成相思音的人肯定有發音混淆的問題。“emigrate”指離開自己的國家去往別國，是說來自其他地方“immigrate”是來到另外一個國家，或者去其他地方。“emigrate to”毫無意義。我們只能“emigrate from”某地。所以只有到達新的地方纔能用“immigrate to”。

Honed in

You may think you are honed in on your end-of-quarter presentation, but you’re not. You are homed in. “Hone” means to sharpen.

你可能覺得自己終於到了演講結尾了，但事與願違。“homed in”纔有此意。“Hone”表示使鋒利。.

Nip it in the butt

The correct expression is nip it in the bud. Since nip means to pinch or bite, “nip it in the bud” means to suppress or end something at an early stage, just as a bud is an early stage of a flower. Why anyone would want to literally nip something or someone in the butt, we’re not sure.

正確說法是“nip it in the bud”，“nip”意爲掐、咬，所以這個短語是指在某事發展初期就使其終止，“bud”就指花蕾、花苞。至於爲什麼有人想掐別人、某事的屁股呢，我們也不是很清楚咯。

Expresso

That strong coffee served in little cups you love so much is actually espresso, not expresso. Merriam-Webster says the misspelling came from the similarities between the Italian word “espresso” and the English word “express,” plus the “promise of coffee being prepared with relative swiftness in contrast to percolating devices.” However, “expresso” was used enough to be entered into the dictionary, even though it’s not what the drink was originally called.

你最愛的超濃咖啡其實是“espresso”，不是“expresso”。《韋氏詞典》創始人說這個拼寫錯誤來自於意大利單詞“espresso”和英文單詞“express”過於相似，以及“保證咖啡會很快做好，而不是用機器慢慢做”。但是“expresso”以前也常被收入詞典，即使它是錯誤表達。

（翻譯：阿忙）