收到版友内信请求提供英文考科第50题"find out"释疑的书面纸本佐证资料,碍于不知道怎么使用imgur上传拍照或截图到PTT,只能用打字将原貌呈现。
以下为英英、英汉字典对"find out"和"uncover"的定义:
Merriam-Webster's Advanced LEARNER'S ENGLISH DICTIONARY(p617,p1784):
find out[phrsal verb] 1 to learn or discover (something) by making an effort.
e.g. We need to find out where the meeting is being held.
uncover (verb)2:to "find out" or become aware of (something that was hidden
or secret)
e.g.We are still trying to uncover (the truth about) what happened.
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English (English-Chinese)(p557,p1679):
find out phr v 1 [I;T(=find sthg. ⇔ out)] to learn or discover (a fact that was
hidden or not known)发现,查明
e.g.I won't tell you-you'll have to find out for yourself!
uncover(v.)[T] 2 to "find out" (something unknown or kept secret; discover
揭露;发现;使知道
e.g.The police have uncovered a plot to rob this bank.
uncover和discover本来就是同义字,且如上所示,其定义也是"find out"
另增补前母校外语大学五专部英文系(大学部翻译系)
所使用的教科书对动词词组"find out"的定义:
(和后母校译研所不同间)
2nd Year Conversation & Writing (Unit 1,p1)
find out(the truth/a secret/an address/the time/when/what/where/who etc.)
to make an effort to discover or get to know (something)
很明显find out的意思即付诸努力discover
综合以上资料,请容我用英文表达意见和举例解释
Let me get it straight to you in English. Suffice it to say, I'm one hundred
percent positive that you'll never see a question which
takes form like No.50 in any given English proficiency test that measures
candidates'language ability, let alone academic exams in the US such as SAT or
ACT. It all boils down to the specific context about the situation in which
the correct phrasal verb is used. In critiquing this type of question from a
professional standpoint, I would say the problem is that an example sentence
is lacking for the question and that the answer key provided by TPC is too
arbitrary. Having said that,(D)uncover is the option that makes the most
sense. To "learn about" has an overtone of passivity as people are either told or
hear about something they didn't know. On the contrary,to “uncover”is more
active because one takes the action/ the initiative to “find out”the truth
or facts about something unknown. Over and above, “uncover”is synonymous
with “discover”, both of which can be used interchangeably. Please refer
to the sentence made below.
“We’ll find out the solution to the hot-button issue sooner or later.”
Find out here means to uncover something. Uncover means to discover something
and when you discover something you essentially find out something.
“We’re going to Mars to uncover alien life.”
= “We’re going to Mars to discover alien life.”
In both aforementioned cases, “uncover” and “discover” can be replaced by
“find out”without the slightest difference in meaning.