美国流行文化从A到Z——WITH A CAPITAL LETTER
<p>英语的最小单位是字母，而中文的最小单位是汉字，这个关键的区别导致了有些涉及字母的英文概念没发=法翻译成恰当的中文，只能结合上下文来翻译，<span word="with">with</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="capital">capital</span> <span word="letter">letter</span> 就是这样一个概念。<span word="capital">capital</span> <span word="letter">letter</span> 即“大写字母”比如<span word="A">A</span> <span word="B">B</span> <span word="C">C</span> 等，<span word="with">with</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="capital">capital</span> <span word="letter">letter</span> 是一个统称，在实际运用中，<span word="letter">letter</span>必须由具体的字母来代替，换句话说，英语里并没有<span word="with">with</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="capital">capital</span> <span word="letter">letter</span>这个短语，它只能代替<span word="with">with</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="capital">capital</span> <span word="A">A</span>，的形式出现，字母可以悉数上阵，出现无穷无尽的<span word="word">word</span>，<span word="with">with</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="capital">capital</span> <span word="letter">letter</span>的组合。</p><p>这个<span word="Apple">Apple</span>是电脑品牌，而不是水果<span word="apple">apple</span>，所以要强调<span word="A">A</span>大写。如果只是局限于拼写问题，无穷无尽的组合并没多大意思。毕竟，只有当我们在提醒别人某个单词比较特殊的拼法时，才有必要指出哪个字母是大写。而有特殊拼法的单词，一般只可能是名称(人名、地名、商标等)。这些单词不用提醒，别人也往往会特别小心，因为这涉及到尊不尊重的问题正因如此，<span word="with">with</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="capital">capital</span> <span word="letter">letter</span>的引申义才是它的主要用法。这当中又分两种情况。首先，它用来强调某个单词，加深描述的力度。这里的<span word="letter">letter</span>必定是被强调单词的首字母。举个简单的例子在“<span word="American">American</span> <span word="Idol">Idol</span>”(((美国偶像》)第六季里，评委<span word="Simon">Simon</span> <span word="Cowell">Cowell</span>曾经对一个有潜力成为巨星的参赛选手说：“<span word="You">You</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="commercial">commercial</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="capital">capital</span> <span word="C">C</span>.”这句评价其实就是等于“<span word="You">You</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="very">very</span>, <span word="very">very</span>. <span word="very">very</span> <span word="commercial">commercial</span>.”(你非常具有商业正常，毕竟不同的人有不同的口味。)</p>
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