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在中文里,词序非常重要；两个字的秩序不同，意思也不同。例如东西和西东，前者是things，后者是everywhere 各奔西东。再如女儿和儿女，前者是 daughter（s），后者是children。 英语的词序虽不像中文那样富有语义上的变化，但也很重要，绝对不容忽视。有时，一字一词方位的改变，全句的意思可能牵一发动全身，跟着受影响。 下面便是些好例子： ① Even the government officers admitted that some tax measures were unfair. ② The government officers admitted that even some tax measures were unfair. 第一句的意思是：每个人，包括政府官员，都承认有些税务措施不公平。第二句的意思是：政府官员承认，许多事情，连税务措施在内，都不公平。前者焦点在人；后者则在事。 ③ The couple dont have much money to spend on their foreign trip. ④ The couple dont have to spend much money on their foreign trip. 第三句说钱不够用；第四句却说不必多用钱。没有钱可花和有钱不必多花，呈强烈对照，词序的影响，由此可见一斑！ ⑤ The committee as a whole pointed out that the world economic situation had improved. ⑥ The committee pointed out that the world economic situation as a whole had improved. | 
