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C.S. Lewis "Hatch, or go bad"

 

It may be hard for an egg to turn into a bird: it would be a jolly sight harder for it to learn to fly while remaining an egg. We are like eggs at present. And you cannot go on indefinitely being just an ordinary, decent egg. We must be hatched or go bad.

C. S. Lewis

以書寫幻想小說見稱的 C.S. Lewis 對人的潛能有如此看法:蛋孵化成鳥不容易;要它學會飛行更難。每個人都是蛋,卻不能無了期地當一隻普通而完好的蛋──我們要不破殼而出,要不變壞。大家應該對 definitely 不陌生,句中的 indefinitely 卻非 definitely 的反義詞啊!讓我們比較一下兩個字的解釋:

 

indefinitely 無了期地

(adverb 副詞)

 

例子:We're stuck here indefinitely.

例子:The negotiations have been put off/ postponed indefinitely.

 

Different meanings of “definitely” (adverb 副詞):
  • 果斷的 ► said or done in a such way that others know exactly what you mean

例子:He definitely said he would go to the party.

 

  • 肯定的 ► confident or certain about doing something or that something will happen

例子:The criminal will definitely be imprisoned for 5 years, if not more.

 

  • 口語常用 Colloquial usage: Definitely! = without any doubt 當然了/還用說!