內容簡介
你是否有過因自己的行為或想法經常改變而讓他人覺得你很難以捉摸？英語中有不少可以用來形容人或事物 “十分多變、難以預測” 的詞匯。本期節目就來講解形容詞 “erratic”、“volatile”、“mercurial”、“capricious”、“fickle” 的用法和它們之間的區別。
文字稿
（關於臺詞的備註: 請註意這不是廣播節目的逐字稿件。本文稿可能沒有體現錄制、編輯過程中對節目做出的改變。）
Buli
大傢好，歡迎收聽 AYYBLOG 英語教學的 “你問我答” 節目。I’m Buli.
Phil
And I’m Phil. We have a question from one of our listeners.
Question
Dear AYYBLOG 英語教學, I would like to distinguish the nuance between ‘erratic’, ‘volatile’, ‘mercurial’, ‘capricious’ and ‘fickle’ which all mean ‘飄忽的’ in Chinese.
Buli
以上這幾個形容詞都有 “不穩定、變化無常” 的意思，但它們在含義上的側重點有所不同。本期節目，我們將從 “erratic” 這個詞開始，為大傢講解它們之間的區別。
Phil
We can use ‘erratic’ to describe something that behaves or performs in a way that’s unexpected or difficult to predict. Erratic behaviour is unusual or unpredictable. Erratic performance is inconsistent.
Buli
“Erratic” 的意思是 “不穩定的，難以預測的”，這個詞被用來描述 “某個動作或行為出乎意料，或者行為或狀況沒有固定的模式或規律”。讓我們來聽兩個例句。
Examples
The team’s performance has been erratic recently – they don’t seem to be able to win two games in a row!
（球隊最近的表現不太穩定，他們基本不能連續贏下兩場比賽！）
People got worried when they noticed his erratic behaviour. He was acting very strangely.
（人們註意到瞭他的反常行為，為此感到擔憂。他的舉止很怪異。）
Phil
‘Volatile’ has a similar meaning to ‘erratic’. Something volatile can change suddenly in an unexpected way. However, where ‘erratic’ tends to focus on something being unusual or inconsistent, the focus of ‘volatile’ is more on the fact that something can change suddenly and become dangerous.
Buli
“Volatile” 的意思是 “不穩定的，易變的”，形容 “事物突然以一種令人意想不到的方式發生改變”。在我們使用這個詞時，通常會想要強調 “變化是快速且劇烈的”，甚至是 “某個情況突然變得危險或極端”。請聽兩個例句。
Examples
Weather conditions in the mountains can be volatile. They can suddenly change and become much more dangerous.
（山區的天氣狀況變化無常。天氣可能會突然變得非常危險。）
The consumer electronics market is very volatile at the moment. We should wait to launch our new product.
（當前消費電子品市場非常不穩定。我們應該等等再發佈新產品。）
Phil
Next, let’s look at ‘fickle’. ‘Fickle’ is often used to talk about people’s changing opinions and feelings, and often carries the idea that someone is unreliable.
Buli
“Fickle” 這個詞通常用於形容 “人的感情或意見變化無常”，特別是 “對某人或某事的興趣或態度經常改變、不可靠”。下面請聽兩個例句。
Examples
I never know what my children want to eat – they are so fickle.
（我永遠都不知道我的孩子們到底想吃什麼，他們總是變來變去。）
Just because she’s supporting you now doesn’t mean that she’ll support your next project. She can be very fickle.
（她現在支持你並不意味著她還會支持你的下一個項目。她有時很善變。）
Phil
‘Capricious’ is similar, but rather than focusing on unreliability, we’re describing someone who acts on impulse – they change how they feel or what they do frequently as they have different ideas or thoughts.
Buli
“Capricious” 的意思是 “反復無常的，任性的”。與 “fickle” 相比，“capricious” 更常用於描述 “某人容易因一時興起而作出決定或改變”。下面請聽兩個例句。
Examples
It’s hard work when you have a capricious manager – our focus changes every week!
（如果你的經理總是反復無常，你的工作會很辛苦。我們的工作重點每周都在變化！）
I’m in a capricious mood, I keep changing my mind about what I want.
（我今天有點反復無常，我總是改變心意，不確定自己想要什麼。）
Buli
上面的例子中我們可以看出，“capricious” 可以用來突出 “某人態度改變得很隨意”。
Phil
These adjectives are often quite negative, but there is one that can be used positively, especially when talking about a sports person – and that’s ‘mercurial’.
Buli
是的，以上這些形容詞 “erratic”、“volatile”、“capricious” 和 “fickle” 在表達時通常帶有貶義，而 “mercurial” 則通常帶有褒義。
Phil
As well as meaning unpredictable, if someone is mercurial, then they might be particularly quick-witted or imaginative. It’s often used to describe particularly creative people, especially in sport.
Buli
是的，除瞭有 “性格或情緒多變、難以捉摸” 的意思外，“mercurial” 還可以用來形容 “思維敏捷、格外有創造力的人”。特別是在是在運動領域，這個詞可以形容一個人 “動作靈活多變”。下面請聽兩個例句。
Examples
She quickly passed to the mercurial winger, who danced and flicked her way past the entire opposing team, before tapping the ball into the empty net.
（她迅速將球傳給瞭這位敏捷的邊鋒，邊鋒跳躍著輕巧地突破瞭對方整支隊伍的防守，輕輕地將球踢進瞭空的球網。）
His mercurial wit meant he was the star of any conversation. He always had something entertaining to say.
（他的機智詼諧讓他成為瞭任何談話中的焦點。他總是能說出一些有趣的話。）
Buli
最後我們來復習一下這五個可以表示 “不穩定，變化無常” 的形容詞。“Erratic” 通常用來描述 “某個行為或表現出乎意料或者難以預測”；“volatile” 強調的是 “某事常出現快速且劇烈的變化”；“fickle” 的意思是 “多變的，善變的”，更多指 “感情或興趣的不穩定，經常輕易地改變態度”；“capricious” 的意思是 “反復無常的，任性的”，通常指 “某人容易因為心血來潮或情緒波動而發生改變”；“mercurial” 的意思是 “性格或情緒多變、難以捉摸”，也可以用來形容 “某人的思維敏捷、格外有創造力”。
Phil
We hope that we’ve answered your question. If you have a question that you’d like us to answer, you can email us too at questions.
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