dinner与diner虽然都是名词,但它们的发音和意义均不相同。名词diner(与finer押韵)既可以指人,也可以指地名。指人的时候一般指在餐馆用餐的人(或者吃晚餐的人),指地名时是指路边的咖啡厅或有时候形状奇特例如老式轨道车,银色拖车或超大咖啡壶)的非正式餐馆。
注意,词语dining(例如in dining room)在拼写时中间也只有一个n。
名词dinner(和thinner押韵)指的则是一餐饭(一般是一天中最重要的一餐),或者用餐的正式宴会。(在美国,正餐过去一般在中午,而现在则改在了傍晚。)
例如:
"Every restaurant server dreads the arrival of an unhappy diner. Regardless of how good the service, fine the dinner, or exciting and pleasant the environment, the diner is likely to leave as unhappy (and unlikely to leave a generous tip) as when that person arrived."
(Robert Ford et al., Managing Quality Service In Hospitality. Delmar, 2012)
每个饭馆里的服务生都对带着情绪的用餐者唯恐避之不及。这些用餐者对优质的服务、美味的饭菜或优美动人的环境视若无睹,而且可能从头到尾都一副不开心(而且也可能不会多给小费)的样子。
(罗伯特·福特,《改善饭店服务质量》。2012年于德尔马)
"'Homesick Restaurant, you call it now. What kind of a name is that? And the decor! Why, it looks like . . . why, a gigantic roadside diner!'
“你现在叫它思乡餐厅,这是个什么名字啊?还有这家店的装饰!哎呀,看起来就像一个巨型的路边餐馆!”
"He was right. Cody agreed with him. Dining room walls lined with home preserves, kitchen laid open to the public, unkempt cooks milling around compiling their favorite dishes (health food, street food, foreign food, whatever popped into their heads)."
(Anne Tyler, Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant: 1982)
“他是对的。科迪认同了他的意见。餐厅里墙上沾着果酱,厨房对外开放,不修边幅的厨师进进出出准备着最喜欢的菜。”
(安妮·泰勒,《思乡餐厅的正餐》,1982年)
声明:本双语文章的中文翻译系沪江英语原创内容,转载请注明出处。中文翻译仅代表译者个人观点,仅供参考。如有不妥之处,欢迎指正。