■那個人跑過去時,我瞥見了他的面孔。
誤:I caught a glance of the man’s face as he ran past.
正:I caught a glimpse of the man’s face as he ran past.
析:比較 glance 和 glimpse:兩者均表示“一瞥”、“瞥見”,但有細微區別:glance(= quick look)多指有意識的瞥見,且強調瞥見的動作,而glimpse(=short look)則多指無意識的瞥見,且強調瞥見的結果。比較:He took a glance atthe newspaper headlines.(他瀏覽了報上的標題),I caught a glimpse of her in the crowd.(我在人群中瞥見了她)。
■舊照片可以讓人對過去的事有個簡略的了解。
誤:Old photographs give one a brief glance of the past.
正:Old photographs give one a brief glimpse of the past.
析:glimpse 用于本義,表示“一瞥”、“瞥見”;用于引申義,表示“模糊的或簡略的感覺或認識”,但是 glance 不用于這樣的引申義。