"才"的用法
1. (= a moment ago; just)：你怎麼才來就要走？ You’ve only just come. Why do you want to leave so soon? /他才回到家裡，湯姆就來找他了． He had just got home when Tom came looking for him.
2. (= not until; 前面加“時間詞”)： 他九點鐘才來，太晚了． He didn’t come until 9 o’clock. That was too late. /大風到晚上才止住了．The gale didn’t stop until evening. /他走了兩個鐘頭才走到．It took him two hours to get there. /你為什麼這會兒才說呢？ How come you didn’t say anything until now?
3. (= not unless; not until; then and only then; for no other reason)： 他吃了三碗麵才飽． He wasn’t full until he had eaten three bowls. /經他解釋之後，我才明白是怎麼回事． I didn’t understand what was going on until he explained it to me. /他說行才行．It’s O.K. only if he says so. /只有靠群眾，才能把工作做好．Only by relying on the people can we do our work well. /正因為我們有困難，才派我們去． We were sent precisely because there were problems there.
4. (= only;後面跟“數詞”)： 現在才八點鐘，還早著呢． It’s only
8 o’clock, so there’s still plenty of time. /才五塊錢嗎？真便宜． Only five dollars? That’s really cheap. /這孩子才五歲，已經認得不少字了． The child is only five, and he already knows quite a few characters.
5. (= actually; really; 用於肯定或衝突，強調“才“字之前的詞，通常句尾用”呢“字作語助詞)：這才好呢! Now this is really good! /你以為他傻嗎? 他才不傻呢! You think he is stupid? Not him! /我才懶得管呢! I can’t be bothered! 或 I couldn’t care less. /你才是撒
謊! You are the one who’s lying. /他要是不知道才怪呢!I’d be really surprised if he didn’t know.
6. （表示事情在前不久發生；剛才）：The performance has just started.節目才開始．Why leave so soon?怎麼，才來就要走？
7. （表示事情發生或結束得晚）：He left New York only yesterday.他昨天才離開紐約．
8. （表示只有在某種條件下或由於某種原因、目的，然後怎麼樣，前面常有“只有、必須、因為、由於”等配合）：非等起重機來了才能裝?#092;嗎？Must we wait till the crane arrives before we start loading.只有肯努力，才能得到好成績．Only you study hard can you get good results.
9. （對比起來表示數量小，次數少，能力插等等；僅僅）：1949年以前中國剛年產量最高才90多萬噸．Before 1949, China’s highest annual output of steel was only just over 900,000 tons.當時他才五歲．He was only five years old then.
10. （表示強調所說的事，句尾常用“呢”字）：麥子長的才好呢！The wheat is coming along fine.他要是不知道才怪呢！It would be really strange if he didn’t know.屋子裡不熱外面才熱呢！It is not hot in the house, nut it’s really hot outside.
請注意! 在英文中這個“才”字不一定是非要用”某個單字”來表達不可；它可以用一些特別的句型，片語或語氣來表達．所以，學會用這些特別的句型，片語或語氣來表達是很重要的．
译路通武汉汉口翻译公司整理
2012.7.21