PETS－2语法讲解(163)

　　I've got it on thirty days' free trial.
　　对话
　　Alistair: Why are you talking to your computer? Is it lonely?
　　David: No, don't be silly, I'm trying out some new speech recognition software.
　　Alistair: How does it work?
　　David: Well I just speak what I want to say into the microphone and my words appear on the screen. It's magic!
　　Alistair: It must be very expensive.
　　David: It's not cheap but I haven't actually paid anything yet.
　　Alistair: How come?
　　David: I've got it on thirty days' free trial. If I'm not satisfied with it, I can return it free of charge as long as I do so within 30 days.
　　阿利斯泰：你为什么跟计算机说话？怕它寂莫吗？
　　戴维：不是，别胡说。我在试验一种新的声音辨识软件。
　　阿利斯泰：那是怎样操作的？
　　戴维：我只须把要说的话向着麦克风说，那些话就会在屏幕上出现，简直是魔术！
　　阿利斯泰：那一定很昂贵。
　　戴维：是不便宜。但我至今还未付过一毛钱。
　　阿利斯泰：为什么？
　　戴维：我有三十天的免费试用期。假如不满意，可以免费退还，但不能超过三十天。
　　戴维在试用声音辨识软件，说I'm trying out some speech recognition software。Software是不可数名词(uncountable noun)，所以不可说a speech recognition software，只可说some（或a piece of）speech recognition software。Try out是‘测试’或‘试用’，例如：We decided to try her out to see if she could handle the job（我们决定试用她，看她能不能应付这份工作）。买东西先试用，那 ‘试用’可用on trial来说，试用期则是trial period，例如：(1) They let me have the camera on trial for two weeks（他们给我试用照相机两个星期）。(2) I found the camera unsatisfactory and sent it back at the end of the trial period（我不满意那照相机，在试用期满，就送回去了）。 Recognition当然是recognize（认得、承认）的名词，The place has changed beyond all recognition即‘这地方改变得完全无法辨认了’。Speech recognition这种科技，读者都会听过，不必多说；值得谈谈的，是recognition的另一个意思：赞许、赏识。‘赞许’的意思，由‘承认（其优点、贡献等）’的原意引申而来，例如：His service to the community is widely recognized/His service to the community has won wide recognition（他为社会服务，获得大众推许）。