On Fri, 20 May 2005 19:54:15 +0800, <paa19437@anet.net.tw>
<paa19437@anet.net.tw> wrote:
> now I know that anglophones actually will not comprehend this sentence
> as "a teacher who has been repeatedly MODIFIED", like a "PLAN".
I can comprehend it like that, but it doesn't make sense in that
context. I might use that meaning as a play on words in intentional
humour but that's all.
> That was what had bothered me in the beginning.
There are lots of phrases which are ambiguous in English. Most are
ignored by the listener because the sense is actually obvious from
context, some people (like myself) will deliberately play on the
ambiguity to make a joke (such jokes are, however, often not
appreciated).
(Do you speak a language in which it is uncommon to be ambiguous? I've
heard that there are some languages like that, in which it is not
possible to make a pun or play on words, but don't speak one myself.
Excluding computer programming 'languages' and mathematics...)
Chris C
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