我們在英文報章雜誌上時常見到一些「相似」的字眼，但其意義和用法都有不同。在此舉些例子，與讀者切磋。

　　(1) snow job 與 snowball：Snow job 通常當名詞用，是指隱瞞某件事情 (to cover up something) 或以小小事實，誇大其詞 (to exaggerate something based on little fact or truth) 。但 snowball 多半當動詞用，是指一件事逐漸往不好的方面擴大或增加，就像滾雪球那樣，越滾越大。 (things built up in a certain negative direction) 例如：

　　Mr. A did a snow job. (A先生想隱瞞某件事情。) (= He tried to cover up something.) When he came home late, he decided to give his wife a snow job. (當他回家晚了，他就向太太編造故事。) (to meke up a story) In order to secure the new position, Mr. A tried to give me a snow job. (為了取得新職位，A先生誇大其詞，想瞞騙我。) snowball 當動詞時，例如：

　　This problem snowballs every day. (這個問題每天越搞越大。)

　　If you continue to lie to your boss, things will snowball. (假如你繼續對老闆說謊，事情將會愈鬧愈大。) Nip the problem in the bud before it snowballs. (在問題擴大之前，應該儘早解決。)

　　注意：snowball 當名詞用時，也指真正的雪球。例如：

　　The boy threw a snowball at his friend. (小男孩向他朋友擲雪球。) 但如果說：

　　He does not have the chance of a snowball in hell. (他毫無機會) = He has no chance at all.

　　(2) foul play 與 homicide：這是日常生活上常見的字。foul play 通常是指懷疑某種暴行是否有謀殺的可能。 (suspicious circumstance leads to one's death) ，後面多半有「死亡」的字眼。但是 homicide 是指已經死亡，但未必是自殺 (someone caused a person's death, but may not be self－inflicted or commit suicide) ，後面不再提「死亡」字眼。例如：

　　The police reported that there was a foul play in the death. (警察報導有件暴力致死的案件) (句後有 death 字眼)

　　The FBI agents are investigating a homicide case. (聯邦調查局人員正在調查一件謀殺案) (句子後面不再加 death) 至於 self－inflicted，則是指用槍、刀等方式，自我損傷，而且通常後面說明損傷的方式。 (inflict 是動詞，infliction 是名詞) 例如：

　　He was killed by a self－inflicted gunshot. (他舉槍自盡)

　　The man made an attempt to commit suicide by self－infliction of slicing his wrists. (這男子企圖以割腕方式自殺) (commit 的動詞時態是：committed, committing) (slice 當動詞，意為用刀片割)

　　He tried to kill himself by using self－inflicted drug overdose. (他想服用過量藥物而尋短見)

　　(3) Money 與 Monies：單數 money 是指一般性的貨幣或金錢 (general term) 而複數 monies (或 moneys) 是指來自各方的金錢 (money from all different sources) (monies 較常用) 例如：

　　His father has made lots of money. (他爸爸賺了很多錢) (lots of = a lot of) (一般性的錢)

　　Sometimes money is the root of evil. (有時錢是禍害的根源)

　　The monies for our new science building came from people in all walks of life. (新科學大樓的經費是來自不同行業的人) (all walks of life是指各個行業)

　　The charitable organization collected many monies from various sources. (慈善機關的經費是從不同地方收集而來)

　　同理，單數 navy 是指一般性的海軍 (general term) ，而複數 navies 是指各國的海軍 (navy from different countries) 例如：

　　The U.S. navy is very strong. (美國海軍很強大) (單指美國的海軍)

　　The navies from different nations will patrol the Persian Gulf. (不同國家的海軍將巡邏波斯灣)

　　The British and American navies fight together for terrorism. (英美兩國的海軍為對抗恐怖主義而共同作戰)

　　The navies for naval exercises in the Pacific Ocean are from several countries. (太平洋的海軍演習，是由幾個國家組成。)

　　還有，單數型的 fish 是魚的一般通稱，而複數 fishes 是指魚的不同種類。例如：

　　I have caught a lot of fish. (是指不分種類的魚) (這裡的 fish，也是 collective noun)

　　My friend, David, caught many fishes yesterday. (我朋友 David 昨天捕到很多種類的魚)

　　(4) Non－smoker 與 smokeless：Non－smoker 是名詞，意思是指吸菸者，但現在不吸了。 (currently does not smoke) ，多半是指人 (refer to people) 但 smokeless 是形容詞，係指咀嚼菸葉或菸草，而不是吸菸。 (use tobacco to chew instead of cigarette) ，也就是不需要點火，也不冒煙 (does not need to light it; no smoke comes out) 例如：

　　This section of the restaurant is for non－smokers. (餐館這部份是給不吸菸者使用的)

　　If you want to be in good health, be a non－smoker. (假如你要健康，就不要吸菸。)

　　Smokeless tobacco is also prohibited in public. (在公共場所咀嚼菸草，也是禁止的。)

　　Smokeless tobacco may cause oral cancer. (咀嚼菸草，可能導致口腔癌。)

　　This store is smokeless. (=no smoke) (這個商店，是無菸的。)

　　A smokeless environment will be healthful. (無菸的環境，對人們較健康。) (= lacking smoke)