with cj #diesis

expect 是 "預期; 預計", 所以是指你認為會發生的事
比如你知道有人要來探望你, 就可說 I'm expecting a guest.

認為別人會做出什麼事, 就用 expect someone to V 的句型
比如: Analysts expect oil prices to rise again. / I don't expect him to trust me.

有一句老外常用但老中很少有人會用的話: I'm expecting someone. / Are you expecting someone?
其實就是中文說的 "我在等人" 或 "你在等人嗎?"
但要老中翻這句, 大概九成以上的人都會用 I'm waiting for someone. 這樣的說法，雖然並沒有錯, 但強調的重點不一樣
I'm waiting for someone. 主要是在告訴對方你現在在做的事是等人
I'm expecting someone. 則是暗示對方因為你在等別人, 叫他最好不要煩你
同樣的, 問人家 Are you expecting someone? 也多半是在怕打擾到人家時用的

要小心的是, 若問一個女人 Are you expecting? 則會變成是問她是否懷孕待產的意思
講 an expecting woman 就是一名懷孕待產的女性

可是 expect 的名詞 expectation(s) 則是 "期望" 的意思了, 兼具可數和不可數的用法
是一個人希望別人或事物能達到的狀態
比如: His performance greately exceeded my expectations.
His parents have always had great expectations for him.


anticipate 指的也是 "預期;預料"
意思和 expect 很接近, 多數時候可以通用
但在使用上, anticipate 不能用 anticipate someone to V 的句型
它要接名詞, 比如: None of us anticipated this.
或是接 that + 子句 (that 可省略)
比如: We didn't anticipate (that) this would be a problem.
(= We didn't expect this to be a problem. = We didn't expect (that) this would be a problem.)

很有趣的是, anticipate 的名詞 anticipation 的意思則和 expectation 差很多了
anticipation 是指熱切的期盼, 很急著想體驗到某種你認為會發生的事的感覺
而且是不可數名詞
比如: The crowd was watching the magician with great anticipation.
所以除了預期的成分, 還多了渴望在裡面


對於你真的巴不得它快點發生的事, 才是用 look forward to...
這個片語所有的英文考試都很愛考, 因為它 to 的後面不能接原形動詞

而要接名詞或動名詞( Ving), 是個特殊的片語
比如: I look forward to our trip.
We look forward to seeing you again. (O)
We look forward to see you again. (X)

假設你很喜歡的作家要出新書了
那你應該說 I'm looking forward to his new book.
或 I'm waiting for his new book with (great) anticipation.
而不是 I'm expecting his new book.
因為這樣講意思會變成 "我在等他的新書到來"
並沒有表達興奮渴望之意