英文in的用法

in 10 minutes; in two weeks’ time

以上兩句的in 都應解為"在…時間之後"，第一句解法有誤。如果你想表達"在…時間之內"的含義，應該使用介詞 within，或在某些情況下用 "by" (不遲於)。

以下是查字典 (Oxford Dictionary) 的結果 :
In
6 after a particular length of time
- to return in a few minutes/hours/days/months.
- It will be ready in a week's time (= one week from now).
- She learnt to drive in three weeks (= after three weeks she could drive).

Within
1 before a particular period of time has passed; during a particular period of time
- You should receive a reply within seven days.
- The ambulance arrived within minutes of the call being made.
- Two elections were held within the space of a year.

By
5 not later than the time mentioned; before
- Can you finish the work by five o'clock?
- I'll have it done by tomorrow.
- By this time next week we'll be in New York.
- He ought to have arrived by now/by this time.
- By the time (that) this letter reaches you I will have left the country.


2011-10-01 10:04:43 補充：
Word choice between 'in" and "after" (from Longman):
(1) "after" followed by a time period is more often used to talk about past events
• After a few minutes he stopped.
(2) "in" followed by a time period is more often used to talk about future events
• He'll be here in a few minutes.

lulu,
在字典中(LONGMAN),IN的意思列明為:
1.在…期間during a period of time
The food will be served in 10 minutes(句子來源於書籍)
食物將會在最遲十分鍾後(十分鐘內)送來.-飧廳類情况是不能百分百準時例子之一
2.在[某段時間]之後at the end of a period of time
The result will be announced in two weeks’ time(句子來源於字典)
結果將於兩週後宣佈. -成績(結果)是時間性很重要的情況,要盡量百分百準時的例子.

2011-09-30 06:37:40 補充：
lulu
不錯,在字典中(LONGMAN),IN的意思列明為:
1.在…期間during a period of time
The food will be served in 10 minutes(句子來源於書籍)
食物將會在最遲十分鐘後(勉強解作十分鐘內)送來. -
解釋:飧廳情况是時間不能百分百準時的例子之一

2011-09-30 06:46:22 補充：
2.在[某段時間]之後at the end of a period of time
The result will be announced in two weeks’ time(句子來源於字典)
結果將於兩週後宣佈. -
解釋:成績(結果)则盡量要百分百準時的例子

理解要靈活,否则很激氣. - 侍應生說10分鍾有得食,是诂計時間.老婆話10分鐘就食得會可靠得多.老婆話10分鐘就食得會可靠得多. 店員人有三急關舖在門上贴back in 5 minutes字條,多數都五分鐘返唔到哩, back in 5 minutes是好快返嘅意思

Garlic2010: Announcement: The show will begin in ten minutes. 那表演就不應於五分鐘後開始。

Your comment is wrong as it doesn't mean AFTER 5 MINS.

It means the show begins around 5 minutes. It could be 4 mins. or 5 mins.

2011-09-30 01:18:07 補充：
Garlic2010: The food will be served in 10 minutes意思仍是10分鐘後到，而不是10分鐘內到，只不過早到客人不會投訴而矣

You are arrogant enough to judge someone's answer, but do you know your interpretation is WRONG, CRAP!

It means you can have your dinner at about 5 minutes. It could be 4 mins or at 5 mins.

Shame on you, Dumbass!

in 10 minutes 是10分鐘後。
Announcement: The show will begin in ten minutes. 那表演就不應於五分鐘後開始。

2011-09-29 00:05:43 補充：
點菜後很久還未到，侍應回答 The food will be served in 10 minutes，意思仍是10分鐘後到，而不是10分鐘內到，只不過早到客人不會投訴而矣。

2011-09-29 00:11:03 補充：
嚴謹和有系統的翻譯，應以一組詞的正確解釋翻譯，而非單字的解釋翻譯，所以
in a period of time
應譯作「x時段後」，不是「x時段內」。

2011-09-29 05:33:57 補充：
表逹某段內除了 within 外，還可以用 in no more than。

Our life will be completely paperless in no more than 5 years.

2011-09-30 05:08:09 補充：
This guy Ahhhh is a nuisance. 10 minutes, 5 minutes, etc. He does not know what he is talking.

2011-10-01 04:56:15 補充：
in a period of time 是否應譯作 「一段時間後的某個可接受誤差百份率內」

2011-10-01 05:11:47 補充：
The food will be served in 10 minutes.
食物將會在十分鐘後的可接受誤差時段內送來

The results will be announced in two weeks.
結果將於兩星期後的可接受誤差時段內公佈。

Please refer to my opinion in
http://hk.knowledge.yahoo.com/question/question?qid=7011093000109

其實兩句的in都是同一個意思

只是當你以客人的角度聽第一句
當然最好是在十分鐘內送上菜來有得食
但同時如果你是侍應角度講第一句
意思也可以是十分鐘後才會送上菜來

第二句的中文解釋是以寫/出報告的人角度
當然給自己充足時間就算兩星期內已經有結果也等足兩星期之後那一日才公布
但從其待結果的人士角度
這句當然是最好在兩星期內便公布，最遲也是兩星期的最後一天而不是兩星期後的一天才公布

當然如果以嚴謹和有系統的翻譯而言

兩句都應該是「在xxx內」的

因為如果要說「xxx天後」是可以用另一些preposition(例如after)或另一種寫法e.g. The results will be due to announce in two weeks time.這句把announce這個主動詞改為due(即是deadline或期限)，從而將in兩星期內的時間值變成兩星期為期限的意思，可以名正言順地在兩星期後的最後一天視為指定的時間，叫聽眾不要期望兩星期內會有消息了。