名人教英文：自命不凡
to fancy oneself
自命不凡
bee: that was a great get-together at lorin's last week.
比﹕上星期大家在洛林家里相聚，真愉快。
dipak: yes, it was fantastic. i saw some schoolmates i hadn't seen for a long time.
迪帕克﹕不错，那次聚会真开心。在座有些同学，我很久没有见过了。
bee: seb markham was there telling everyone that he was going to win the tennis tournament next week.
比﹕塞布．马卡姆也在那里，见人就说，会在下星期的网球赛中取胜。
dipak: yes, i heard him. he really fancies himself as a tennis player. thinks he's the best in town.
迪帕克﹕是啊，我也听到他说。他自以为是个了不起的网球手，以为自己全城第一。
bee: he fancies himself, period. he thinks he's the best in everything.
比﹕他自命不凡而已。他以为自己事事都胜人一筹。
留意that was a great get-together at lorin's这一句的lorin's。英文常在表示「所有」（the possessive）的's之后，略去house、flat、shop等说某人住所或工作地点的名词；这一句的lorin's之后，就可加house或flat字。谨多举两个例子﹕(1) a burglar broke into the morgans' (house / flat) last night（昨晚，有小偷闯进摩根一家的住所）。(2) i bought sugar and flour at the grocer's (shop)（我在食品杂货店买糖和面粉）。有些公司名称，也会用这's，例如﹕(1) we had lunch at maxim's (restaurant)（我们在美心餐厅吃午饭）。(2) do you have an account with barclay's (bank)?（你在巴克莱银行有没有账户？）
get together作动词，指「聚会」，特别是不拘谨的社交聚会，例如﹕let's get together for dinner next friday（我们下星期五吃晚饭聚首吧）。名词get-together当然也是指「聚会」；旧同学、亲友等的重聚，也可叫reunion，例如﹕they decided to hold a yearly get-together / reunion（他们决定一年相聚一次）。
to fancy oneself是「自视过高」、「自命不凡」的意思，其后可用 (as) someone说明自视为什么。例如﹕(1) she is a good dancer, but she really fancies herself（她跳舞出色，只是太过自负）。(2) he fancies himself (as) a good writer（他自以为是个出色的作家）。
period是「句号」。这个字可用在一句之后，表示言尽于此，此外不必多说，例如﹕i don't like him, period（我就是不喜欢他，此外不必多说）。