I don't mind 和 I don't care?

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2021-04-22 13:56

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有一個外商公司高階主管說，有一次她外籍老闆說：
"I forgot to tell you I'll have to go this afternoon."
她回答："Oh, it's ok. I don't care."
老闆瞪著她，好一會兒才會過意，"I see what you mean."
其實她應該說"I don't mind"(我不介意)，而不是I don't care(我不在意)。

"I don't care (about)" 和 "I don't mind" 意思接近但語氣不同，前者是表示 "不在乎、不關心"，語氣顯得驕傲自大或自私。後者是表示 "不介意、不反對"。

我們很容易混淆這care和mind，因為有時候它們確實可以混用，在否定疑問句裡，care和mind很接近，在肯定疑問句，含義差別很大。

例1:

A: It will be very expensive. (這東西會很貴。)

B: I don't mind the expense (or I don't mind what it costs).(價錢多少沒有關係。)

或I don't care about the expense (or I don't care what it costs).(價錢多少我不在乎。)

例2:

Don't you care (or mind) what happens to him? (你難道不關心他出了什麼事嗎?)

Do you care? (＝Are you concerned?) (你在不在乎?)

Do you mind? (＝Do you object?) (你介不介意?)

"I don't like to see him." 是 "我不願見他。"或"我討厭見他。" 如果要說 "我不是喜歡見他，也不是討厭見他。" 也就是說見不見我無所謂，英文是："I don't care to see him."。

mind是及物動詞，後面直接接受詞，而care必須與 about連用才能接受詞。