個人隱私：private的用法精講

It's with the most profound sense of joy that I write to inform you your son, Private James Ryan, is well and at this very moment, on his way home from European battlefields. Reports from the front indicate James did his duty in combat with great courage and steadfast dedication, even after he was informed of the tragic loss your family has suffered in this great campaign to rid the world of tyranny and oppresion. 

——Saving Private Ryan

我親愛的瑞恩太太，我懷着萬分愉悅的心情通知您的兒子，士兵詹姆斯·瑞恩毫髮無損，此時，他正在從歐洲戰場返回家中的路上。從前線傳來的報告稱詹姆斯英勇而堅定的履行了自己的職責，即使他得知了家人在這場推翻專治和壓迫的偉大戰爭中遭遇不幸。

——《拯救大兵瑞恩》

一、下面我們來看看private有幾種含義

adj.

1.私人的；私有的；私用的；個人的 belonging to or for the use of a particular person or group; not for public use

They murder their evenings in private parties.

他們把晚上浪費在私人的社交聚會上。

2.不公開的；祕密的 for people in general or for others to know about

Factual information, especially of a private nature.

內幕消息與事實相關的消息，尤指具有祕密性質的消息。

3.（指談話、會議等）保密的 preferring to keep personal affairs to oneself

Are all transactions encrypted and private?

所有的交易都是加密和保密的嗎？

4.（指場所）清靜的，不受侵擾的 where you are not likely to be disturbed; quiet

We must either find some place more private or stop talking.

我們要麼找個清靜一點的地方去談談，要麼停止說話。

5.個體（經營）的；私營的；民辦的；不受國家控制的 working or acting for yourself rather than for the state or for a group or company

Individual and Private Sector Contributes 18.3% Of China's GDP.

個體私營經濟創造全國GDP總量的18.3%。

n.

1.士兵；列兵 [C] a soldier of the lowest rank in the army

He was broken from sergeant to private.

他從軍士降爲列兵。

2.私下，不公開 [U] private parts

I asked him to desist from abusing me in private to newspaper editors.

我要求他不再在私下向報館編輯毀謗我。

二、含有private的常見短語 

in private

私下地,在不公開的場合

private detective

n.私人偵探

private eye

n.私家偵探

private property

私有財產

private school

n.私立中小學

三、最後，來做個填詞遊戲吧

They started up in the business as a ______ detective after he left the police.

在他辭掉警察工作後，他們開始從事私人偵探業務。