Belajar Inggeris cara ADD Perspektif

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Perbezaan Antara A.M Dan P.M

Oleh A.R Dean (13 Apr 1990)

Minggu ini kita tumpukan perhatian kepada ruangan "Hotline" di dalam The Malay Mail. Baca keratan pertama mengenai masalah yang dihadapi oleh Danny, seorang pemandu, akibat salah faham mengenai masa. Kemudian baca keratan kedua mengenai masalah yang dihadapi oleh Steven dan kawannya hingga mereka terlepas penerbangan. Beri perhatian khusus kepada "masa" apabila anda membaca keratan-keratan itu.

Wrong airport information lands driver in hot soup

DANNY, a limousine driver with a Kuala Lumpur hotel, is furious with a staff of the Department of Civil Aviation (DCA). He says the staff caused him to get a scolding and warning from his boss. Danny was to pick up a VIP from Honolulu who was scheduled to arrive on flight MH93 at 11.20 p.m on March 23.

"I called the DCA information counter at 10.30 p.m and was told the arrival was delayed to 3 a.m." He says. "When I called again at 1.25 a.m they said the arrival had been delayed further and scheduled for 4.10 a.m." So, Danny left the hotel at 3.30 a.m and arrived at Subang airport at 3.55 a.m.

STEVEN who was travelling with a friend from England was horrified by an experience they encountered at Subang airport. He says they arrived at the airport from Ipoh at 6.30 p.m on March 23 and his friend was in a hurry to catch a 7.15 p.m connecting flight to Singapore.

"He had little time as we reached the Terminal Two exit at 6.45 p.m," says Steven.. "Fearing he would miss the flight..."
...them immediately to Terminal one. "After yelling abusive words at us, he called his friends who later surrounded us," he says. "We were left with no other choice but to give in." Steven says due to the incident, his friend missed the 7.15 p.m flight and could only take the 9 p.m flight.

Anda tentu pernah bertemu dengan singkatan a.m dan p.m. Adakah anda tahu bahawa singkatan-singkatan ini berasal daripada perkataan Latin? A.M ialah singkatan daripada perkataan Latin ante meridiem yang bermaksud "before noon" iaitu sebelum tengahari. Singkatan a.m digunakan untuk tempoh masa di antara tengah malam dengan tengah hari, iaitu waktu pagi.

P.M pula ialah singkatan post meridiem, "after noon", iaitu selepas tengahari. Singkatan p.m, digunakan untuk tempoh masa di antara tengah hari dengan tengah malam, iaitu petang dan malam. Di dalam keratan pertama, waktu berikut diberikan: 11:20 p.m, 10:30 p.m, 3 a.m, 1:25 a.m, 4:10 a.m, 3:30 a.m, 3:55 a.m. Bagaimanakah kita hendak menyebut waktu-waktu ini? Adakah kita menyebut waktu seperti berikut?

Eleven twenty pm (11:20 p.m)
Ten thirty pm (10:30 p.m)
Three am (3 a.m)
One twenty-five am (1:25 a.m)
Four ten am(4:10 a.m)
Three thirty am (3:30 a.m)
Three fifty-five am (3:55 a.m)

Memang tidak salah jika menyebutkan waktu-waktu berkenaan sedemikian. Tetapi kita juga boleh memberitahu waktu dengan cara lain. Perhatikan contoh berikut:

One o'clock (1:00)
Five past one (1:05)
Seven minutes past one (1:07)
A quarter past one (1:15)
Twenty past one (1:20)
Half past one (1:30)
Twenty-five to two (1:35)
A quarter to two (1:45)
Ten to two (1:50)
One minute to two (1:59)

Pertama, perhatikan betul-betul bahawa kita menggunakan ungkapan o'clock hanya apabila jam itu genap tanpa ada minit. Kadang-kadang, ungkapan o'clock pun boleh ditinggalkan. Kita tidak perlu berkata five past one o'clock atau a quarter to two o'clock.

Kedua, perhatikan bahawa ungkapan "minute" atau "minutes" boleh ditinggalkan jika dikehendaki. Di dalam contoh di atas, misalnya kita boleh berkata "five past one" dan tidak "five minutes past one". Ketiga, kita menggunakan ungkapan "quarter" bagi 15 minit dan "half" bagi 30 minit.

Keempat, kita menggunakan ungkapan "past" untuk menunjukkan berapa "minit" selepas "jam" dan ungkapan "to" untuk menunjukkan berapa "minit" hingga "jam" yang akan datang. Kelima, lazimnya di dalam perbualan, a.m atau p.m tidak disebutkan. Ini adalah kerana lazimnya "bahagian hari", iaitu sama ada "pagi", "petang" atau "malam" telah diketahui atau difahami. Cuba lihat contoh berikut:

What time did you leave your office, Mat?
About ten past five.

How about dinner, tonight?
All right, What time?
Is seven o'clock OK?

Excuse me, can you tell me...
I'm sorry, But I'm in a great hurry. My bus leaves at eight thirty-five.

What's on television tonight?
There's a good programme at half past nine. China Beach.

What time did you wake up?
Well, I woke up at six.

Sebagai menggantikan a.m atau p.m, kita boleh juga menyebutkan "bahagian hari", iaitu "morning", "afternoon", "evening", atau "night". Misalnya, "When are you leaving for Melaka?" "About half past nine in the morning."

Catatan

Minggu lepas kita mempelajari beberapa "idiom". Tajuk keratan satu juga mengandungi satu idiom, "in hot soup" yang bermaksud berada di dalam keadaan yang merumitkan atau menghadapi masalah. Selain daripada a.m dan p.m, terdapat beberapa singkatan di dalam keratan akhbar di atas.

Satu daripadanya, VIP, ialah singkatan umum untuk "Very Important Person", iaitu orang kenamaan. Dua singkatan yang lain khusus untuk Malaysia. DCA ialah singkatan nama jabatan kerajaan (Department of Civil Aviation atau Jabatan Penerbangan Awam) dan MH ialah kod penerbangan MAS.

Latihan

Berdasarkan keratan kedua, cuba jawab soalan mengenai masa. Ingat bahawa jawapan anda tidak perlu mengandungi a.m atau p.m.

What time did Steven and his friend arrive at Subang airport?
What time was his friend's connecting flight to Singapore?
What time did they reach the Terminal Two exit?
How long did they wait in the white limousine?
What time was his friends's actual flight to Singapore?

[Isi Kandungan]