中式英語之鑑:獨生子女
272. 我的表妹瑪麗總覺得很孤單,我想這可能是因為她是個獨生子女。
[誤] My cousin Mary often feels lonely; I supose it's because she is a single child.
[正] My cousin Mary often feels lonely; I suppose it's because she is an only child.
注:only child 是一個固定搭配,而且 only 強調“唯一,只有一個”,而 single 常用於指“單身的”。例如:Mary is single(瑪麗還沒有成家)。