Agree to agree, eventually ! 終於達成了協議。
      假如雙方辯論和爭議時，有意化解衝突，同意各自保留不同意見，可以說agree to disagree，或者agree to differ，表示容忍對方，但並不接受他的立場tolerate but do not accept the opposing position。 
      AGREEMENT/CONTRACT  意思大致上相同，用法稍有分別 ：
      AN AGREEMENT協議 is a very general and positive term suggesting that a settlement has already been reached or made informally between persons or countries. 這個名詞用途廣泛，人與人，國家和國家達成的協議都適合 : During the course of history, many agreements have been made between France and England. We are in agreement我們意見一致。We are in complete agreement等於 We agree about everything。We are in broad agreement等於We agree about most things。
      A CONTRACT合同、契約 is a formal agreement almost always in written form and enforceable by law. A contract may be a binding, legalized agreement between persons， 用法比較正規，多一層法律涵義，有約束力的協議。
      AGREEMENT最常見的Collocations搭配有：
      amicable agreement，友善的，心平氣和達成的諒解。
      binding agreement有法律約束力的協議。  
      verbal agreement口頭協議。
      tacit agreement心照不宣的，不言而喻的默契。
      gentleman's agreement 君子協定。
      prenuptial agreement 婚前協議，關於倘若離婚，財產如何分配等內容的婚前協議。
      DISAGREE/DIFFER   兩個動詞都有某人意見分歧的意思。DISAGREE表示口頭上不一致，可以非常重要，也可以微不足道，包括源自事實的爭辯，或者來自意志上的角力，例如對一個作家出生日期的觀點有分岐disagreeing when Shakespeare was born 。DIFFER的歧義比較輕微，語氣相對地溫和：例子見諸 I beg to differ with you; they differ over a very slight matter; our versions of the account differed等，都是不同意見的尋常表述。
      至於表達DISAGREEMENT不同意見的方式，可以有INFORMAL非常口語化的例子: I don't think so , Not at all, Of course not, Not really。比較FORMAL正規的說法：By no means, Most certainly not, Under no circumstances。
      言行與眾不同者是maverick，持不同意見者是dissenter，持不同政見者是dissident。
      表示SERIOUS DISAGREEMENT意見嚴重分岐的形容詞，最常見、最自然的有3個：considerable相當大的, profound巨大的, fundamental根本的。 例句：1. There is considerable disagreement over the safety of genetically modified food ( 基因改良食品的安全性 ). 2. There is profound disagreement on who should become the next leader of the party ( 誰勝任做政黨的新領袖 ). 3. There is fundamental disagreement about the best way to fund the new road ( 提供資金的最佳方法 )。但agreement用法上要留意：You can say there is 'considerable' or 'fundamental agreement', but you cannot say 'profound agreement'。
      以下再列舉一些IDIOMS EXPRESSING DISAGREEMENT表達不同意見的慣用語 ：
to see eye to eye with somebody不敢苟同= you do not share the same opinions as somebody about something
at odds意見差異，觀點矛盾 = to be different from something when the two things should be the same ; usually strongly in disagreement of what has been said or believed : He is always at odds with his father over politics兩父子的政見南轅北轍。
      take issue with someone 向某人提出異議。A slightly formal and useful way to start arguing and say that you       disagree :  I must take issue with you on that point 。
      we are not on speaking terms我們一直沒有交談=a temporary breakdown in good relations關係或交情終止：We are never on speaking terms again after a big quarrel.
      I have a bone to pick with you我對你生氣，對你有所不滿= you have done something I wish to complain about。
      最重要的是，我並不同意你的觀點，但是我誓死捍衛你說話的權利。這句來自法國哲人Voltaire伏爾泰的金石良言，英文繙譯是：I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it 。

      文：文世昌
      電郵 : [email protected]
      網址 : english6p.com