今天本來有事要外出，但因為有一班傻人在搞事，地鐵站被封了，只能乖乖留在家等冷鋒到。順帶一提，香港政府處理事件的能力真的很差，完全沒有解決問題的能力，只能用無能來形容。閒話休提，今天我們來看看一個問題：
Even if 和Even though有什麼不同？
話說昨天我在上網時，看到英文學習團中有一個香港人援引了一篇刊登於2013年初在文匯報的文章，以下節錄其中一部份：
『但這even if與even though兩個連接詞組之間有重要的差別。
以even if連接的子句，是尚未發生的事或者一般會出現的狀況。其意思是儘管「可能」出現某些狀況，亦不會改變某人的行為或某些事發生。換言之，even if的涵義，與whether or not差不多。例如：
He is an arrogant guy. He will not apologize even if he makes a
mistake.
他是很高傲的人。儘管他犯了錯，也不會道歉。
I hope to go on a holiday even if it is only for a few days.
我想去度假，儘管只是幾天也好。
上面的例子可以看到，even if 連接的子句，是描述一般的狀況或者尚未發生的事（he makes a
mistake 和 it is only for a few days）。
Even though「已經」發生
Even though則不同。這個詞組連接的子句，通常涉及一些已經發生的事或者已經存在的狀況。其意思是儘管「已經」出現某些狀況，亦不會妨礙某人的行為。even though的涵義，與although差不多，但在詞調上比較強烈。例如：
He did not apologize even though he had made a mistake.
儘管他犯了錯，仍然不肯道歉。
He decided to go away for holiday even though he had hurt his leg.
儘管他傷了腿，他仍然決定去度假。
上面的例子可以看到，even though連接的子句，是描述已經發生的事，或者已經存在的狀況，（he had
made a mistake和he had hurt his leg），用的是過去式。
由此可見，開首的兩句例子可以改為：
He arrived late even though he had taken a taxi.
You may not be able to find a job even if you have a degree.
雖然意思都是「儘管」，但even if 和 even though之間，原來有這些微妙的地方。使用時，要留心意思和感覺。』
這篇文章很有趣，它提到一個關於even if和even though的不同之處，這點我以前也忽略了。雖然我並不是完全同意她的說法，但我覺得這觀點值得拿出來跟大家討論一下。沒有對與錯，只希望大家能從討論中得到一些學術上的靈感和啟發。另外，要強調一點，我不是要批評這位女仕，事實上她教的東西比市面上其他所謂的英語老師如C博士或哨牙妹強多了，絕不是我們慣見的亂來之作。
這位Lina女仕似乎今年仍有為文匯報執筆。看看C博士寫專欄的明報，和這份文匯報，一份是大陸背景報紙，一份是香港的土產報紙。若你廿年前問我它們熟優熟劣，我可以毫不猶豫地告訴你答案。但今天你再再問我同一問題，我仍可毫不猶豫告訴你答案，只是...答案不同了。人的良知和水平可以有如此大幅度的崩壞，這是何其諷刺啊！
我將六大學習型字典和Cambridge的English Grammar Today對even if和even though的解釋和例句列於文末的附錄中，有興趣的可以去看看。為什麼我要花時間將幾本字典的解釋列出來，因為我希望你們能細心看看當中的不同之處，這對你們學好英文會有很大幫助。好了，我們先來看字典上對even if和even though的解釋有什麼不同。你會發覺Cobuild和OALD這二本字典將這二個conjunctions混為一談，似乎他們本身並無不同之處。
但當你細心看完所有解釋後，你會發覺上面提到那位女仕的解釋其實是來自LDOCE和English Grammar Today。那這位女仕究竟說了些什麼話呢？
『Even though則不同。這個詞組連接的子句，通常涉及一些已經發生的事或者已經存在的狀況。其意思是儘管「已經」出現某些狀況，亦不會妨礙某人的行為。even
though的涵義，與although差不多，但在詞調上比較強烈。』
留意上面我加的粗體字，這正是朗文的解釋，這解釋在其他五本學習型字典都沒有提到，此其一！第二個特點就是這位Lina女仕所舉的三個例子，我不知大家有沒有留意到，都是過去式。
He did not apologize even
though he had made a mistake.
He decided to go away for
holiday even though he had hurt his leg.
He arrived late even though he had taken a taxi.
而我看過，在所有的六本學習型字典中的例句，even
if都只會和現在式一起用，那是不是意味著even if和even
though的主要分別是前者通常用於現在式，而後者則主要和過去式連用？大家可以想想。
我來大胆猜測一下，這正是這位女仕想表達的意思（這在其三個例句的sentence pattern都一模一樣便知），但可惜她有點捉錯LDOCE的竟思了。朗文說even though is used to emphasize that something is true although
something else has happened or is true.，在這個解釋中，重點是something
else has happened（某些事情也發生了）。某件事情發生，我們其實可用past tense或present perfect tense。但Lina女仕卻錯誤理解以為只能用past tense。更糟的是，她又將重點錯放在「（二件事情，其中一件）事情已經發生了」上，所以她的三句例句，無一例外的都是這個模式：
past tense + even
though + past perfect tense
這除了證明她誤解了LDOCE的意思外，她對tense的認識也不足。有機會我會另文解釋present perfect tense的用法，很多人對此都似乎只有一知半解的認識。
或有論者認為，這只是我的個人猜想，並不能證明Lina的說法是有問題的。那我從另一個角度來分析一下。Lina的觀點是even if用於尚未發生的事，而even though則常用於已發生的事，這是大家都同意的。那換言之，even if絕不應該配past tense或perfect tense了（因為事情尚未發生）。但看看Oxford Dictionaries下面的例句：
1. They never doubted his love, even if he could
not put it into words the rest of us would understand.
2. It was a brilliant piece of reactive warfare,
even if it was not wholly successful.
3. My mother always did her best for me, even if
there wasn't always enough to go around.
這三句例句都用了even if，而非even though；三句都用了past tense，但又沒有past perfect tense。這說明Lina的理解有誤！那原因何在呢？
根據Oxford Dictionaries，even if其實是有二個解釋的：
1. Despite the possibility that; no matter
whether.
1.1
Despite the fact that (= even though)
第一個解釋可譯為「儘管有/無論是那個可能性」，例如下雨與否或暴亂與否，我都一樣會上班。這個解釋和之前提到的whether or not是一致的，多用現在式。第二個解釋是「儘管有這個事實存在」，由於事情已經發生了，不是一個可能性，句子便會用past tense或perfect/present tense。
我這篇文章較像一篇學術論文，希望不會悶倒大家。但我得說多看這類文章對大家的思維是有幫助的，至少不會人家說什麼你都同意，有點個人的立場判斷。另外，少看些網紅教的東西吧，對你們無益。
Appendix:
(Cobuild)
You use even if or even though to
indicate that a particular fact does not make the rest of your statement untrue.
Cynthia is not
ashamed of what she does, even if she ends up doing something wrong.
Even though I work
by myself, there are other people I can interact with.
(OALD)
even if/though
despite the fact or belief that; no matter whether
I'll get there, even if I have to
walk.
I like her, even though she can be
annoying at times.
(MED)
EVEN IF
is used for emphasizing that although something may happen or
may be true,
another situation remains the same
EVEN THOUGH
is used for introducing a fact that makes the main statement in your sentence very surprising
Even though I have a master’s degree in business administration, I can’t fill out my tax form
(CALD)
even if
even though
(LDOCE)
even if
She’s going to have problems finding a
job even if she gets her A levels.
even though
Even though he’s 24 now, he’s still
like a little child.
I can still remember, even though it
was so long ago.
(English Grammar Today)
Even
though and even if are also used as subordinating conjunctions
in the same way as although/though. Even though is similar
to although but it makes a stronger contrast:
Even though I cycle to work, I
don’t feel very fit.
Even if means
‘whether or not’:
Even if you run, you’ll still be
late. (You’ll be late whether you run or not.)
I feel tired even if I go to
bed early. (I feel tired whether I go to bed early or not.)
(MWALD)
even if
— used to stress that something
will happen despite something else that might prevent it
I'm going to the party even if it rains. [=whether or not it
rains]
even though
— used as a stronger way to say
“though” or “although”
She stayed with him even though he often mistreated her.
I'm going even though it may rain.
