古德明:報紙的英文

問:梁振英最近辭任某報董事,說「要多點時間專心處理選舉工作」,有英文報紙譯做( I) want to spend more time to concentrate on my election work。 Spend more time之後,可以用 to concentrate嗎?

答: Spend some time/ an hour/ a day等之後,應用 ing動詞,表示「花些時間/一小時/一天做某事」,不應用「 to+原形動詞( infinitive)」,例如: Szeto Wah spent most of his life working for the communists(司徒華大半生為共產黨效力)。這一句的 working,不可改為 to work。讀者示下那一句,也應改為 I want to spend more time concentrating on my election work,但較好的寫法是: I want to spend more time on my election work或 I want to have more time to concentrate on my election work。

問:香港當局計劃興建機場第三條跑道,日前發表公眾諮詢結果報告。有英文報紙談到諮詢結果: It comes after a three-month public consultation exercise shows the controversal project has widespread support(這是三個月公眾諮詢的結果,顯示飽受爭議的興建計劃,獲廣泛支持)。這一句文法正確嗎?

答:這一句的 shows之前,只要加連接詞 and,文法就沒有錯:這錯誤很簡單,責任大概不在作者,而在手民。另一改寫方式是: It comes after a three-month consultation exercise, which shows...。新聞報道,由於寫作、校對匆忙,往往有錯漏,所以我不大贊成「讀時事學英文」。要學英文,應該讀好文章。