問:《聖經.哥林多前書》第二章有聖保羅告信徒的話:I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and
him crucified。句中and him crucified三字,可不可改為and
his crucified?
答:His、my這類限定詞(determiner)之後,只可用名詞或動名詞(gerund),絕對不可用crucified那樣的過去分詞(past
participle,即ed動詞)。讀者這個問題很容易回答,不過,and
him crucified三字的文法結構,卻實在難以解釋。
一般而言,except之後會用名詞 / 動名詞、子句(clause)或原形動詞(infinitive),例如:(1)I knew everyone except him(除了他,我人人都認識)。(2)Everything is fine except that we are a little late(我們是遲了一點,但其他一切都很好)。(3)He won't do
anything except watch television(他除了看電視,什麼都不肯做)。
《哥林多前書》那一句,except之後用名詞Jesus Christ,當然沒有問題,但加上and
him crucified,即「名詞+ed動詞」,卻不是英文慣用法,也許是希臘文《聖經》句法的直譯,現代英語不會這樣寫,學習英文者更不宜仿效。較新的《聖經》英譯本,有些就不用這譯法,例如二○○七年New
Living Translation譯文如下:I decided that while I was with
you I would forget everything except Jesus Christ, the one who was crucified(我決定,和各位一起的時候,暫忘一切,心裏只有耶穌基督,即被釘十字架的那個人)。