問:北京外國語大學網上英文講義有以下句子:I will share with you the keys to better English speaking skills(我會跟各位談談改善口頭英語的要訣)。句中key字是不是不應加s?
答:這位讀者說得對。Key指「要訣」,一般不用複數形式。此外,「要訣」和skills(技巧)這裏意思相近,所以句子可改寫如下:I
will share with you the key to better English speaking。
問:This
pet shop is the best hotel for pets which you can find in London(這家寵物店,是倫敦最好的寵物旅館)一語,which之前加一逗點,會不會清楚一點?
答:Which、who等字帶出的關係子句(relative clause),假如是用來界定(define)前文所述,不可加逗點,英文叫defining
relative clause;假如前文所述不必界定,那子句之前才加逗點,英文叫non-defining
relative clause。請比較以下兩句:(1)This
is the tallest building which you can find in Hong Kong(這是香港最高的建築物)。(2)This is the International Commerce Centre, which is the
tallest building in Hong Kong(這是環球貿易廣場,是香港最高的建築物)。第一句假如沒有which
you can find in Hong Kong這子句界定,人家不可能知道「這最高的建築物」是哪幢建築物;第二句不用which
is the tallest building in Hong Kong這子句界定,人家也會知道你說的是哪幢建築物。同樣道理,讀者說的那一句,那寵物旅館須界定「是倫敦最好的」,所以which之前,不可加逗點。