問:電視廣告有以下對話:"I love you." "Me too."(「我愛你。」「我也愛你。」)那個me是不是應改為you?
答:Me
too一般是用來附和人家的說話,表示「我也如此」,You too則當然是「你也如此」的意思,例如:(1)"I would like to have a house like his." "Me
too."(「我真想有一棟他那樣的房子。」「我也是。」)(2)"You
must work harder." "You too."(「你得努力點。」「你也是。」)
嚴格而言,人家對你說I love you,你答以Me too,不是說「我也愛你」,而是說I
also love myself(我也愛我自己)。所以,雖然英語國家的確有人以Me too當作「我也愛你」,竊以為不足為訓,最好改說I love you too。
至於人家對你說I
love you,你答以You too,那等於說「你也愛我」,有「又多一個人愛我了」含義,和I
love you too截然不同。
問:政府新聞公報有以下一句:The government has the responsibility to help the poor and other
disadvantaged people(政府有責任協助貧窮及其他困苦市民)。句中the
responsibility to help可不可改為the responsibility of / for
helping?
答:The
responsibility to help改為the responsibility of helping是可以的,意思沒有什麼分別。Responsibility之後用for,是表示「為……負責」。所以for不宜用於上述句子。以下一句則當然應用for:I accepted responsibility for the failure(我為失敗負責)。