問:《聖經.使徒行傳》第二十六章有以下兩句:(
1) Many a time I went from one synagogue to another(我多次從一家教堂走到另一家)。( 2) I have had God's help to this very day(我直到今天都獲上帝扶助)。第一句的 many a time可不可改為 many times?第二句的 had字可以略去嗎?
答:「 Many a+單數名詞」,意思等於「 many+複數名詞」,只是措詞較文雅。例如:
Many a shop was looted(= Many shops were looted) during the riot(騷亂時,不少商店遭劫掠)。
Many a time當然也可改為 Many times。
讀者示下第二句的 had,則不可略去。 To這裏等於 until,指「直到(某個時候)」。請看以下一句: To this day I haven't found out why he refused my
offer(我至今都查不到他為什麼拒絕我的建議)。現在完成式
haven't found和 have had一樣,結構上是「輔助動詞( haven't/ have)+動詞( found/
had)」,指由過去到現在的整段時間。假如改用現在式動詞,那就只是說目前的事,所以以下兩句文法都不對:( 1) To this
day I do not find out why he refused my offer。( 2) I
have God's help to this very day。當然,你可以說
I have God's help,但那是「我現在有上帝幫助」的意思。
【代郵】啟章先生:「麟兒」即「麒麟兒」,指天資不凡的孩子。或云「孔子生之先,有麟吐玉書於闕里(孔子故里)」。