2012年3月1日星期四

古德明: 不但……而且



問: Junk food is not only notorious for its low nutritional value, but it also contains high levels of calories and fats(垃圾食物不但路人皆知缺乏營養,而且卡路里和脂肪含量極高)這一句, not only but also的用法,是不是犯了「不對稱」的錯誤?

答:一般英語學者都認為, not only but also之後的文法結構應該對稱,例如 not only之後用動詞, but also之後也應用動詞; not only之後用形容詞片語( phrase), but also之後也應用形容詞片語等。我們學英文,宜遵循這法則,否則或被視為錯誤。讀者示下那一句,要前後對稱,可改寫如下: Junk food not only is notorious for its low nutritional value, but also contains high levels of calories and fats

那位讀者說看過斯旺( Michael Swan)《英文慣用法》( Practical English Usage Not only一節的講解,也明白其例句 She not only plays the piano, but also the violin(她不但會彈鋼琴,還會拉小提琴)。這有點奇怪,因為上述例句也不完全對稱。對稱的寫法是: She plays not only the piano, but also the violin。我當然不敢說斯旺英文錯了。事實上,即使著名英文作家,筆下也有「 not only but also不對稱」的例子。英文詞典巨擘 Oxford English Dictionary就取了《格利佛遊記》( Gulliver's Travels)的一句為例: I was not only endowed with the faculty of speech, but likewise with some rudiments of reason(我不但有語言能力,還有一點理性)。這一句,要前後對稱, endowed一字就應改置 not only之前。