2012年3月30日星期五

古德明: 在職期間、不同的肉




問:寫英文求職信,用 tenure term of office說「任職期間」,語氣是不是太過拘謹( formal)?

答: Tenure(任期)一般是指任大學教職或重要的公職, office(職位)通常也是指高級職位,例如:( 1 The minister of education has resigned office(教育部長辭職了)。( 2 The president's tenure of office is four years(總統的任期是四年)。假如所任並非要職,用 tenure term of office來說「任職期間」,可能惹人笑話。

至於普通職位,「任職期間」可以有不同說法,例如:( 1 While I was employed as sales manager with ABC Ltd, I was in charge of a team of 40 sales representatives(我在 ABC公司任銷售經理期經,手下有推銷員四十人)。( 2 I have been employed by ABC Ltd as a clerk since 2005. During that time I have been given increasingly responsible work by my employer(我二零零五年開始在 ABC公司任文員,其間雇主給我的工作,越來越是重要)。

問:貴欄說 behaviour(行為)是不可數名詞( uncountable noun),即使不同行為,也不可說 different behaviours;但 meat(肉)也是不可數名詞,為什麼却可說 different meats

答: Meat behaviour不同。泛指「肉」的 meat是不可數名詞,但說「一種肉」的 meat却是可數名詞,例如:( 1 I don't eat much meat(我吃肉不多)。( 2 Pork and beef are his favourite meats(他愛吃豬肉、牛肉)。