問:貴欄日前有以下一句,其中on principle二字,可不可改為in principle?──The only case in which the higher ground has been taken on
principle is that of religious belief(原則上自覺道德勝人一籌者,只見於宗教信仰一事)。
答:In
principle、on principle都可以譯做「原則上」,但on
principle是「按道德等原則(做某些事)」,in principle則是「大體上」或「理論上」,例如:(1)He was acting on principle when he turned down the job offer(他根據原則,不接受那分工作)。(2)While I agree in
principle to the proposal, there are still certain points that have to be
discussed further(我大致同意這個建議,但有幾點還須繼續討論)。讀者說的那一句,指根據原則處事,on
principle當然不可改為in principle。
問:英文歌"Enchanted"有以下一段:There I was again tonight / Forcing laugher, faking
smiles / Same old tired, lonely place. / Walls of insincerity / Shifting eyes
and vacancy / Vanished when I saw your face。這是不是說,歌者見到意中人,就收斂不禮貌的言行?
答:Shift是「轉動」,shifting eyes(眼睛轉動不定)多表示「不誠懇」。上述歌詞,是說在虛情假意的社交場合見到如意郎君:「我今天又到了那裏,笑聲虛假,臉上掛着裝出來的歡容。整個地方仍舊充滿厭倦、寂寞。但是,我一見到他,假意虛情的高牆、閃爍不定的眼神、空虛的感覺,都一掃而空。」