2012年4月11日星期三

古德明: 設 施



問:說「設施」,英文 facility一字什麼時候用單數形式,什麼時候用複數?有考試參考書說: When you talk about a place, such as a building, laboratory or an object, such as a piece of equipment, that facilitates an action or process, the word "facilities" must always be in the plural form although you may have only one building。這條規則對不對?

答:那本參考書似乎不值得參考。單說那句英文,就寫得一塌糊塗,謹先改寫一下,以供比較: When you talk about a place, such as a building or laboratory, or an object, such as a piece of equipment, that facilitates an action or process, the word "facilities" must always be in the plural form although there may be only one place or object(凡是便利某種行為或程序的地方或物件,例如建築物、實驗室、裝備等,以 facilities一字來說,都必須用複數形式,即使說的只是一個地方或一件物件)。這條規則改寫之後,應該清楚一點,只是所言卻不正確。

Facility一字常用複數形式,是因為假如只說一種設施,一般就會說該設施的名稱,不會用 facility一字,例如「學校有圖書館」英文是 The school has a library,不會說 The school has a facility。但「一個地方或一件物件」絕對可用單數形式的 facility來說,例如: A library is an essential facility for a school(圖書館是學校必須有設施)。《牛津高階英漢雙解詞典》 facility條下的「 a new health care facility新保健中心」是另一例子。