2012年7月5日星期四

古德明: 年紀小、集合名詞



問:說「年紀小」,有人用small age而不是young age一詞,兩者有什麼分別?

答:英文不會用small age說「年紀小」,那位讀者不知從哪裏見到這說法。
除了young age,英文可用tender age說幼年或童年,例如:He was sent to a boarding school at the very young age / the tender age of seven(他才七歲,就被送到學校寄宿)。

問:寫會議紀錄,說到某company(公司),應算是複數還是單數名詞?

答:Companyteam(隊)、school(學校)、public(公眾)等集合名詞(collective noun),一般視作單數或複數都可以。視為單數,則代名詞用ititswhichthat等;視為複數,則代名詞用theytheirwhothat等,例如:Our team, which is very well trained, is not likely to lose / Our team, who are very well trained, are not likely to lose(我們的一隊,訓練有素,不大可能落敗)。

假如集合名詞所說的組織,明顯視為一個整體,宜當作單數名詞;但假如要強調該組織的成員,則宜當作複數名詞,例如:(1The Red Cross is an international organisation(紅十字會是一國際組織)。(2The Red Cross are working hard to send food and medicine to the flood victims(紅十字會人員正致力把食物、藥物送到洪水災民手上)。