2012年10月31日星期三

古德明: 會上教堂、成功故事




問:小女英文測驗有以下問題:What are you going to do on Sunday ?(你星期天會做什麼?)假如要說「我星期天會上教堂」,以下哪個答案正確?假如都正確,有什麼分別?──I am going to church / going to go to church on Sunday

答:Be doing somethingbe going to do something都可以用來說「準備做某事」,例如「他們要結婚了」可以譯做They are getting marriedThey are going to get married。兩個說法往往通用,只是be going to do something所說的計劃,似乎沒有be doing something那麼實實在在安排妥當。

此外,說準備去(go)或來(come)某個地方,多用be going to / coming to a certain place的說法,少說be going to go / to come to a certain place。特別是be going to go,重複了go字,不少人都盡可能避免,英國Prentice Hall出版社出版的Mastering English Usage就告訴讀者:Avoid the combination "going to go", which is considered to be bad styleGoing to go這詞語,多視為文體之病,宜避免使用)。所以,讀者示下的兩個答案文法雖然都正確,但I am going to church on Sunday這一句無疑較好。

問:某人的成功故事英文是someone's success story還是someone's successful story

答:答案是someone's success story,例如:His life is a success story(他的一生,就是個成功的故事)。A successful story應是寫得動人的故事。