2012年12月5日星期三

古德明: 經營成本、翻雲覆雨




問:以下一句,動詞應用is還是has?──The more the staff is / has, the more running cost will be required(職員越多,所需經營成本越多)。

答:這一句上半截用ishas都不正確,而下半截的running cost應作running costs,句式也不對。這類句子上下兩半都應用「the + 比較級形容詞/副詞(comparative adjective / adverb+ 主詞(subject + to動詞」,而動詞往往可以略去,例如:The more staff there are, the more the running costswill be)。另一說法是If there are more staff, more running costs will be required。留意「有」是there isthere are,那there一字不可或缺。

問:要說「他經常不肯承認自己講過的話,同時自稱講過他從未講過的話」,英文可不可譯做He always denies what he had said before. And at the same time, he would insist having said something which he didn't

答:譯文動詞時式混亂,說過去的事,前半截用過去完成式had said,下半截則用過去式didn't;此外,He always denies what he had said意思是「他總是否定自己說過的話」,和原文意思不同,而insist之後也不應接動名詞having said。句子可改譯如下:He often denies having said what he has said, and claims to have said what he has never said


【代郵】Bittermelon先生:中文古無「星期」(week)觀念,近人以「週」說「星期」,當是取「週迴」之意,而「週迴」古亦作「周迴」,故「星期」稱「週」或「周」皆可。僕則多用「週」字。