2013年3月1日星期五

古德明: 希望,逗點




問:以下一句,哪個選擇正確?──I wish that everything you have / had would be mine(我希望,你的一切,都歸我有)。

答:Wish是「希望」,但所望事情,一般難以實現,所以,說現在的事,動詞應用假設過去式;說過去的事,則用假設過去完成式,例如:(1I wish the government were not so corrupt(我希望政府不那樣腐敗)。(2I wish I had listened to his advice(我當時聽他勸告就好了)。

讀者示下那一句,所說「你的一切」不是假設,所以應用現在式動詞,即everything you have;而「都歸我有」則是假設,所以應用假設過去式動詞,全句作I wish (that) everything you have were mine

問:以下一句,of which之前應不應加逗點?──In 1958, I joined the second student summer conference, of which the attendance was limited(一九五八年,我參加第二屆學生暑期會議,而出席人數是有限制的)。

答:這一句是以關係代名詞(relative prouounwhich取代連接詞and和名詞the conference。不用which,句子可以這樣寫:In 1958, I joined the second student summer conference, and attendance of the conference was limited;用which,句子下半截就應寫作attendance of which was limited,而不是of which attendance等等。由於「第二屆學生暑期會議」已清楚說明是哪個會議,不必再界定,所以conference之後的關係子句(relative clause)是「非界定子句」(non-defining clause),須加逗點。