2013年6月1日星期六

古德明: 請為拍照、冷水澆面




問:旅遊時,請人家為我們拍縱向或橫向相片,英文應怎樣?又沖洗底片,除了develop一字,有沒有其他法?

答:縱向相片和橫向相片,英文叫vertical photograph以及horizontal photograph。請人家給你拍縱向或橫向照片,英文可以Could you take a vertical / horizontal photo of us?另一法是:Could you take a photo of us? Please hold the camera vertically / horizontally(可不可以給我們拍張照片?請縱向/橫向拿相機)。

至於沖洗底片,一般是用develop一字,但process也頗常用,例如:Where can we have this spool developed / processed?(這捲軟片,可以在哪裏沖洗?)《牛津高階英漢雙解詞典》以下一句的processed,改為developed也可以:I sent three rolls of film away to be processed(我送了三捲軟片去沖洗)。

問:見學生上課打瞌睡,着他們去廁所「洗洗面,提提神」,英文可不可以Go wash your face

答:go wash your face是沒有錯的,例如:Go wash your face with cold water to keep yourself awake(去用冷水洗洗面,以免入睡)。不過,較好的法是Go splash your face with cold water(去用冷水澆澆面)。另一法是:Go throw / splash some cold water on your face



古德明: 手段骯髒、並非如此

問:以下兩句,是什麼意思?──(1DAB supporters get down and dirty in a Shamshuipo clean-up。(2It is not the case that everyone confirmed to be infected with H7N9 is clustered in one small area with the same source of exposure

答:第一句較難明白的,應是down and dirty這成語。Down and dirty多是指處事使用卑手段,但也可以指「邋遢的」,例如:(1Leung Chun-ying's election campaign got down and dirty when he told lies upon lies(梁振英競選期間,不斷謊,手段十分骯髒)。(2He lives in a down and dirty street(他居住的街道很邋遢)。讀者的第一句,down and dirty當然是取第二個意思,但顯然有心使人想到第一個意思,以吸引讀者。全句意思是:「民建聯支持者不避骯髒,到深水大掃除。」

至於第二句,那位讀者不明白It is not the case五字。按case是「情況」或「事實」,例如:(1They say they love China, but that is not the case(他們愛中國,事實卻不是這樣)。(2He is said to be very learned, but if that is the case, why can't he answer so simple a question?(據他很有學問,要是如此,為什麼那樣簡單的問題,他都不能回答?)讀者的第二句,意思就是:「證實染上H7N9禽流感者,並不是人人都擠在一個小小的地方,暴露在同一環境之下。」