關係代名詞，更正錯誤

問：貴欄日前有以下一句： An iron cage was made, into which Bajazid was thrust（鐵籠做好之後，巴耶塞特被推進去）。 Which、 who等關係代名詞（ relative pronoun），不是應緊接所代表的名詞嗎？然則貴欄那一句，是不是應改寫如下： An iron cage, into which Bajazid was thrust, was made？

答：讀者把 was made二字置於句末，似乎鐵籠還未做好，先把巴耶塞特推進去，這恐怕不大好。關係代名詞固然多緊接所代表的名詞，但必要時相隔幾個字也無妨。例如 Animal Farm第五章就有以下一句： She was between the shafts of a smart dogcart painted red and black, which was standing outside a public-house（酒館外停着一輛漂亮的紅黑兩色馬車，她站在左右車轅之間）。句中的 which，代表的當然是 dogcart，而不是 red and black。

問：我日前打字錯打了檔案號碼，要更正，以下一句應用 was還是 has been： Due to typo error, the file reference number was/ has been stated at 123, which should be 122 instead（由於打字錯誤，檔案號碼本應是一二二，卻寫作一二三）。

答：號碼既是日前打錯的，雖然到現在才改正，但還是應該用過去式動詞 was。留意 typo是 typographical error（排印或打字錯誤）的俗寫， typo error這寫法未免畫蛇添足，改為簡單而正式的 typing error會好一點。此外，讀者那一句文法有點錯誤，謹改正如下： Because of a typing error, the file reference number was stated to be 123, while it should be 122。

（古德明）

不如說是、有人坐嗎？

問： China's recent labour unrest is less a sign of instability than a country moving towards a very different future這一句，下半截即 less a sign開始的文法結構是怎樣的？

答： More/ less a... than a...這句式，有「與其說是……，不如說是……」的意思，例如：（ 1） He is more a dreamer than a revolutionary（他與其說是革命家，不如說是夢想者）。（ 2） The book is less an account of the murder than a vindication of it（這本書的重點在於為那宗謀殺案辯護，而不是敍述案件的經過）。

讀者示下那一句， than之後略去了重複的 a sign of三字。全句是說：「中國最近的工人運動，與其說是反映社會不穩定，不如說是反映中國正走向一個遽變的未來。」

問：要問人家「這個座位有沒有人坐」，可不可以說 Is this seat empty?

答：英文一般的說法是 Is this seat free/ taken/ occupied?或 Is anyone/ someone sitting here?例如：（ 1）"Excuse me, is this seat free?" "No, I'm sorry, someone's sitting here."（「請問這座位有沒有人坐？」「有，有人坐的，對不起。」）（ 2）"Is this seat taken?" "No, it's free."（「這座位有沒有人坐？」「沒有。」）

Is this seat empty?這說法當然也可以，但較少人說。英文有個「女郎拒絕陌生漢搭訕」的笑話："Is this seat empty?" "Yes, and mine will be if you sit down."（「這個座位有人坐嗎？」「沒有。要是你坐下來，我的座位也會沒有人坐。」）

（古德明）

打我的臉、同不同意

問： He beat my face和 He beat me on my face這兩句，有什麼分別？

答：英文在 hit/ beat/ strike somebody（打某人）、 shake somebody（搖動某人）、 hold somebody（抓住某人）等等之後，常用介系詞（ preposition）帶出打、搖動、抓住身體某部分，而那部分一般用 the字帶出，不用 his、 my等，例如：（ 1） They shook each other's hands/ They shook each other by the hand（他們握手）。（ 2） The thug hit her head with a brick/ The thug hit her on the head with a brick（那惡棍持磚打她的頭）。

He beat my face和 He beat me on the face都是說「他打我的臉」，意思沒有分別，但 He beat me on the face這句法較為常見。

問： I can't agree any more、 I can't agree more、 I can't agree no more這三句，文法都正確嗎？意思有什麼分別？

答： Not... any more是「再也不」的意思，等於 no more，例如： I won't see him any more/ I will see him no more（我不會再見他）。 I can't agree any more即「我再也不能同意」。

Couldn't agree more或 couldn't agree less則是成語，意思是「完全同意」或「完全不同意」，習慣用假設語氣的 couldn't而不用 can't，例如： Yes, I couldn't agree with you more（不錯，我完全同意你的看法）。

I can't agree no more這一句，文法上犯了雙重否定（ double negative）的錯誤，意思應等於 I couldn't agree more。

（古德明）

被動語態問題

問： Hong Kong bills itself as a shopper's paradise, a term that implies that great deals can be had這一句的 can be had是什麼意思，什麼句法？

答： Great deals can be had只是普通被動語態（ passive voice），改用主動語態（ active voice），可寫作 Consumers can have great deals。讀者大概是不習慣用 have作全動詞（ full verb），所以覺得奇怪；原句假如用 secured、 clinched等動詞取代 had，意思應該就不會有人不明白：「香港自稱為購物者天堂，是說購物可以很合算。」

除了 can be had，你還可以說 must be had、 may be had等，例如： The necessary tools must be had（= We must have the necessary tools） if we are to do the job well（要把工作做好，我們一定要有所需工具）。

問： The government of South Korea backed off from the announcement it made on 7 May這一句，那 it字代表什麼？可以刪去嗎？

答：這個 it當然是指 government，但把這 it字略去也可以。假如不用省略法，那麼，句子的主動和被動語態寫法如下： The government of South Korea back off from the announcement（ which） it made on 7 May/ the announcement（ which was） made on 7 May（南韓政府不再堅持五月七日發表的聲明）。留意主動語態的關係代名詞（ relative pronoun），用在兩個名詞或代名詞之間，可以略去；被動語態的關係代名詞，假如略去，則其後的 is、 were等輔助動詞也應略去。

（古德明）

不遵常規、本應如此

問： We received a torrent of questions from readers, who courageously described their various phobias, foibles, and out-there habits這一句， out-there habits是什麼意思？

答： Out there是美國俗語，意思是「不遵循一般規範的」，例如：（ 1） His ethical values are rather out there（他的道德觀和一般人很不同）。（ 2） Her parents take exception to her out-there dressing style, which is very seductive（她的衣着十分性感，不遵常規，令父母很不高興）。

讀者示下那一句，意思就是：「讀者的問題，如雪片飛來，大膽講出他們不合常理的恐懼、怪癖、與人不同的習慣等。」

問： Christmas is near and we have snow, which is as it should be這一句， snow之後的關係子句（ relative clause）說的是什麼？

答：關係代名詞（ relative pronoun） which可以指前文整個子句所說的事，例如： Tom loves her, which is surprising, for she does not appear to be his type（湯姆愛她，這很奇怪，因為她似乎不是湯姆喜歡的那種人）。讀者說的那一句， which就是指 we have snow這回事，謹翻譯如下：「聖誕節快要降臨，下起雪來。聖誕節本來就應該有雪。」

Something is as it should be是「某事本應如此」的意思。這裏再舉一例： The restaurant's kitchen is always clean and tidy. That is as it should be（那家餐廳的廚房總是收拾得十分整潔。餐廳廚房是應該這樣的）。

（古德明）

故國遙看未敢回

In January 330, Alexander the Great reached the capital of the Persian Empire, where he found 4000 Greeks, who had been made prisoners by the Persians. The hands and feet of some of them, and the noses and ears of others, had been cut off, and their faces branded with hot irons. Alexander assured them that they should again see their families and native country.

"Alas!" answered they,"how will it be possible for us to appear before all Greece in this dreadful condition? The best way to bear misery is to conceal it." They entreated that they might be permitted to end their days among those accustomed to their misfortunes. Alexander therefore gave to each of them 3000 drachmas, two couple of oxen to plough with, and a quantity of corn to sow. He also commanded the governor of the province to protect them.

公元三三○年一月，亞歷山大大帝來到波斯帝國的首都，看見四千個遭波斯俘虜的希臘人，其中一些人被斬去了手腳，其餘的則被割去了耳鼻，面孔也用烙鐵燒了印記。亞歷山大告訴他們說，會讓他們重返故國再見家人。

眾俘虜回答說：「唉，我們這樣悽慘，在所有希臘人面前，怎能現身？忍受苦痛，最好的辦法，是把苦痛隱藏。」他們希望在慣見其慘狀的人之中，度過殘生，請亞歷山大答應這要求。亞歷山大於是給他們每個人三千德拉克馬銀幣，並各給四隻牛和一些穀粒，以供耕種。他還命令行省總督好好保護這四千人。

（古德明）

主教的仁心

In the year 420, during the war between the Eastern Roman Empire and Persia, 7000 Persians were brought prisoners to Amida, where they suffered extreme want.

Seeing this, Acacius, Bishop of Amida, assembled his clergy. He observed that as God had said,"I love mercy better than sacrifice," he would be better pleased with the relief of the prisoners than with being served with gold and silver. The clergy agreed. The consecrated vessels were sold, and with the proceeds the prisoners were maintained and, at the conclusion of the war, sent home. The Persian monarch was charmed with this humane action. He invited Acacius to his capital, where he received him with the utmost reverence, and for his sake conferred many favours on the Christians.

公元四二○年，東羅馬帝國和波斯戰爭期間，七千波斯人被俘，送到阿米達。他們缺乏供給，困苦不堪。

阿米達主教阿卡西烏斯見到這情況，召集當地教士，指出上帝曾說「我愛慈悲多於祭品」，因此，救濟那些俘虜，比用金器銀器供奉上帝，更能使上帝高興。教士都同意這觀點。他們把禮拜用的器皿賣掉，以所得供七千俘虜溫飽，並於戰爭結束後送他們回國。波斯王深受這仁愛感動，邀請阿卡西烏斯到波斯國都，優禮異常，還看他分上，對基督徒多所恩賜。

〔附注〕售賣東西或舉辦活動所得金錢，叫 proceeds，必須用複數形式。

（古德明）