蘇老師專欄

[ 2019-11-01 ]

<談文論譯> 談單複數,冠詞,搭配與動名詞   蘇正隆

單複數與冠詞往往令人難以捉摸,I like dogs. 與 I like dog. 有何區別? Shark doesn’t get cancer. 是正確用法嗎?during rush hour 還是 during rush hours?是conduct a market research?還是 conduct market research?

我們受中文影響難免寫出與英文習慣不符的搭配。It's still two weeks away. 還是 There're still two weeks away?是 There are still two weeks left. 還是 It's still two weeks left?〈蘇老師英語天地〉夏季第三講 7/27 (Sat.) 14:00-16:00在台北書林書店 (新生南路3段88號2樓之5) 開講。報名專線:02-23658617

7/20〈蘇老師英語天地〉第二講,下課有人問我底下 nominal 例句的 purchase order 是不是打錯,前面有for,應該是 purchasing order 吧?

Another meaning for the adjective nominal is "in name only" or only having a title. The CEO is the nominal head of the company, but you know his assistant is one who is really in charge of the day-to-day business of the company. He is the go-to person for signing invoices, purchase orders, and resolving personnel issues.

最後一行的 purchase order 雖然在 for 之後,但這裡 purchase order (訂單) 與purchase price (購買價) 一樣是複合名詞,不是動詞 purchase 加名詞 order,不必加 ing。 

許多英文詞彙如:load, overlap, download, estimate, forecast, read, review, interview, lead, check-out, infight …等,本身同時兼動詞與名詞,因此作名詞用時不必再加 ing,然而台灣學界,特別是英文老師,往往喜歡用加 ing的動名詞形式來表達。譬如:教學分量重 (heavy teaching load),會說成 “heavy teaching loading”。

我們Google一下,就可以驗證:

* 找不到 "we have a heavy teaching loading" 的結果。(Google May10, 17)
"we have a heavy teaching load" 約有 483,000 項結果

*"heavy teaching loading" 6 項結果 (Google as of May 10, 17) 全出自台灣: 

第42期英語教學電子報 - 教育部中區英語教學資源中心
www.etlrc.yuntech.edu.tw/index.php/e-paper-area/.../86-no-42-t-paper‎
It is a tough addition to our heavy teaching loading and routine desk work. Luckily, ETRC has planned and offered a series of workshops that really meets many ...

資源導覽:國小教師的多元文化教學信念與其運作課程之個案研究
digiarch.sinica.edu.tw › 資源導覽 › 藏品‎
The gap resulted from some factors, such as curriculum goals, heavy teaching loading, and teacher's perspective in curriculum. ...

臺灣期刊論文索引 - 國家圖書館期刊文獻資訊網中文期刊篇目系統:
readopac2.ncl.edu.tw/nclJournal/search/summny_list.jsp?sysId=0004658229&dtdId...
The gap resulted from some factors, such as curriculum goals, heavy teaching loading, and teacher's perspective in curriculum. However, the teacher kept ...

可見這是台灣特有的習慣。

其他喜歡用加 ing的動名詞形式來表達的例子還有不少,看以下統計便可知其實不必加 ing,才是正道。

*找不到 "thank you for your interviewing me" 的結果。
"thank you for your interview" 約有 567,000 項結果 (Google May 11, 2017)

*"found the overlapping of"約有 7 項結果
"found the overlap of" 約有 210,000 項結果

*找不到 "estimating of shipping cost" 的結果
"estimate of shipping cost" 約有 3,910,000 項結果

*"the forecasting for next year" 2 項結果
"the forecast for next year" 約有 86,100 項結果

"available for free download on our website " 約有 960,000 項結果 (July 24, 2019)
"available for free downloading on our website" 約有 865 項結果
"available for free downloading on our website" site:uk  1 項結果

台灣不少老師會以為底下的 "this book was a great summer read" 是錯的!

All in all, this book was a great summer read, and on my list of Top 15 books. (Mount Prospect Public Library What’s New Categories)

"this book is a great summer read" 約有 327,000 項結果
*找不到 "this book is a great summer reading" 的結果。
(Jerome Su, July 24, 2019)