BOOKMAN BILINGUAL 雙語書林： Chinglish or Natural English? 中式英語或道地英語？

Photo: AdobeStock 圖片:AdobeStock

χ Suddenly I reminded a song I once heard.

註：remind 是「提醒」、「使想起」；recall 含有「回想起」、「想起」的意思。前者指「某人／某事提醒某人某件事情」，後者為「某人主動地想起了某事或某人」，試比較下列句子：

I reminded him that there would be a lecture in the evening.（我提醒他晚上有演講。）

Photo: Adobe Stock 圖片:Adobe Stock

He recalled that there would be a lecture in the evening.（他想起晚上有演講。）

2. 他們創造了許多經濟奇蹟。

ˇ They have worked (/performed/done) economic wonders.

χ They have created economic wonders.

註：中文「創造」用法較廣泛，但英語裡的 create 不可濫用。例如：「創造了奇蹟」，不能說 to create miracles (wonders)；應說 to work (perform, do) miracles 或 to do mighty work。下列幾句中 create 的用法是正確的：

Dickens created many characters.

MLA Style—This style was created by the Modern Language Association of America in 1985.

3. 僅僅一年他發明了不少有用的機器。

ˇ In one year alone he invented quite a number of useful machines.

χ In one year alone he discovered quite a number of useful machines.

註：discover 是「發現」，發現的事物是客觀存在，而前所未知的。例如：

Columbus discovered America in 1492.

I discovered that it was too late to catch the last train.

invent 是「發明」，發明的事物以前並不存在，經人們創造出來的。例如：

The art of printing was invented in the Han dynasty.

He has invented numerous tools that help researchers better study anatomy.

invent 有時指「捏造」。例如：

The pupil invented an excuse for his being absent.

4. 這位技師教他們怎樣操作機器。

ˇ The technician taught them how to operate the machine.

χ The technician taught them how to master the machine.

註：to master 一般指「精通」，是對知識而言，沒有「操作機器」的意義。可以說 to master a language，不可說 *to master a tractor (an airplane) 等等。

5. 你願意和我去公園散步嗎？

ˇ Do you care for a walk in the park with me?

ˇ Do you care to take a stroll in the park with me?

χ Do you mind to take a walk in the park with me?

註：徵詢某人是否樂於做某事，或對某物是否感到興趣，應用 to care to do something 或 to care for (/about) something。例如：

Do you care to go to the concert (/movies) with me?

Would you care for an orange (/another cup of tea)?

徵詢某人對做某項事是否介意或反對時，才用 mind，例如：

Do you mind if I smoke?

Would you mind passing me the salt and pepper?

I hope you don’t mind if I smoke.

Do you mind if I turn off the air conditioner?

Exercises

A. 他提醒我下午跟客戶有約。

He __________ me that I had an appointment with my client in the afternoon.

1. reminded 2. recalled 3. was reminded of 4. remembered

B. 我可以開電視機嗎？

Do you __________ if I turn on the television?

1. mind for 2. mind

3. care about 4. cares

Answers:

A. 1 B. 2

文章由書林出版公司提供：

www.bookman.com.tw

蘇正隆 — 台灣翻譯學學會前理事長、師大翻譯研究所兼任副教授; 編著《走讀自然.花言樹語》，《英語的對與錯》，《世紀病毒：必讀防疫英文知識與詞彙》...等。國家教育研究院中英雙語詞彙審議委員；研究領域為翻譯、術語及詞典編譯，從事植物與人文導覽數十年，亦曾應邀遠赴國外大學做植物人文導覽。