經營成本、翻雲覆雨 - 古德明

2012年12月06日 - 蘋果

問：以下一句，動詞應用is還是has？──The more the staff is / has, the more running cost will be required（職員越多，所需經營成本越多）。

答：這一句上半截用is或has都不正確，而下半截的running cost應作running costs，句式也不對。這類句子上下兩半都應用「the+比較級形容詞／副詞（comparative adjective / adverb）+主詞（subject）+ to動詞」，而動詞往往可以略去，例如：The more staff there are, the more the running costs（will be）。另一說法是If there are more staff, more running costs will be required。留意「有」是there is或there are，那there一字不可或缺。


問：要說「他經常不肯承認自己講過的話，同時自稱講過他從未講過的話」，英文可不可譯做He always denies what he had said before. And at the same time, he would insist having said something which he didn't。

答：譯文動詞時式混亂，說過去的事，前半截用過去完成式had said，下半截則用過去式didn't；此外，He always denies what he had said意思是「他總是否定自己說過的話」，和原文意思不同，而insist之後也不應接動名詞having said。句子可改譯如下：He often denies having said what he has said, and claims to have said what he has never said。