一位英文教師來信,說有同事請她影印一些東西,留下字條說:Wouldyoumindifyoucouldmakesomecopies?她覺得Wouldyoumindifyoucould…?這說法不妥,但她同事說:英文教科書也這樣寫。
我不相信。
用mind字,有兩個基本句式。要求人家做某事,說Do(Would)youminddoingsomething?問人家介不介意某人做某事,則說Do(Would)youmindsomebody/somebody'sdoingsomething?或Do(Would)youmindifsomebodydoessomething?例如:(1)Wouldyoumindme/mysmoking?(=WouldyoumindifIsmoked?介意我吸煙嗎?)(2)Wouldyoumindmakingsomecopies?(有勞影印若干份好嗎?)
留意mind之後須用名詞或動名詞(gerund,即ing形式動詞),不得用「to+原形動詞(infinitive)」,例如不可說Wouldyoumindtomakesomecopies?
動名詞用法和名詞相似,所以,要說「某人做某事」,依照文法應說somebody'sdoingsomething,而非somebodydoingsomething,正如somebody'sbook(某人的書)不應寫作somebodybook一樣。不過somebody's、my、his這類所有格字眼(possessive)和動名詞連用,說起來拗口,口頭英語就多改用somebody、me、him等受詞(object),約定俗成,也就不能算錯了。這裏不妨再舉一例:Doyoumindhim/hisspongingonyouallthetime?(他總是揩你的油,你介意嗎?)
【補充】Ontheotherhand的on字不可以改為in。