問:《牛津高階英漢雙解詞典》arrange條下有to arrange with someone about doing something這句式,和貴欄說的to arrange for someone to do something意思相同嗎?
答:兩個句式意思不同。請先看以下三句:(1)I have arranged for Harry to walk the dog every morning(我安排了哈利每天上午帶狗去散步)。(2)I have arranged with Harry to walk the dog every morning(我和哈利安排了每天上午帶狗去散步)。(3)I have arranged with Harry about walking the dog every morning(每天上午帶狗去散步一事,我和哈利已有安排)。第一句所說帶狗者是哈利;第二句所說的,可能是哈利,可能是我,也可能是我和哈利;第三句則完全沒有說明帶狗者是誰。
問:我的同事有時會用「supplement+that子句(clause)」,表示「補充說……」,例如:I would like to supplement that the hall admits 200 people(我想補充說,禮堂可容二百人)。Supplement的這個用法正確嗎?
答:Supplement是及物名詞(transitive verb),其後須用名詞、動名詞(gerund)等,不能用that子句,例如:I would like to supplement my appraisal with some details(我想給我的評估補充一些細節)。
至於讀者示下那一句,那supplement一字可用add取代:I would like to add that the hall admits 200 people。