問:小巴上,鄰座外國人見司機超速開車,問我知不知道原因,我要告訴他「司機想多開一回車,多賺一點錢」,英文可不可以說:He wants to take one more ride to earn more money?
答:To take a ride是「搭(車、船等)」,不是「開一回車」,例如:She took a ride on the elephant(她騎着大象走了一程)。當年美國紐約市地下鐵路啟用,有一首歌名為Come Take a Ride Underground(來,來搭一趟地下列車)。那take a ride的意思很清楚。
要說「司機大概想多開一兩回車,多賺點錢」,那位讀者可以說:The driver probably wants to do one or two more rounds to earn more money。
問:五月二十五日貴欄有An officer was taking a constitutional這一句,譯文是「一個軍官在散步」,那constitutional為什麼譯做「散步」?
答:Constitutional一字,讀者大概都知道可作constitution(憲法)的形容詞,例如:The people's constitutional rights are ruthlessly suppressed in mainland China(在中國大陸,百姓根據憲法具有的權利,遭冷酷禁絕)。
不過,constitution除了解作「憲法」,還可解作「體格」,例如:He has a strong constitution / He has the constitution of an elephant(他體格壯健/他和大象一般壯健)。Constitutional是這個constitution衍生的另一名詞,指「(當作保健運動的)步行」,例如:She always goes for her morning constitutional with her dog(她早上散步健身,總是帶狗同行)。
【壹錘定音】星期一至五,早上8點開咪!
http://hammerout.hk
立即更新《蘋果動新聞》app
https://bitly.com/AppleDailyiOSApp
https://bitly.com/appledailyandroidapp