月餅廣告、負責辦事 - 古德明

月餅廣告、負責辦事 - 古德明

問:有英文報紙廣告說:What better way to celebrate the double joys of a glittering full moon and a close family gathering with exquisite mooncake delights from (a certain cake shop)?(朗月盈盈,一家團圓,洵為雙喜,最好的慶祝辦法,何過於品嘗(某餅店)的精美月餅?)那What better way之後,加上can it be三字,會不會好一點?
答:這一句的確漏了主要動詞(main verb)。假如要句子文法「完整」,可說What better way is there to等等。讀者提議的can it be則不宜用於這一句。
不過,What better way is there的is there二字,往往略去。這是慣用法,不能解釋,例如:What better way (is there) to spend your later years than in the house where you grew up?(晚年日子,在自己小時居住的房子裏度過,不是最好嗎?)
讀者示下那一句,問題不在於沒有主要動詞,而在於better之後沒有than。作者顯然一時大意,把than with exquisite mooncake delights的than字遺漏了。
問:Responsible to do something(負責做某事)是常見說法,為什麼敝公司英文培訓組卻說須改為responsible for doing something?
答:「負責做某事」的確應說responsible for (doing) something,不能說responsible to do something,例如:I was responsible for (ensuring) his safety(我負責保障他的安全)。當然,你可以說to be responsible to someone,但那是「向某人負責」的意思。