問:英文有沒有類似「過橋抽板」的成語?
答:「過橋抽板」,或作「過河拆橋」,英文直譯是to dismantle a bridge once across a river。英文有兩句成語,一是to climb (up) / go up the ladder(緣梯而上),一是to kick down / over the ladder(把梯子踢開)。第一句指「向上爬」,第二句指「爬上高處之後,把梯子一腳踢開」,即「過橋抽板」。以下兩句,取自英國近代作家William Haggard小說The Kinsmen第十章以及十九世紀作家William Thackeray小說The Book of Snobs第七章,可供參考:(1)When he'd made a great fortune Duncan Gregg had gone up the ladder a bit(鄧肯.格雷發了大財,社會地位稍為提高了)。(2)She has struggled so gallantly for polite reputation, that she has won it; pitilessly kicking down the ladder as she advanced, degree by degree(她努力躋身名流之中,終於得償所願,而她步步攀高,就把腳下的梯子一一踢掉,毫不留情)。
問:月前,地下鐵路有一廣告,上書「Korean's famous Pang Show著名韓國麵包騷」。Korean's這寫法正不正確?
答:「麵包展」為什麼叫做Pang Show,我不知道,那Pang字也許是韓文音譯。無論如何,「著名韓國麵包展」英文應譯做Korea's famous Pang Show或the famous Korean Pang Show。至於Korean's,應是指「(一個)韓國人的」,例如:He read the Korean's letter(他讀那韓國人的信)。