除卻、留意 - 古德明

除卻、留意 - 古德明

問:第二版《朗文當代高級英文詞典》有以下例句,other than之後的動詞不用to帶出:There was nothing we could do other than wait(除了等待,我們沒有什麼可以做)。然則梁振英女兒以下一句的to要不要刪去?── I shall have no option left other than to take legal action(吾將別無他法,唯有訴諸法律)。
答:Other than即「除卻」,其後可用名詞、形容詞、動詞等。假如用動詞,常用to帶出,例如:I have set myself no goal other than to win(我給自己定下的唯一目標,就是取勝)。
然則朗文詞典那一句為什麼不用to?按other than之前,假如有nothing one can do、there isn't anything to do等帶do字的說法,那to字往往略去,例如:I do not see what you can do other than (to)agree with him(依我看,你別無他法,只能同意他的話)。朗文詞典那例句,wait之前絕對可以加一to字。
問:我公司的同事常常寫以下這樣的句子,究竟正不正確?── Supervisors should bring the attention of this memo to all their staff(各主管宜令其屬下知悉本摘要之內容)。
答:那一句其實是說「各主管宜令本摘要留意其屬下」,當然不知所謂。正確寫法是Supervisors should bring this memo to the attention of all their staff或Supervisors should bring the attention of all their staff to this memo.