問:梁振英政府最近向中共呈交所謂民情報告,有英文報道的標題說:Beijing gets no-holds-barred Occupy account。No-holds-barred Occupy account是什麼意思?
答:No holds barred是成語,那bar作動詞,指「禁止」;hold作名詞,指摔角的擒拿手法。No holds barred即「不禁止任何手法」,也即「沒有規限」、「沒有顧忌」,例如:The pro-establishment camp waged a no-holds-barred campaign in the Legislative Council election, and did everything, legal or illegal, to beat the pro-democrats(立法會選舉,親政府陣營競選無所不為,用盡合法及非法手段打擊民主派)。
梁振英政府那分所謂民情報告,據說如實記述了佔領運動的始末,所以那篇報道說:「北京收到無所隱諱的佔領運動報告。」
問:Two litres of water was / were used up(用盡了兩公升水)這一句,哪個選擇正確?
答:說數量,複數的主詞(subject)往往當作一個整體來說,配單數動詞,例如:(1)Two years is not a long time(兩年不是很長的時間)。(2)Two litres of water was used up。不過,假如你着重的不是一個數量而是多少年、多少公升等,則可用複數動詞,例如:(1)Two years are required for an MPhil degree(哲學碩士課程須兩年修習)。(2)Two litres of water were used up。