問：作家李怡有一本新書，叫《一個人是一生行為的總和》。這書名的中文好不好？英文怎樣翻譯？
答：「一個人是一生行為的總和」應是譯自英文成語A man is the sum total of his act(ion)s。Sum total兩字合用，指「總數」，或帶「加起來仍嫌不足」含義，例如：（1）So that is the sum total of what you have done so far（嗯，你至今就只做了這麼多）。（2）The sum total of the expected expenses is $3,000（開支預料共三千元）。
中文沒有A man is the sum total of his acts的同義成語，我會譯做「斯人固有斯行」、「一生之行，顯見其人」等，確實應怎樣翻譯，須看上下文而定。李怡新書我未有拜讀，那翻譯是否恰當，不敢妄議。
問：In the interest / interests of public safety（為了公眾利益）這說法，哪個選擇正確？
答：In the interest(s)是「為了」或「為了對……有利」，那interest用複數形式interests或作不可數名詞（uncountable noun）都可以，例如：（1）Can you expect the chief executive and his fawning ministers to do anything that is not in their own interest(s)?（你怎可以指望行政長官和他那班巴結逢迎的司局長做任何不利他們自己的事？）（2）US president Richard Nixon had to resign in the interest(s) of his country（美國總統尼克遜為了國家，不能不辭職）。