西九龍裁判法院法官陳仲衡對佔領運動者的判詞,連篇累牘,我沒有細看,但讀其為警察發射催淚彈辯護之詞,卻見到以下一句:When D1 called for the over-cramming of Admiralty first, and then over-cramming of Central on 27 September, he must had in mind a number of turnout which would be enough to over-cram Admiralty and Central(第一被告九月二十七日號召人群先堵塞金鐘,再堵塞中環,當時他一定認為有足夠人數堵塞兩地)。這一句根本不能算是英文。
按must之後,須用原形動詞(infinitive),例如He must have gone(他一定已經去了),不可說He must had gone。陳仲衡所謂he must had in mind,必須改為he must have had in mind。
又a number of是「不少」或「若干」的意思,其後須用複數名詞,例如a number of people(不少人)。但turnout是單數名詞,指「到場人數」;a number of turnout這說法,殆不可解,勉強翻譯,應是「很多到場人數」,而a number of turnout(which would be)enough to似是英文字寫的中文,即「很多到場人數,足以……」正式英文說法則應是a turnout(which would be)large enough to等等。
文法錯誤之外,原句重複使用over-cramming、Admiralty、Central等字,十分累贅,宜改寫如下:When D1 called for the over-cramming first of Admiralty and then of Central on 27 September, he must have had in mind a turnout large enough to over-cram the two places。