名人教英文:不要玩太多chinglish
一次打电话给个年轻人,he didn't pick up,没接上他。但要说的并非急事,可以等,于是也没留言。对方稍后传来文字信息﹕you find me? 直译,应该就是「你揾我?」
但这是错英文。错的不是文法,而是字面意思。这错,也许是纯粹玩 chinglish;网上许多人会故意写这类句子,像i no like lah(我不喜欢啦),i left lu...(我离开lu)。这个lu,中文确也不知怎么写。
文字,可以玩,但最好是已掌握了基本功夫才玩。就像习画,不要初班都未学完,就涂鸦模拟毕加索。要担心习惯成自然,从此讲写英文都是这副腔调,就真大件事了。
你找我?were you looking for me? 要简化,可以去掉头两个字,looking for me? 又或were you trying to find me? 可缩成trying to find me?
find,是已经找到,trying to find是尝试找,且看当中分别。
日常生活,许多对答不经大脑,就会出错。
问﹕when will we get the documents? 我们几时拿得着文件?
答﹕they will be arrived tomorrow. 错。该说they will arrive tomorrow. 它们会在明天抵达。
arrive,永远以主动形式出现。要表达文件将会「被抵达」,可改说﹕
they will be delivered (送递) tomorrow.
另外一些常见错误﹕
please be informed,这个好端端的,但说成please be noted,就古怪了。记得,写please note(请留意)就好。
请别人填表,please fill the form,不对,一定要加介词﹕
please fill in the form;而美式英语,就多讲 please fill out the form.
还有,说it would be wonderful if you could do this. 没问题。
但,it would be grateful if you could do this. 就有问题了。
因为wonderful,是太阳底下的大围形容,但grateful却是个人感觉,不说it,要说i,或we﹕
i would be grateful... we would be grateful...