1. (x) Can you speak English?
(o) Do you speak English?
台湾人用英文问他人「你会说英文吗?」时,经常用 “can” 这个助动词。虽然文法没有错,但会给人一种「质疑对方能力」的感觉,听起来不太礼貌。因此,下次遇到外国人,记得 “Do you speak English/Chinese?” 才是比较正确又礼貌的用法喔!
2. (x) There has a dog.
(o) There is a dog.
在中翻英时,「有」会让人直接联想到 “have” 这个单字。不过在英文里面 There have/has 是不合文法的, There is/are 才是表达有的概念。虽然是很简单的文法,但还是台湾人很常见的错误。可以参考下面的句子:
There are a lot of stars in the sky.
天空中有很多星星。
Is there any possibility that Rebecca isn’t telling the truth?
有没有可能 Rebecca 其实在说谎?
3. (x) Please close the light.
(o) Please turn off the light.
关灯、开冷气、关电视这些动作在翻成英文时,很容易直觉反应使用 open/close 这两个动词,但在英文文法里,这只能用在关门、开窗。若是透过「按键」来完成,则要用 turn on/ turn off。
May I turn on the air conditioner? It’s too hot to sleep.
我可以开冷气吗?太热了我睡不着。
You had better turn off the TV, or Mom will get mad when she comes back.
你最好把电视关掉,不然妈妈回来就要生气了。
Open the door, please.
请开门。
4. Thank you!
(o) You’re welcome!
(o) No problem. / Not at all. / My pleasure. / Sure.
别人跟我们说谢谢时,我们时常会回 You’re welcome. 。这说法没有错,不过这是比较正式、礼貌的用法。其实日常生活对话时,还有很多种自然的回法,像是 No problem. 都会是比较亲切的用词。
5. (x) I very like it. / very thank you.
(o) I like it very much. / Thank you very much.
very 是台湾人常常用错的副词,在直翻的情况下常常用错。 very 只能放在形容词或副词前面,若要修饰动词,要放在动词后面才对喔!
6. (x) Although she is pretty, but she is not friendly.
(o) Although she is pretty, she is not friendly.
(o) She is pretty, but she is not friendly.
中文语法里都会说「虽然……但是……」,但在英文文法里,「虽然」和「但是」两个字是不能并存的,Although / Even though / despite the fact that 跟 but 在句子里的关系是一山不容二虎,就跟 because 和 so 一样,有你就没有我,大家就别再写错啦!
7. (x) I have interest in dancing.
(o) I am interested in dancing.
「我对…有兴趣」常常会被翻成 have interest in 。其实文法并没有错,但这通常是用来礼貌地表达对某件事情表达关切。如果是自我介绍时要告诉他人自己的兴趣的话,要用 be interested in 才是正确的用法!