Dos & Don’ts — 想想看，這句話英語該怎麼說？
1. 王老師很負責，每天都準時到學校。
√ Miss Wang is conscientious. She comes to school on time every day.
Photo: Bookman l 圖片:書林
χ Miss Wang is very responsible. Every day she goes to school on time.
註︰一個人很認真、負責、敬業，英文通常用 conscientious 來表達，它的名詞是conscience（良心）。responsible 接在 be 動詞之後是指對某事負責，也可指做錯事時該負的責任，因此“她該負責”英文是 She is responsible for it.。如果某人很負責、值得信賴，可以託付重任，可說 She / He is a responsible person.。
Photo: Bookman l 圖片:書林
2. 他個子不高。
√ He is not tall.
χ His body is not tall.
χ He is not high.
註︰high 通常指「物」的高大，tall 則指「人或細長物」的「高」。但講人的高度，有數字時可以說：
He is six feet high.
He is six feet tall.
3. 我能占用你幾分鐘嗎？
√ Can you spare me a few minutes?
χ May I occupy you a few minutes?
註︰spare：騰出，省下。不顧句型及前後文，只把學過的英文詞彙的中文解釋任意還原為英文時很容易造出這種中式的英文句子。
4. 讓我想想看。
√ Let me think it over.
√ Let me think about it.（以上二句表示考慮）
√ Let me see.（想一時忘記的事物時用此句）
χ Let me think over.
註︰Let me think over. 語法上似乎通順，但不合習慣。參考底下二句：
Let me see. What should we do now?
Let me think a moment. (＝ Give me time before I answer.)
5. 這輛車價格多少？（這輛車多少錢？）
√ How much does the car cost?
√ How much is the car?
√ What is the price of the car?
χ How much is the price of the car?
註︰How much 已有「多少錢」的意思，不須再重複 the price。
Exercises
A. 吳老師很負責，照顧學生很週到。
Miss Wu is __________ . She takes good care of all of her students.
1. responsive
2. dutiable
3. conscientious
4. rigid
B. 我能占用你幾分鐘嗎？
____________________ a few minutes?
1. Can I take you
2. May I occupy you
3. Can you spare me
4. May I use you
Answer: A. 3 B. 3
文章由書林出版公司提供：
www.bookman.com.tw
蘇正隆 — 台灣翻譯學學會前理事長、師大翻譯研究所兼任副教授; 編著《走讀自然.花言樹語》，《英語的對與錯》，《世紀病毒：必讀防疫英文知識與詞彙》...等。國家教育研究院中英雙語詞彙審議委員；研究領域為翻譯、術語及詞典編譯，從事植物與人文導覽數十年，亦曾應邀遠赴國外大學做植物人文導覽。
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