Dos & Don’ts — 想想看，這句話英語該怎麼說？
1. 你是他的朋友吧？
ˇ You are his friend, aren’t you?
Photo: Adobe Stock l 圖片:Adobe Stock
χ You are his friend, is it?
註︰「附加問句」是由陳述句和簡化的疑問句構成，中間用逗號分開。如果陳述部分用肯定式，則疑問部分是否定式；如果陳述部分用否定式，則疑問部分是肯定式。疑問部分的主詞應與陳述部分主詞相同，述詞在時態、人稱及單複數上應與陳述部分之述詞一致。
反義疑問句譯成中文時，可以在陳述句句尾加上「吧」、「嗎」、「嘛」、「啦」，用以代指「是不是？」或「是嗎？」等呆板的譯法。
Photo: AdobeStock l 圖片:AdobeStock
2. 這塊地已經闢為菜園了吧？
ˇ They have cleared this plot of land to make a vegetable garden, haven’t they?
χ They have cleared this plot of land to make a vegetable garden, didn’t they?
註：規則同上例，注意陳述部分若是用 have，疑問部分也是用 have。
3. 金錢無法買到友誼吧？
ˇ Money can’t buy friendship, can it?
χ Money can’t buy friendship, isn’t it?
註：若「附加問句」陳述部分有助動詞，疑問部分只能用助動詞。此句陳述部分為否定，所以疑問部分應是肯定的。
4. 我總不能希望他在運動方面勝過一般人吧？
ˇ I can hardly expect him to be better than others at sports, can I?
χ I can hardly expect him to be better than others at sports, can’t I?
註：因 hardly, never, scarcely 等副詞有否定意義，疑問部分應用肯定式。
5. 他要講南非現況嗎？
ˇ He will speak about the current situation in South Africa, won’t he?
χ He will speak about the current situation in South Africa, will not he?
註：「附加問句」中疑問部分是否定式時，“not” 應放在代名詞後。若放在代名詞前則與助動詞連結，成為 isn’t, aren’t, don’t, doesn’t, didn’t, won’t 等，但 will he not, is he not 是書面語，口語中不普遍。附加問句若陳述部分沒有助動詞，則句尾疑問部分應用 don’t / doesn’t。
Exercises:
A. 你花錢一直花得太兇啦？
You always spend too much money, __________?
1. isn’t it
2. aren’t you
3. don’t you
4. not you
B. 我總不能要求她借一點錢給我吧？
I can hardly ask her to lend me some money, __________ ?
1. can I not
2. can I
3.can’t I
4. I can
Answers: A. 3 B. 2
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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