Q:too much of a good thing 是什麼意思呢?

A:“too much of a good thing” 字面的意思是「太多的好事」,但好事太多,過了頭,未必是好事,甚至可能變成壞事;所謂過猶不及,凡事適中就好。因此,這片語含有告誡或勸導的意味,警告人家,儘管福星高照、好事連連,但也不必太高興,因為任何人都不可能永遠走好運;若碰到太多好事,就要提高警覺、步步為營、謹慎將事,否則物極必反,好事過頭反成壞事。這也就是在一些英文諺語中,too much of a good thing 往往與 bad 或 not good 劃上等號的原因。例如:

  • Too much of a good thing is not always good.
  • Too much of a good thing can be a bad thing.

在英文中,「too much of a/an + 名詞」這種片語或句型相當常用,意為「太過…,太多…」,如 He’s too much of a cold fish. (他是個過於冷漠的人/他是個很不友善的人)。事實上,與「too much of a/an + 名詞」結構相近的「a bit of a/an + 名詞」 (有點…) 和「something of a/an + 名詞」(有幾分;可說是;算得上) 亦屢見不鮮,如 She’s always been a bit of a mystery to me. (她對我來說總是有點神秘);He’s something of an expert on growing vegetables. (他可說是個種植蔬菜的專家)。

從「too much of a/an + 名詞」這個結構來看,顯然地,其中的名詞一定是單數可數名詞,而其前可用形容詞來修飾,如 too much of a good thing。有人可能會對此結構感到不解,納悶為何不直接使用 too much + 不可數名詞或 too many + 複數可數名詞,卻偏偏把原本水火不容的 too much 和單數可數名詞湊在一起,儘管整個結構語法沒問題,但不無賣弄之嫌。其實不然,這種結構的功用大矣,它解決了某些名詞慣用單數或語法要求須用單數,但又要表達太多、太過之意思或概念時所面臨的困境。例如:

  • We have seen too much defeatism, too much pessimism, too much of a negative approach. (我們看到了太多的失敗主義、太多的悲觀主義和太多的負面傾向) - 在這句中,too much of a negative approach 可用 too many negative approaches 來代替,但這樣一來就無法與前面兩個 too much 呼應,起加強語氣的作用。這句是美國已故著名舞台劇導演兼製作人瑪格•瓊斯 (Margo Jones) 所說的話。
  • Taiwan doesn’t have too much of a downturn. (台灣目前並無太多經濟衰退的趨勢) - Downturn 通常用單數,在此不宜以 too many downturns 來表示。
  • I knew that I’d finished the paper in too much of a rush, and that the final paragraph was probably shady. (我知道這篇報告是我過於倉促趕出來的,最後一段可能有問題) - Rush 在片語 in a rush 中慣用單數,在此不能用 too many rushes。
  • Sandy got fired from that big company because they thought he was too much of a freewheeler. (桑迪被那家大公司開除了,因為他們認為他過於自作主張) - Sandy 是一個人,對應單數的 a freewheeler,若用 too many freewheelers,文法就錯了。

Q:studies program 也是 study program 的複數嗎?

A:不是。大多數人可能都會將 study program 和 studies program 視為同樣的東西,也就是「研究計畫」。其實不然,僅 study program 才是中文的「研究計畫」,而它的複數是 study programs。

Studies program 中的 studies 是一個複數形的字,意思是「學業;課程;學科」,並非「研究」,所以 studies program 意為「課程」,如 David wants to continue his studies. (大衛想繼續他的學業);business/environmental studies (商業/環境課程);The college has no queer studies department nor any official queer studies program. (這所大學沒有同性戀學系,也沒有任何正式的同性戀研究課程) - 筆者之所以在這句的中文翻譯中加入「研究」二字,是為了避免「同性戀課程」這個名稱讓人覺得這項課程好像在教人如何搞同性戀。

一般而言,在「名詞 + 名詞」的複合名詞中,第一個名詞通常用單數,但也有一些例外的情況,而這些特例大多是第一個名詞原本就是複數形。除 studies program 外,常見的第一個名詞為複數形的複合名詞還有:

the foreign languages department (外語系)
sports meeting (運動會)
talks table (談判桌)
goods train (貨車)
customs papers (海關文件)
clothes brush (衣刷)

crotch fruit

(名詞) (單複數同形) 不聽話或好動的小孩,兒童。對餐廳或其他公共場所的服務生或服務人員來說,這些小孩最令人頭痛,因為他們一刻也靜不下來,經常不聽話地跑來跑去。

  • Ma’am, please keep your crotch fruit away from the knives in the kitchen section. (這位女士,別讓妳的小孩靠近廚房的刀子)
  • Take your crying crotch fruit outside, please. (請把你哭鬧的小孩帶到外面)

Q:no 接可數名詞時,該名詞要用複數還是單數?

A. 一般而言,no 後面若接可數名詞,該名詞通常使用複數型,因為這比單數型要來得自然多了,不會顯得蹩腳。例如:

  • No road accidents were reported in Pescadores throughout August. (整個八月澎湖皆未傳出道路意外事故)
  • No dogs are allowed in the restaurant. (這家餐廳不允許攜狗入內)

不過,視個人心中所想的數量 (一個或多個) 而定,no 有時可接單數或複數名詞。例如:

  • It was 10 a.m., yet there was no policeman on duty outside the bank. (時間已是早上十點,但銀行外面仍無警察值勤)
  • It was 10 a.m., yet there were no policemen on duty outside the bank.
  • In the baseball game last Sunday, no players hit a home run. (在上週日的棒球比賽中,沒有任何球員擊出全壘打)
  • In the baseball game last Sunday, no player hit a home run.
  • In the baseball game last Sunday, not a single player hit a home run.

再者,有時單複數混用會比較自然。例如:

  • He must lead a lonely life: He has no wife and no children. (他一定過著孤寂的生活:他無妻無子) - 男人通常只有一個太太,但往往有一個以上的小孩。

Q:在 Taipei’s goal: zero accidents (or accident) on the road. 這句中,zero 後面的名詞要用單數還是複數呢?

A:Zero 當形容詞用時意為「沒有的;零的」(= no, not any),僅能放在名詞前面當修飾語,不可位在 BE 動詞後面當主詞補語。在 zero 的形容詞用法中,其後若接可數名詞,該名詞一定是複數名詞,不可用單數名詞。不過,zero 若接不可數名詞,該名詞當然是單數型。例如:

  • Zero degrees centigrade is the same as 32 degrees Fahrenheit. (攝氏零度等於華氏 32 度)
  • We are likely to see zero growth on the stock market this year. (今年股市可能零成長)
    = We are not likely to see any growth on the stock market this year.

所以,在 Taipei’s goal: Zero accidents (or accident) on the road. (台北的目標:零車禍) 這句中,zero 後面是接 accidents 不是 accident。另外,值得注意的是,冒號後面須大寫。

至於與 zero 相關的其他用法,可參考「Zero, naught, nought, love, nil (nn.)」這篇文章。