英倫翻譯社/ Trsmaster

Q：but 和 yet 用作連接詞表示「然而，可是，但是」之意時，兩者有何不同呢?

A：用作對等連接詞 (coordinating conjunction) 時，but 與 yet 的意思並無二致，但 yet 的語氣較強且可能比較驚訝。例如：

• Tony studied hard, but he failed in the exam. (東尼很用功，但考試仍不及格)
• Tony studied hard, yet he failed in the exam. (東尼很用功，但考試仍不及格)

然而，"yet" 的前面可以放 and 或 but，但 "but" 的前面卻不行。例如：

• Jenny’s very beautiful, yet she’s rather lazy. (珍妮非常漂亮，但她挺懶的)
  = Jenny’s very beautiful, and yet she’s rather lazy. (正)
  = Jenny’s very beautiful, but yet she’s rather lazy. (正)
• Jenny’s very beautiful, and/but but she’s rather lazy. (誤)

儘管 and yet 或 but yet 的寫法不時可見，但是一些文法學者卻不表苟同，認為這是累贅，因為 and 和 but 是贅詞。他們指出，雖然莎士比亞也使用 but yet，但莎翁是著名的詩人和劇作家，並非著名的文法學家。

最後值得注意的是，如果有人看到像下面這樣的句子，千萬別以為 but 前面可以放 yet：

• The sun has not risen yet but I should go to work. (太陽還沒有升起，但我該去上班了)

上句中的 yet 並非連接詞，而是副詞，意為「還 (沒)、尚 (未)」，用於現在式或現在完成式的否定句或疑問句，而 yet 通常置於該子句的句末。若在 yet 和 but 之間用逗點隔開，就不會造成這樣的誤解或混淆了，如 The sun has not risen yet, but I should go to work.。

民眾發現台鐵台中太原站月台豎立的候車指引中英文對照告示牌，使用簡陋錯誤、不成章法的英文文句，指引錯誤，不懂中文的外籍人士根本就看不懂。台灣大學外文系美籍副教授史嘉琳說，標示確實有誤。

王先生說，上月底發現太原站第一月台上有面指示牌，寫著「往台中、彰化方向旅客 請在此月台候車，往豐原、潭子方向旅客 請走樓梯至第二月台」，英譯成「WAIT HERE FOR TO TAICHUNG . CHANGHUA　STEP OVERPASS TO FENGYUAN. TANZI (中文直譯為在這等去台中、彰化，跨越去豐原、潭子。)」他批：「這種台式英文，外國人會跑錯月台。」

台鐵台中運務段業務部主任江國聖說，告示是由外包製作，經檢視確認英譯過於簡陋，已更正。

「英文翻譯確實有點不太對。」台大外文系外籍副教授史嘉琳建議，應譯為「Trains to Taichung and Changhua board from this platform.　To board trains to Fengyuan and Tantzu, please take overpass to Platform 2.」史嘉琳還指出，告示中的地名英譯，TAICHUNG、CHANGHUA (台中、彰化) 採威妥瑪式拼音，TANZI (潭子) 卻是漢語拼音，建議最好統一使用同種拼音法。(蘋果日報 2012/01/30)

文章出處：英文資訊交流網

◎陳成良

New Yorkers may like "Mayor Mike" but are less certain they want him playing the role of "Mayor Mom."

紐約市民或許喜歡「麥克市長」，但他們較不確定希望他（麥克．彭博）扮演「市長媽媽」的角色。

A new poll shows the Big Apple’s denizens are divided over City Hall’s efforts to correct their bad habits, which in recent years has included bans on trans fats and smoking in bars, as well as drives to cut consumption of salt and sugary soda.

一項新民調顯示，對於紐約市政府努力矯正市民不良習慣的努力，紐約市民看法不一。紐約市政府近年頒布多項禁令，包括禁用反式脂肪、禁在酒吧內吸菸，以及推動減少鹽和含糖汽水的消費。

While nearly six in 10 New York voters would prefer to live in a building where no one is allowed to smoke, more than half of those polled say City Hall should not pressure building owners to ban indoor smoking, a Quinnipiac University poll showed on Friday.

昆尼皮克大學週五公布的民調顯示，儘管有近6成紐約選民表示較喜歡生活在一個無菸環境裡，但有超過一半的受訪者表示，市政府不應就室內禁菸向店主施壓。

And asked whether the government should discourage unhealthy eating and drinking habits, 45 percent said it should while 48 percent said the government shouldn’t get involved.

當被問及政府是否應勸阻不健康的飲食習慣時，有45%的受訪者表示贊同，而有48%的受訪者認為政府不應介入。

"New York City voters have a love-hate relationship with ’Nanny Government,’" said Maurice Carroll, director of the Quinnipiac poll.（Reuters）

Setting aside fears for a new arms race with the United States or the conflict in Syria, President Dmitry Medvedev took to Twitter Wednesday to reassure Russia on another burning issue--the wellbeing of his cat.

撇開與美國展開新的武器競賽或敘利亞衝突等的憂慮不談，（俄羅斯）總統梅德維傑夫週三在推特發文，消除俄羅斯對另外一件緊急議題─他的愛貓是否安好─的疑慮。

Presidential pet Dorofey had not, contrary to press reports and frenzied Internet speculation, gone missing.

跟媒體報導及網際網路的瘋狂猜測相反的是，總統的寵物第一貓多羅菲，並沒有失蹤。

"It has become known from sources close to Dorofey that he didn’t disappear. Thank you for your concern, everyone," tweeted Medvedev.

「熟悉多羅菲的消息人士透露，牠並沒有消失。感謝各位的關心，」梅德維傑夫的推文寫道。

Russian social media users have been having a field day speculating about the cat’s alleged escape, with at least two Twitter accounts created in Dorofey’s name to post updates of his whereabouts and his decision to join the nascent protest movement.

使用社交媒體的俄羅斯網友近來對有關第一貓疑似逃逸一事大肆猜測批評，至少有2個以多羅菲為名成立的推特帳號，貼出牠的下落與決定加入方興未艾的抗議運動等的即時消息。

"I am tired of politics! I want family and kids!" one Dorofey impersonator @Dorofey_Kot tweeted.

「我受夠政治！我要家庭跟小孩！」一個假裝是多羅菲的推特帳號@Dorofey_Kot的推友寫道。

◎俞智敏

One of the best-kept secrets in television history has been revealed, with "The Simpsons" creator Matt Groening pointing to Springfield, Oregon, as the inspiration for the animated hometown of Homer and his dysfunctional family.

美國電視史上保存最好的秘密之一已經揭曉，「辛普森家庭」原創者葛羅寧指出，奧勒岡州的春田市才是卡通影集裡荷馬和其不正常家庭家鄉的靈感來源。

Groening told Smithsonian magazine that he was inspired by the television show "Father Knows Best," which took place in a place called Springfield. Springfield, Oregon, is 160 kilometers south of Groening’s hometown of Portland.

葛羅寧向史密森雜誌表示，他是受到電視影集「妙爸爸」所啟發，這齣電視劇就發生在一個叫做春田的城市。奧勒岡州的春田市則位於葛羅寧的家鄉波特蘭市南方160公里處。

"When I grew up, I realized it was just a fictitious name," Groening told the magazine. "I also figured out that Springfield was one of the most common names for a city in the U.S. In anticipation of the success of the show, I thought, ’This will be cool; everyone will think it’s their Springfield.’ And they do," he said.

「等我長大以後，才知道那只是個虛構的地名，」葛羅寧對該雜誌說。「我同時也發現，春田是美國最常見的城市名之一。因為預期辛普森家庭會大受歡迎，我想『這會很酷；大家都會以為這是他們的春田市。』而他們果然這麼想，」他說。

The show has made a running joke of hiding the true Springfield’s location. In one episode, daughter Lisa points to Springfield on a map, but the animated "camera view" is blocked by son Bart’s head.

這部影集已把隱藏春田市的真實地點變成了固定笑點。在其中一集裡，女兒麗莎在地圖上指出春田市，但「攝影機視窗」卻被兒子巴特的頭給擋住了。

People in the real Springfield --the one in Oregon -- took on the mantle of the show’s hometown after Groening visited during a tour before the 2007 film "The Simpsons Movie."