與目佳先生再談“police”的用法

本站特約作者  李 翔

筆者愿在此與目佳先生再談談 police 的用法。

首先，筆者要說的是目佳先生“只許州官放火，不許百姓點燈”。(筆者注：筆者在此不是對目佳先生進行人身攻擊，一筆者不知道目佳先生的真名實姓；二筆者只是就事論事發表自己的看法，進行“學術”上的探討)筆者在《the police作主語時，謂語動詞不可以用單數形式嗎？》(原文見www.hz123456.com/Article/200908/1325.html)一文列舉了大量的例證證明自己的看法，筆者自認為是有理有據；而目佳先生在《方式狀語從句還是表語從句》一文（原文見www.hz123456.com/Article/200812/1057.html）卻是大談《薄冰高級英語語法》和《朗文英語語法》如何把“be (是)……feel (感覺)，look (看) seem (好像)，smell (聞)，sound (聽起來)，taste (嘗起來) 等后面由連詞 as if 和 as though 引導的從句”看作方式狀語從句，最后得出結論‘我們認為說“方式狀語從句在動詞 be (是)……feel (感覺)，look (看) seem (好像)，smell (聞)，sound (聽起來)，taste (嘗起來) 等后面也可以由連詞as if和as though來引導”似乎不妥，因為be (是)，feel (感覺)，look (看)，seem (好像)，smell (聞)，sound (聽起來)，taste (嘗起來)等都是連系動詞，它們后面接的 as if / as though 從句應是表語從句，而不是方式狀語從句。”‘(筆者注：筆者還要另外行文論述“究竟是方式狀語從句還是表語從句”)請問目佳先生，你的證據何在？實際上你也是在“冒天下之大不韙”向你所謂的“權威”挑戰，目佳先生其實也是心知肚明，把“be (是)……feel (感覺)，look (看) seem (好像)，smell (聞)，sound (聽起來)，taste (嘗起來) 等后面由連詞 as if 和 as though 引導的從句”看作方式狀語從句也“幾乎是所有英語語言學家的共識”，《薄冰高級英語語法》和《朗文英語語法》不就是這樣做的嗎？而你目佳先生可以說是無憑無據就敢斷定“是表語從句，而不是方式狀語從句”？

再舉一例：目佳先生在《與〈朗文當代高級英語辭典〉商榷一個句子時態》一文（原文見www.hz123456.com/Article/200905/1215.html）認為：“《朗文高級英語辭典》第1095頁past3 詞條的例句In the past he has been a bricklayer and a milkman, and now he’s a farmer. 從前他曾當過砌磚工人、送牛奶工人，現在他是個農民。” 中的 has been 用得不是很妥。經過目佳先生一番講解，最后得出結論“將句中的 has been 改為 was，或改為 used to be。即改為：In the past he was a bricklayer and a milkman, and now he’s a farmer. /In the past he used to be a bricklayer and a milkman, and now he’s a farmer.”試問目佳先生《朗文高級英語辭典》不就是你所謂“‘朗文’的，‘牛津’的，‘劍橋’的其中之一嗎？你不也是無憑無據就認為“has been用得不是很妥”，建議“將句中的 has been 改為 was，或改為used to be”？

其次，目佳先生所謂“police表示復數意義，這幾乎是所有英語語言學家的共識，不僅許多著名的英語語法著作明確指出 police 只表示復數意義，用作主語時謂語動詞要用復數，而且幾乎所有英美國家出版的著名詞典(不管是“朗文”的，還是“牛津”的，或者是“劍橋”的，等等)，也都無一例外地在 police 詞條后加上了 plural 的用法標簽”，這也是不切合實際的。既然目佳先生對“權威”如此崇拜，那么筆者讓你看個最“權威”的說法，不過目佳先生看了，且不可失望。請看被稱為“辭典中的圣經”Oxford English Dictionary (OED.2nd.Rev3)(筆者注：如果把OED比作英語中的“憲法”，即“母法”，那么像目佳先生所說“朗文”的，還是“牛津”的，或者是“劍橋”的都只能算是“子法”了！) 對police用法的論述(筆者注：恕筆者不再一一翻譯成漢語)：

4. The department of government which is concerned with the maintenance of public order and safety, and the enforcement of the law: the extent of its functions varying greatly in different countries and at different periods.

c1730 Burt Lett. N. Scotl. (1818) I. 140 By the way, this police is still a great office in Scotland, ... it is grown into disuetude, though the salaries remian.      

1774 Pennant Tour Scot. in 1772, 128  The police of Glasgow consists of three bodies; the magistrates with the town council, the merchants house, and the trades house. 

1781 C. Johnston Hist. J. Juniper I. 110 An insinuation so injurious to the honour of my country; which is governed by so supremely vigilant and wise a police. 

1863 H. Cox Instit. iii. vi. 667 The police of the country, by which is meant that department of government which has for its object the maintenance of the internal peace and prevention of crimes, the protection of public order and public health. 

5. a.The civil force to which is entrusted the duty of maintaining public order, enforcing regulations for the prevention and punishment of breaches of the law, and detecting crime; construed as pl., the members of a police force; the constabulary of a locality.

1830 Jekyll Corr. 13 Nov., It is incredible with what spirit and firmness the new police has defeated the canaille.   

b. transf. Any body of men, officially instituted or employed to keep order, enforce regulations, or maintain a political or ecclesiastical system.

1840 Macaulay Ess., Ranke (1851) II. 132 The new spiritual police was every where. 

1855 Prescott Philip II, ii. vi. (1857) 259 To maintain the troops in the Netherlands, as an armed police on which he could rely to enforce the execution of his orders. 

1859 Mill Liberty 52/1 They employ a moral police, which occasionally becomes a physical one, to deter skilful workmen from receiving, and employers from giving, a larger remuneration for a more useful service. 

c. (As a count noun.) A policeman. Chiefly Sc. and U.S. colloq.

1839 Chicago American 5 Sept., There is a police in attendance...in the theatre. 

1856 ‘Mark Twain’ Adv. Thomas Jefferson Snodgrass (1928) 8 He was a police. 

1951 M. McLuhan Mechanical Bride 107/2 Joyce's famous remark that, ‘though he might have been more humble, there's no police like Holmes,’ contains a world of insight.  

1964 J. H. Clarke Harlem 277 He crawled out of th' door hollerin' for a police to save him. 

1975 Caribbean Contact Feb. 14/1 His father was a police and his mother, familiarly known as ‘Sister Lu’, a laundry worker.

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