2012年5月30日 星期三

複合字

引用來源:
http://www.ep66.com.tw/compound%202.htm
http://www.ep66.com.tw/compound%203.htm




複合字是新聞雜誌的精華(The beauty),也是其重要的特徵之一。雜誌中的每頁幾乎都有複合字的出現,頻率之繁非其他特徵能相提並論。

本人曾在拙作”美國新聞雜誌英文之分析”一書中,對複合字作有系統而完想的分析,共編成十大類型-幾乎可涵蓋三本著名雜誌﹝時代雜誌(Time),新聞週刊(Newsweek)及美國新聞及世界報導(U.S. News & World Report)﹞中所出現的複合字。

複合字是一種語文的化學反應(Chemical reaction in language),也是語言上的經濟手法(linguistic economy device)。其轉換過程是先將子句(clause)變為片語(Phrase),再把片語變為字(Word)-即是複合字。其中的關係代名詞(Relative Pronoun)和介係詞(preposition),皆可刪除。且舉例說明:

例一:The girl who has big eyes is my student.

Ø The girl with big eyes is my student.

Ø The big-eyed girl is my student.

(大眼睛的女孩是我的學生)



例二:That man who is conscious of image is here.

Ø That man conscious of image is here.

Ø That image-conscious man is here.

(那位重形象的人在此)



本人將複合字十大類型,分期陸續作一較有系統的介紹。本期僅介紹第一大類型。

A V-ing as pivot-element type:

(以V-ing為構成複合字的主要成份)

A-1 (N-V-ing)

The boy who hits the book is a straight-A student.

Ø The book-hitting boy is a straight-A student.

(這位K書的學生是優等生)

The man who abides by the law is a good citizen

=The law-abiding man is a good citizen.

(奉公守法的人是好國民)

其他例子:

Peace-loving people(愛好和平的人士)

fact-finding group(視察團)

注意:1. 本類型中的動詞一定是主動語態(active voice)

2. 凡慣用語中由動詞與名詞組成的,皆可變成形容詞複合字。如:

pass the buck--buck-passing(推諉責任的)

lose face--face-losing(丟臉的)

tighten one’s belt--belt-tightening(節省的)

twist one’s arm--arm-twisting(強迫的)

但是,慣用語中的名詞若是複數,必須把複數改為單數。例如:

mend one’s fences--fence-mending(改善關係)

spill the beans--bean-spilling(洩漏秘密)

name names--name-naming(指名帶姓指認出)

call one names--name-calling(中傷)
例外:

……….take pains—painstaking(費時費力)



A-2 (self-V-ing)

The clock which winds itself looks beautiful.

Ø The self-winding clock looks beautiful

(自動上發條的鐘看起來很美觀)

The student who supports himself works at a fast-food restaurant.

Ø The self-supporting student works at a fast-food restaurant.

(自力更生的學生在一家速食店工作)。

本類型中的反身代名詞(Reflexive Pronoun),一律改成self-



A-3 (Adj-V-ing)

The pill which tastes bitter is a panacea.

Ø The bitter-tasting pill is a panacea.

(這苦味的藥丸是一種萬靈丹)

The man who looks handsome is a movie star.

Ø The handsome-looking man is a movie star.

(這位長的很帥的人是電影明星)

本類型中的動詞,僅限於連綴動詞(Linking Verbs:be, become, grow等)和感官動詞(Sense Verbs:look, sound, taste, smell, feel等)



A-4 (Adv-V-ing)

(a)The adverbs with-ly:

The bus which moves slowly broke down on the road.

Ø The slowly-moving bus broke down on the road.

(走得很慢的公車拋錨在路中)

The company which expands rapidly went bust/broke/under.

Ø The rapidly-expanding company went bust/broke/under.

(擴張迅速的公司倒閉了)

(b)The adverbs such as hard, far, well, ill, fast, etc:

The man who works hard can go a long way.

Ø The hard-working man can go a long way.

(認真工作的人一定會成功)

The custom which reaches far is a good one.

Ø The far-reaching custom is a good one.

(影響深遠的習俗是好習俗)

(c)The adverbs of frequency:always, usually often, sometimes, seldom and never.

The population which always increases is amazing.

Ø The ever-increasing population is amazing.

(不斷增加的人口相當驚人的)

The rule which often changes makes people confused.

Ø The oft-changing rule makes people confused.

(常常改變的規矩令人無法適從)。

本類型中,要特別注意-換成複合字過程中,應將always改成ever-,以及often改為oft-,其餘不必交換。



A- 5(P-V-ing)(P指介係詞(preposition))

The call which comes in is from John Doe.

Ø The in-coming call is from John Doe.

(打進來的電話是張三打來的)

The call which goes out is from Richard Roe.

Ø The out-going call is from Richard Roe.

(打出去的電話是李四打的)

但,in-coming、out-going具有不同的意義,如:

in-coming ship(進港的船)

out-going ship(出港的船)

in-coming Premier(即將上任的行政院長)

out-going Premier(即將卸任的行政院長)



B. V-pp as pivot-element Type:
   (以V-pp<動詞過去分詞>為構成複合字的主要成分)
  B-1(N-V-pp):
      The dress which is made by a tailor costs much more expensive.
Ø          The tailor-made dress costs much more expensive.
(訂做的衣服較為昂貴)
The wine which is made at home tastes wonderful.
Ø          The home-made wine tastes wonderful.
國產的酒味道不錯)

  本類型中動詞,一定是被動語態(Passive Voice)。出現率相當頻繁。
  B-2(Self-V-pp):
      The scholar who was educated by himself passed away yesterday:
Ø          The self-educated scholar passed away yesterday.
(那位無師自通的學者昨天去世。)
The man who was made by himself started his business on a shoestring.
Ø          The self-made man started his business on a shoestring.
(那位白手起家的人靠極少的資本開始做生意。)

  本類型中的反身代名詞(Reflexive Pronoun),一律改成Self-字樣。
  B-3(Adj-V-pp)
      The food which is made ready is a steal.
Ø          The ready-made food is a steal.
現成的食物價格如檢來的便宜東西。)
The meat which is roasted fresh looks awful.
Ø          The fresh-roasted meat looks awful.
現烤的肉看起來很噁心。)
  B-4(Adv-V-pp):
1. The adverbs with the ending-ly.
The plan which was developed recently started with a bang.
Ø          The recently-developed plan started with a bang.
最近發展的計畫進行的有聲有色。)
2. The adverbs such hardfarwellillfast、etc.
The area which is hit hard has been declared a disaster zone.
Ø          The hard-hit area has been declared a disaster zone.
受損嚴重的地區被視為災區。)
3. The adverbs of frequency:alwaysusuallysometimesseldom and never.
The law which is always criticized must make some adjustment.
Ø          The ever-criticized law must make some adjustment.
一直受批評的法規應做適度的調整。)

  本類型中,在轉變複合字過程中,應將always改成ever-,和often改為oft-,其餘照原字不必更換。
B-5(V-pp-P) (P.係指介系詞Preposition)。
    The worker who was laid off staged a sit-in.
Ø          The laid-off worker staged a sit-in.
被裁員的工人開始靜坐抗議。)
    The plan which is well thought out works wonders.
Ø          The well-thought-out plan works wonders.
經過深思熟慮的計畫獲得令人驚奇的成功。)

   本類型中,複合字形成大部分來自慣用語。
C-Adj as pivot-element Type:
  (以形容詞為構成複合字的主要成份。)
C-1(N-Adj):
    The adjectives such as :-conscious、-foolish、-free、-greedy、-happy、-high、-hungry、-long、-mad、-proof、-prone、-proud、-sich、-rich、-short、-thirsty、-weary、-wide、-wise、-worthy、etc.
    The candidate who is conscious of image was defeated in the election.
    =The image-conscious candidate was defeated in the election.
      (注重形象的候選人選舉失利。)
    The lawmaker who is greedy for power is looked down upon by the people.
    =The power-greedy lawmaker is looked down upon by the people.
    (貪勢貪利的立委令人瞧不起。)
    The country which is rich in oil has a cradle-to-grave social welfare system.
    =The oil-rich country has a cradle-to-grave social welfare system.
    (盛產石油的國家施行終生社會福利制度。)

     本類型中,形成複合字過程中,形容詞後的介系詞(be+Adj+prep+N),皆應刪
除。

     又此類型常以as..as型態出現。例子如下:
     The sword is as sharp as razor = The razor-sharp sword.
     (銳如刀片的劍。)

其他例子如下:
dirt-cheap(賤如糞土的)
feather-light(輕如羽毛的)
fire-hot(火熱的)
ice-cold(冰冷的)
brand-new(全新的)
paper-thin(薄如紙,極微的)
pitch-dark(漆黑的)
rock-hard(硬如石的)
sky-high(高入雲霄的,極高的)
snow-white(雪白的)
C-2(Self-Adj):
    The girl who is conscious of herself seldom goes to the party.
    =The self-conscious girl seldom goes to the party.
    (羞怯的女孩子很少參加宴會。)

     本類型中,不要忘記把反身代名詞,改成self-字樣。
C-3(Adv-Adj)
    The threat which is always present makes people ill at ease.
    =The ever-present threat makes people ill at ease.
    (一直存在的威脅令人不安。)
    The student who is often absent was eventually kicked out of school.
    =The oft-absent was eventually kicked out of school.
    (常常缺席的學生終於被學校開除。)

同樣的,本類型中的alwaysoften,勿忘記改的ever-、oft-字樣。
D-P as pivot-element Type:
(以介系詞為首的慣用語,成為製造複合字的主要成份)。
此類型最簡單,最容易。在更換過程中,隻字都不必更改更換,只在字與字間加上連字號(hyphen)即可。例子如下:
  behind-the-scenes meeting(幕後的秘密的會議
  a university is on the air.=An on-the-air university(空中大學)
  The patient who has a nurse around the clock.
  =The patience has a round-the-clock nurse service.
(那位病人24小時有護士照顧。)
We will welcome our guests with open arms.
=We will give our guests a with-open-arms welcome.
(我們將以最隆重歡迎來迎接我們的客人。)

其他例子如下:
on-the-run suspect(逃亡中的嫌犯)
still-at-large murder(消遙法外的兇手)
on-the-spot inspection(現場的視察)
across-the-board pay hike(全盤性的加薪)
under-the-counter sale(秘密的交易)
over-the-counter medicine(公開出售的藥,既成藥)


E. Preposition Compounds : 以(Noun + Preposition + Noun)為構成複合字的主要成份,其中的介系詞以to. by. for 和in為主。
        E-1 (N - to - N):
(a) (N - to - N): (Same):
face-to-face meeting  (面對面的會議)
shoulder-to-shoulder fight  (並肩作戰)
heart-to-heart talk  (衷誠的談話)
eye-to-eye agreement  (完全的同意)
neck-to-neck contest  (不分上下的比賽)
(b) (N - to - N): (from N to N):
cover-to-cover reading  (逐字逐頁的閱讀)
house-to-house sale  (挨家挨戶的推銷)
coast-to-coast tour  (全國性的旅遊)
(c) (N - to - N): (from A to B):
dusk-to-dawn curfew  (傍晚至天亮的戒嚴)
rags-to-riches man  (白手起家的人)
hand-to-mouth life  (僅足餬口的生活)
cradle-to-grave plan  (一生的計劃)
nine-to-five man  (朝九晚五的人)
        E-2 (N - by - N):
            step-by-step teaching  (按部就班的教學)
            case-by-case basic  (個別的方式)
            side-by-side fight  (並肩作戰)
        E-3 (N - for - N):
            word-for-word translation  (逐字的翻譯)
            eye-for-eye revenge  (以眼還眼的報復)
            tooth-for-tooth bloodshed  (以牙還牙的流血)
            tit-for-tat lashing  (一報還一報的鞭打)
        E-4 (N - of- ( the ) -N):
            state-of-the-art hi-tech  (頂棒的尖端科技)
            top-of-the-line weapon  (精良的武器)
            wind-of-change politician  (巨變中的政治人物)
            run-of-the-mill affair  (平凡的事物)
        E-5 (N - in- ( the ) -N):
head-in-the-sand thinking  (不切實際的想法)
                hole-in-the-wall store  (簡陋的小店)
               flash-in-the-pan success  (短暫的成長)
pie-in-the-sky vision  (虛幻的遠景)

F. Conjunction Compounds :
F-1 (N - Conj - N):
(a) (N - and - N):
carrot-and-stick policy  (軟硬兼施的政策)
salt-and-pepper issue  (黑白的問題)
nickel-and-dime store  (小本的生意)
five-and-ten store  (同上)
mom-and-pop store  (同上)
boom-and-bust cycle  (繁榮與不景氣的交替)
(b) (N - or - N):
rain-or-shine picnic  (風雨無阻的郊遊)
neck-or-nothing election  (決定性的選舉)
all-or-nothing election  (同上)
feast-or-famine business  (時好時壞的生意)
        F-2 (V - Conj - V):
(a) (V - and - V):
wait-and-see attitude  (觀望的態度)
touch-and-go situation  (一觸即發的局面)
open-and-shut case  (簡單的案件)
give-and-take compromise  (互相讓步的妥協)
hum-and-haw answer  (吞白吐吐的回答)
(b) (V - or - V):
make-or-break election  (決定性的選舉)
make-or-mar election  (同上)
put-up-or-shut-up warning  (提出更好的意見否則閉嘴的警告)
shape-up-or-ship-out warning  (整頓否則解散的警告)
        F-3 (Adj - Conj - Adj):
(a) (Adj - and - Adj):
thick-and-thin friend  (同甘共苦的朋友)
null-and-void treaty  (完全無效的條約)
high-and-dry help  (孤苦無助)
rough-and-ready method  (權宜的方法)
(b) (Adj - or - Adj):
more-or-less loss  (或多或少的損失)
now-or-never chance  (千載難逢的機會)
(c) (Adj - but - Adj):
slow-but-sure progress  (穩定的進步)
separate-but-equal education  (隔離但平等的教育)
        F-4 (V-ing - Conj  V-ing):
            flipflopping-and-zigzagging policy  (優柔寡斷的政策)
            huffing-and-puffing warning  (怒沖沖的警告)
            toing-and-froing distance  (來回的路程)
            wheeling-and-dealing manager  (精明能幹的經理)
        F-5 (V-pp - Conj  V-pp):
            cut-and-dried meeting  (預先定好的會議)
            buried-and-forgotten man  (被遺忘的人)

G. Idiosycratic Compounds:
        G-1 Quotation compounds:
            no-news-is-good-news attitude  (無消息即好消息的態度)
            catch-as-you-catch speech  (臨時應付的演說)
            pay-as-you-go system  (預扣所得稅制度)
            引用複合字,為權宜起見,凡較長而無法歸類於上述幾項類型者,皆屬
本此類型。形成簡單,把全句,片語視為形容詞,字與字間加上連字號(-)即可。
        G-2 Adj - N-ed  Compounds
            這是複合字中最特殊的一種,其中名詞加上動詞過去式(N-ed),用途有
下列三種,分別說明如下:
(a) 身體任何部位(肉體上的或是精神上的):
long-faced girl  (拉長臉的女孩)
quick-witted  diplomat  (機警的外交官)
cold-blooded murder  (殘酷的謀殺)
tip-lipped official  (守口如瓶的官員)
(b) 房屋的任何部分:
high-ceiling house  (天花板高的屋子)
green-roofed building  (綠頂的大樓)
glass-walled atrium  (玻璃牆的中庭)
gold-domed building  (金圓頂的大樓)
(c) 顏色、大小尺寸、口味等等:
black-colored dress  (黑色的衣服)
medium-sized car  (中型的車子)
sour-flavored fruit  (酸味的水果)
        G-3 Odds-and-ends compounds:
would-be hero  (自充的英雄)
also-ran candidate  (落選的候選人)
has-been writer  (江郎才盡的作家)
odds-on candidate  (很可能當選的候選人)
can-do confidence  (幹勁十足的信心)

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