中國學生常見標點符號錯誤
(1) 頓號、書名號、句號、省略號錯誤。比較中英文標點符號可見,英文標點中沒有中文形式的頓號、書名號、句號和省略號。而這四種標點符號成了大學英語寫作中“借鑒頻率較高的符號。
例如:
〔錯誤〕1. While she is reading《Gone With the Wind》, I am cooking。
〔錯誤〕2. My sister bought a lot of fruits for me , such as banana 、orange 、apple and pear.
英文中的印刷體用斜體字表示書籍、報刊、戲劇、電影、繪畫作品等的名稱,在書寫體或打字機打的文本中用字下線表示斜體字;英文常用逗號來代替冒號;而句號是用實心小黑點表示。
故以上兩句應(yīng)改為:
〔修改〕1. While she is reading Gone With the Wind , I am cooking.
或While she is reading Gone With the Wind , I am cooking.
〔修改〕2. My sister bought a lot of fruits for me , such as banana , orange , apple and pear.
還有,英文中的省略號其實是三個句號的并列,許多學生由于受中文影響常錯誤地把英文省略號寫成六點。
(2) 冒號錯誤。冒號是中英文兼有的標點符號。在漢語中,冒號是表示提示性話語之后的停頓,常用在“說、道、講、問、唱、回答、喊、吼”等動詞的后邊,以標明下面的話是誰說的。
此用法影響下列英文句子標點:
〔錯誤〕3. I thought to myself :“What kind of trap is she laying ?”
〔錯誤〕4. He asked :“Where are you from ?”
以上兩例中的冒號在英文中需用逗點表示。漢語中的冒號還可用在“如次“如下“例如“像等引起下文的提示語后邊。在英文表達中,“for example”(例如) 一類的詞后常用逗點代替冒號。
〔錯誤〕5. Good manners can be seen in everyday life. For example : a person with good manners is kind and helpful to others.
〔修改〕5. Good manners can be seen in everyday life. For example , a person with good manners is kind and helpful to others.
(3) 破折號錯誤。漢語中的破折號標明行文中解釋說明的部分,而英文同位語也具有同等說明的功能,故英文寫作中用破折號連接同位語成份的錯誤也屢見不鮮。如:
〔錯誤〕6. We are studying and living at the famous university — Beijing University.
〔修改〕6. We are studying and living at the famous university , Beijing University.
對于同位語,英語一般使用逗點而不用破折號。英文中破折號的用法遠沒有中文的豐富。