英語寫作中，關于用詞的一個警告

關于用詞的一個警告

Once in an essay written by a man who had studied in England for several years I saw the word “destruct”, which was evidently used in the sense of “destroy”. At another time, I saw the same word, evidently used in the same sense, in an illustrated magazine1 published in Shanghai. At still another time I saw the word “destroyal” used in the sense of “destruction” by a man apparently well educated in English.

有一次，我從一個曾經在英國學習多年的人寫的一篇文章中見到“destruct”這個詞，它明顯地被用作“destroy”來解釋了。另外一次，我在一本上海出版的有圖畫的雜志中見到同一個詞，它顯然用了相同的意義。還有一次，我見到“destroyal”這個詞被一位顯然受過良好英語教育的人用作“destruction”來解釋。

In fact, however, the verb is “destroy” and the noun is “destruction”, and there do not exist the words “destruct” and “destroyal.”

可是事實上動詞是“destroy”，名詞是“destruction”，并不存在“destruct”和“destroyal”這兩個詞。

I do not think that the users of these non-existing words did not know the correct words. They were careless enough, though2. They just seized upon a combination of letters that looked like the word they wanted. It is true that these non-existing words may be understood by all who see them. But, of course, they cannot therefore justify themselves3.

我認為用那些不存在的詞的人們應該認識那些正確的詞。但他們很粗心，只抓住了看來像他們所要的詞的一組字母。的確這些并不存在的詞也許會被所有見到它們的人所理解。但是它們當然不能因此而有存在的理由。

Often in the English written by Chinese I find words that do not really exist. They use such words either because they do not know the correct words or merely because they are careless—or even because they believe they have a good knowledge of English word-building4. At any rate5, this is a very bad fault peculiar to those who are not at home in English6.

在中國的英語學習者寫的英語中，我時常見到并不真正存在的詞。他們用這種詞，或許因為他們不認得那些正確的詞，或許因為他們只是粗心——更有甚者因為相信他們自己有著構詞法的良好知識。無論如何，這是并未精通英語的人們所特有的一個很不好的毛病。

I would therefore advise you to use no word that you are not sure you have seen used by standard authors, and to consult your dictionary in cases of doubt.

所以，我建議你別用任何你不確定看到標準作家們使用過的詞，有疑問便查詞典。

One word more7 of warning. It is possible that you sometimes use a word that is recorded in your dictionary, but which is not in common use, and which you use not because you are sure of its existence but simply because you think it is the word you want. For instance, because you know the noun “aggression” and the adjective “aggressive”, you may use the verb “aggress”—which, however, is a very uncommon word.

另有一言相告。可能你有時用的一個詞的確記載在詞典中，但它并不通用，你用它并非因為你確定它是存在的，而只因為你以為它是你所要的那個詞。舉例來說，因為你知道名詞“aggression”和形容詞“aggressive”，你可能就用了動詞“aggress”——可這是一個很不普遍的詞。