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Choice is what public policy is all about. And with choice come both benefits and costs. To achieve the benefits, we need to accept the costs. (The Age of Turbulence by Allan Greenspan)

 

選擇乃公共政策之核心所在,伴隨選擇而來的則是效益與成本,為了達成效益,我們必須承擔成本。(我們的新世界 / 艾倫.葛林斯潘

 

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箇中奧妙 

 

成一家之言者固然滿腹經綸,然而要在三言兩語中,就將一些艱深難懂的理論改頭換面,讓即使隔在山這一頭的外行人也能心領神會,可就算是另外一門學問了。談到財經議題,前美國聯準會主席葛林斯潘先生當然稱得上是一時俊傑,他老人家僅以短短三句話,就將公共政策這個概念解釋得清清楚楚,即使未曾受過經濟學訓練者(包括筆者在內)應該都能輕易掌握。葛老關於效益與成本的論述,對生於長於台灣的你我來說,必然有另一番體會,想想全島諸多蚊子館與其同類,成本的確付出了,可是效益呢?

 

文法分析 

 

1. Choice  is          what        public policy  is          all  about.

主詞    主要動詞     關係代名詞   子句主詞            子句動詞   副詞 介詞

 

如果暫且不論強調的重點,語意上原句也可改寫成︰

 

Public policy is all about choice.公共政策無非就是關乎選擇)

 

2. And   with choice                  come  both benefits and costs.

   連接詞  介詞片語作副詞修飾動詞      動詞      對等連接詞串聯的主詞

 

3. To achieve the benefits,       we     need  to accept the costs.

     表目的之(不定詞)副詞片語       主詞      動詞     不定詞引導名詞片語作受詞

 

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關鍵字詞 

 

1. choice: 語言文字自有層次,這點與繪畫音樂殊無二致,並且是中外皆然。用字精準,絕對是精準表達語意的必要條件。Choice與其同義字之間,就可找出些許微妙、也許需要用心體會的差別。

 

Choice適用於多數可以在一組人事物中作出選擇的場合:

 

I had no choice but to accept their offer.

 

David is the best choice I can think of.

 

Alternative 用來強調選項之少,甚至只有二個,非此即彼:

 

“An unhappy alternative is before you, Elizabeth. Your mother will never see you again if you do not marry Mr. Collins, and I will never see you again if you do." (Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen)

 

     The proposal is intended as an alternative to declaring bankruptcy.

 

Option 指的是可供選擇的項目,選項是也:

 

     You must understand that my options are limited.

 

     War is always an option.

 

Selection 除了一般的選擇之外,也可強調選項之多:

 

Darwin used the phrase "survival of the fittest" as a synonym for natural selection in the fifth edition of On the Origin of Species published in 1869.

Eslite Bookstore has a wide selection of foreign books.

 

另外,慣用語take your pick則用來告訴對方可在幾個選項中挑選自己想要的:

 

We have three colors: black, white and red. Take your pick.

 

2. all: 又一個能者多勞的例子,除了如在原句中用作副詞,更可擔任名詞、代名詞或形容詞。

 

I can’t believe you have actually painted the house all red.(副詞)

 

Mother has given our family her all.(名詞)

 

I’m ready to give you all that I have.(代名詞)

 

All the guests have arrived.(形容詞)

 

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3. about : 一般人通常先學到的是介系詞的用法,但也別忽略了其充當形容詞與副詞的可能性,以及語意上的岐異。

 

Excuse me. I’m looking for books about gardening.(介系詞/關於)

 

We spent the entire afternoon exploring the woods about the house.(介系詞/在…周圍)

 

Rumors are about concerning their imminent divorce.(形容詞/散佈、在流行)

 

The boy is up and about again after spending three days in the hospital.(形容詞/在動、起來)

 

The Second Sino-Japanese War lasted about eight years.(副詞/大約)

 

Look about for any traces that the murderer might have left behind. (副詞/四周、到處)

 

4. need: 除了常見的及物動詞用法,need比較特殊的地方是也可擔任助動詞的角色。值得注意的是,作為助動詞的need只能以原形出現,並沒有時態或單複數的問題,而且通常用在問句或否定句中。

 

I need some money to pay for my phone bills.(及物動詞)

 

My house needs repairing (to be repaired).(及物動詞)

 

Need she leave so soon?(助動詞)

 

You need not have done this just to please me.(助動詞)

 

 

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