莫平的英文私塾

1368期84頁: 六個高中生改造台中一中街

惠文高中女生帶美國姊妹校同學逛台中, 歪果仁被機車廢氣薰得直嚷: “Is this place you so-called best shopping area in your city? Why can the vehicles be allowed go inside?”嗯, 如果這些美國高中女生真是這麼說的, 那麼顯然她們讀的是文盲高中。或是這些惠文高中女生英文聽力不好, 應該上上我的聽力課.

分析: 第一句的原文應該是

This is the place (that) you call the best shopping area in your city. 改成問句

àIs this the place (that) you call the best shopping area in your city?

或是 (比較差的說法)

This place is the so-called “best shopping area” in your city. 改成問句

àIs this place the so-called “best shopping area” in your city?

無論如何, 就不是商周那一句。

至於第二句呢, 很明顯就是多了the, 少了to。應該是Why can vehicles be allowed TO go inside? 這裡的vehicle是“任何車輛”, 而非“特定車輛”, 所以不能加訂冠詞the。