104年學測英文科考題出處及評析 文：蘇正隆 英文顧問：Lynn Sauvé
學測英文考題往往成為國內英文教學的重要材料，因此多年來我們都會針對試題的英文本身加以檢視。以下是今年考題中英文可再改善的一些地方。由書林資深美國編輯Lynn Sauvé及師大翻譯所蘇正隆老師就考題中出現英文表達不符英文習慣之處提出修正意見，並以Google搜尋的數據作客觀對比。
我們的假設是：如果一個短語Google搜尋不到，大概母語人士平常不會這麼用，就不要去學，更不要拿來教。相對的，我們建議的說法若可以找到很多例子，就表示這才是地道的說法，值得模仿學習。
一、詞彙題
5. The airport was closed because of the snowstorm, and our departurefor Paris had to be delayed until the following day.
(A) movement (B) registration (C) tendency (D) departure
評析：
透過Google搜尋 (as of Feb 4, 15)──
找不到 "departure for Paris had to be delayed" 的結果。
把Paris改成New York結果也一樣。
找不到 "departure for New York had to be delayed" 的結果。
把地名用*替代，表示任何地名，結果還是0。
"departure for*had to be delayed until" 約有 0 項結果
但把 “had to bedelayed” 換成 “was delayed” 就有不少例子，見以下：
"departure for*wasdelayed until" 約有 784,000 項結果
"departure for New York was delayed"約有 3,800 項結果
11. To promote the new product, the company offered some free samples before they officially launched it.
(A) contribute (B) impress (C) promote (D) estimate
評析：
Google (as of Feb 4, 15) 中 "before they officially launched it" 約有 2,480 項結果
但這樣的英文表達方式比較累贅，若改成：
"before the official launch" 則結果增加135倍，約有 337,000 項結果
13. The recent cooking oil scandals have led to calls for tougher regulation of sales of food products.
(A) tolerance (B) guarantee (C) regulation (D) distribution
評析：
找不到 "regulation of sales of food products" 的結果
刪去of sales，結果就大不相同：
"regulation of food products"約有 311,000 項結果
14. John should interact more often with his friends and family after work, instead of staying in his room to play computer games.
(A) explore (B) interact (C) negotiate (D) participate
評析：
原句太囉嗦，宜改成 "playing games in his room"，可比較以下數據：
"staying in his room to play computer games" 3 項結果 (出自104學測英文科考題)
"staying in his room to play games" 2 項結果
"playing games in his room"約有 173,000 項結果
"playing computer games in his room" 約有 2,230 項結果
15. To prevent the spread of the Ebola virus from West Africa to the rest of the world, many airports have begun Ebola screenings for passengers from the infected areas.
(A)screenings (B) listings (C)clippings (D) blockings
評析：
伊波拉病毒只要Ebola一詞就夠了，不必說the Ebola virus。
"to prevent the spread of the Ebola virus from" 9 項結果
"to prevent the spread of Ebola from" 約有 19,700 項結果
二、綜合測驗 16-20
16. Tai Chi Chuan is a type of ancient Chinese martial art. People practice Tai Chi mainly for its health benefits.
評析：
一種中國武術，習慣上會說：“a type of Chinese martial arts”，martial arts要用複數形式，見以下不加s與加s出現的數據對比。
"a type of ancient Chinese martial art" 約有 7 項結果
"a type of Chinese martial arts" 約有 49,100 項結果
"a type of Chinese martial art"約有 5,680 項結果
18. These movements, forming an exercise system, allow one to effortlessly experience the vital life force, or the Qi energy, in one’s body.
評析：
本句的意思是「the vital life force (生命活力)，又稱為Qi (氣)」。這裡 “or” 中文意思是「即」、「又叫，又稱為」，不是「或者」。“or the Qi energy” 有點畫蛇添足，只要Qi一字就夠了。比較以下數據：
"the vital life force, or the Qi energy" 2 項結果 (皆出自104學測英文科考題)
"the vital life force,or Qi"約有 4,060 項結果
出處：http://www.vanderbilt.edu/AnS/psychology/health_psychology/taichi2.htm
21-25
Much like the dove and robin, the bluebird is considered a very lucky sign inmost cultures, particularly when seen in the spring.
評析：
國人喜歡濫用very，本題中 " a very lucky sign" 中的very宜刪去。
"is considered a very lucky sign in" 7 項結果 (2項104學測英文科考題)
"is considered a lucky sign in" 約有 563 項結果
25. The feathers of peacocks are considered the most unlucky part of the bird because the eye-shaped markings on them are associated with “evil eyes.”
評析：
孔雀羽毛直接說peacock feathers就可以了。
"the feathers of peacocks are considered"2 項結果(皆出自104學測英文科考題)，搜尋時若加上排除台灣的標記：“-site:tw”：
則找不到 "the feathers of peacocks are considered" -site:tw 的結果。
但改成peacock feathers，同樣排除台灣，則得以下結果：
"peacock feathers are considered" -site:tw 約有 51,000 項結果
出處：http://www.essortment.com/animals-mythology-64889.html
26-30
Tree products have been an important part of diets for thousands of years, from early humans 26 fruits and nuts to the first cultivation of important trees, such as mango and apple.
評析：
比較常見的說法是 "an important part of our diet"，diet不加s。
"an important part of diets for thousands" 6 項結果
"an important part of our diet" 約有 51,400 項結果
"an important part of our diets" 約有 19,600 項結果
出處：5 simple reasons why we should take care of our trees
http://scopeintervention.blogspot.tw/2014/11/5-simple-reasons-why-we-should-take.html
三、文意選填
31-40
A paperclip, made of steel wire bent into a hooped shape, is an instrument used to hold sheets of paper together.
評析：
Wikipeida中paper clip詞條原文是 "bent into a looped shape"，考題打錯，變成" a hooped shape"。不過，"bent into a loop shape" 是更常見的說法。
"bent into a hooped shape" 約有 2 項結果 (出自104學測英文科考題)
"bent into a looped shape" 約有 2,990 項結果
"bent into a loop shape" 約有 71,100 項結果
32. Although the pin was an inexpensive tool and was easily removable, it would leave holes in the paper.
評析：
本句中 “ was easily removable” 改成 “was easy to remove”會更自然。
"and was easily removable, it would"1 項結果
"and was easily removable, it" 約有 615 項結果
"and was easy to remove, it" 約有 314,000 項結果
出處：http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paper_clip
四、閱讀測驗
41-44
In 2011, they were voted as one of the world’s top five performance groups by audiences of Japan Broadcasting Corporation’s Amazing Voice program.
評析：
"were voted as one of the world's top" 句中as一字宜刪去。
"were voted as one of the world's top" 4 項結果 (兩項出自本次學測考題)
"were voted one of the world's top" 約有15,600 項結果
****************************************************************
He was worried that the audience would fall asleep since most of the 75-minute performance was a cappella, that is, singing without instrumental sound.
評析：
本句中 "singing without instrumental sound" 應改成 “sung without accompaniment”，清唱就是唱歌沒有樂器伴奏。
"that is, singing without instrumental sound" 2 項結果(104學測英文科考題)
"that is, sung without accompaniment" 約有 13,900 項結果
"that is, singing without accompaniment約有 3,110 項結果
****************************************************************
Surprisingly, the audience listened with full focus and high spirits.
評析：
本句不夠自然，可改成 "audiencelistened attentively and applauded enthusiastically"。
"audience listened with full focus" 3 項結果 (皆出自學測及Taiwan Today)
"audience listened attentively" 約有 104,000 項結果
"audience listened attentively and applauded" 約有 153 項結果
"audience listened attentively and applauded enthusiastically" 3 項結果
****************************************************************
Now with the children performing the pieces, parents are beginning to ask, ‘Why dowe not know how to sing these ballads?’
評析：
原文太文謅謅，好像用文言文在講話。
"Why do we not know how to sing" 2 項結果 (出自本次學測考題)
若把sing改成較常用動詞do，結果也只多一筆：
"Why do we not know how to do" 3 項結果
"Why don't we know howto do"約有 96,400,000 項結果
因此，Why do we not know how to sing these ballads? 應改為Why don’t we know howto sing these ballads?
****************************************************************
Many times nowadays, it is the children who teach the songs totheir parents, puttingback the pieces of a blurred memory.”
評析
"putting back the pieces of a" 通常用在將夢中點滴串連起來，所以後面往往接 "broken dream"。
"putting back the pieces of a broken dream" 約有 43,800 項結果
"putting back the pieces of a blurred memory" 3 項結果 (出自本考題及Taiwan Today)
"putting back the pieces of a * memory" 3 項結果 (出自本考題及Taiwan Today)
找回記憶，以下兩種說法都可以：
"bringing back a*memory" 約有 30,800,000 項結果
"bringing into focus a memory of the past"約有 3 項結果
****************************************************************
The most important thing was to make children understand why they sing these songs and to preserve and pass on their culture.
評析：
本句中 "to make children understand" 可改成 "to help children understand"。
"was to make children understand why they" 2 項結果（本次考題）
"to help children understand the purpose" 約有 71,700 項結果
"to make children understand" 約有 19,000 項結果
"to help children understand" 約有 269,000 項結果
出處：http://taiwantoday.tw/ct.asp?xItem=189516&ctNode=413
49-52
As a teenager, Cartier-Bresson rebelled against his parents’ form always of education. In his early adulthood, he even drifted toward communism. But it was art that remained at the center of his life.
"parents' formal ways of education" 2 項結果（本次考題）
評析：
宜改成：
"parents' approach to education" 約有 4,410 項結果
****************************************************************
49. (D) His parents were very liberal in their ways of education.
"liberal in their ways of education" 2 項結果（本次考題）
評析：
宜改為：
"liberal in their approach to education" 約有 2,660 項結果
出處：Henri Cartier-Bresson - Biography -Photographer, Filmmaker
www.biography.com/people/henri-cartier-bresson-9240139
53-56
53. What is the purpose of this passage?
(C) To explore the effects of regular exercise to our body.
評析：
本題答案(C) "the effects of regular exercise to our body" 介詞 to 應改為 on。
"the effects of regular exercise to our body" 2 項結果 (皆出自104年學測英文科考題)
因此，若搜尋時加上排除台灣的標記 “-site:tw”，就完全查不到了，見以下：
找不到 "effects of regular exercise to our body" -site:tw 的結果。
但用on就可以搜尋到：
"effects of regular exercise on our body" -site:tw 7 項結果
"effects of exercise on our body" -site:tw 約有13,000 項結果
55. What is the best way to bring down high blood sugar level and blood pressure?
評析：
提到血糖值，一般較常用複數。
"bring down high blood sugar level and blood pressure" 2 項結果 (104年學測英文科考題)
"high blood sugar level and blood pressure" 7 項結果
"high blood sugar level and high blood pressure" 9 項結果
以上用單數形統計數字都很少，都是個位數，但用複數形就有數十萬。
"blood sugar levels and blood pressure" 約有207,000 項結果
"high blood sugar levels and high blood pressure" 約有 115,000 項結果
出處：http://www.runnersworld.com/health/sitting-is-the-new-smoking-even-for-runners?page=single
非選擇題
一、中譯英
1. 一個成功的企業不應該把獲利當作最主要的目標。
Pursuing profit should not be the main goal of a successful business.
2. 它應該負起社會責任，以增進大眾的福祉。
They should take responsibility for increasing the well-being of the public.
104學測完整英文考題下載
之前我們曾經就指考、學測、基測的英文試題做過評析，檢視今年的英文試題，發現英文試題中仍然存在許多不地道、甚至不正確的英文句子及用法。以上筆者所指出的問題都與母語人士仔細討論過，並從語料庫或Google統計中找出證據來證明我們的論點。
我們無意苛責命題老師，英文不是我們的母語，要寫出地道的英文就很不容易，更何況出英文試題?出試題要考慮的因素很多，既要有信度，又要有效度，談何容易? 此外，命題時間緊迫，沒有外籍老師共同參與命題，闈場裡沒有母語人士及語料庫可供諮詢，都造成命題的困難，品質難以有效提升。
我們之前就呼籲過，入學英文考試命題不應由國人自己來，應聘請英語為母語的測驗專家參與，或委由國外測驗機構命題，才是根本解決之道。以往有許多外行的政治人物，若發現英文試題出自某處，常會大做文章，抨擊命題委員偷懶，要求試題不能抄襲，要自己寫。試想，美國人若要檢測中文能力，題目有可能是美國人自己寫的中文嗎?
在台灣，考試領導教學的問題一直存在，入學考試的題目都會成為課堂的教材，因此命題品質對英語教學的影響不言可喻，幾十年來大家學到一些似是而非的英文自己並不自覺。以往許多人學英文只是為了考試，有些家長與老師或許覺得英文不地道、不正確有什麼關係?能在考試上得高分就好，但在全球化的時代學英文是要拿來應用，做為工具，能在生活及職場上發揮。
我們希望長久以來英文命題的問題能受到各界重視，並期盼能從制度面上來改善。
評述者：
蘇正隆
台灣翻譯學學會前理事長，《麥克米倫高級英漢雙解詞典》總編輯，師大翻譯研究所「筆譯專業」教師
Lynn Sauvé
大學教師，書林出版公司資深英文編輯