最近我針對學測英文科參考試卷在臉書上寫了兩篇試評,Andy Cheng 老師提出他的看法:「學測出題的委員似乎在命題上的流程似乎有跡可循 (參考原文,但因不能照抄,便在字詞層面上做些許更動,比如選擇同、近義詞替換。但這樣一來往往破壞了原文母語人士所習慣的字詞搭配) ……當然,這「改寫」也是需要功力就是。」
鄭老師說的沒錯,但英文不是我們的母語,出試題要考慮的因素很多,試題不能抄襲,要自己寫,既要有高信度,又要有高效度,談何容易? 考試茲事體大,「改寫」也應透過 Google 驗證及母語專家審題。
在台灣,入學考試的題目往往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。多年來筆者曾經就指考、學測、基測的英文試題做過評析 (見English Career第 30, 32, 34期及書林網站),指出其中不少問題。近年來學測英文科命題已進步不少,但多少仍有一些問題。以下為我在 2009 年寫的評論。
……………………………..
2009基測反映的問題 English Career 第30期
本年度基本學力測驗剛考過,有位英文老師覺得英語試題中 “their farms grow very little rice” 這樣的句子怪怪,問我對不對。因此我把本次基測英語題目仔細看一遍,發現有不少問題。
基測攸關了廣大考生的權益,如果命題品質不佳,特別是受到中文思考影響的中式英文表達,英文很道地的考生反而會不知如何作答。十幾年前筆者有位美國朋友的小孩回台灣讀國中,第一次英文考試就不及格。他媽媽 (美國人) 相當生氣,把考卷拿來一看,發現題目錯謬百出,說連她自己也會考不及格!
我自己女兒讀國一時,也常碰到這類的問題,譬如有一次題目是「你會說英語嗎?」她選 Do you speak English? 竟然算錯,因為標準答案是 Can you speak English?
英語並非我們的母語,國內老師出題要題目出得好,沒有任何問題,是戛戛乎其難矣。理想的方式應該是採用國際語言測驗專家研發的題庫,如要由國內老師自己命題,至少也應有幾位英文造詣好的母語人士參與把關。
筆者打算以 Google 做為語料庫,用最簡單方便的方式來檢驗本次基測中一些有問題的英文詞句。也許有讀者質疑網路上出現的英文有好有壞,不一定可信。不過一般而言,出現頻率高者大致上是母語人士的習慣講法。但若是連網路上都找不到,絕對是可疑的用法。至於以 Google 統計做為英語用法依據的優缺點及其訣竅,詳見筆者2008年5月17日在趙麗蓮文教基金會的演講〈從童書、工具書與語料庫學英文〉講稿。
茲以本次基測為例,我們來檢視其中有問題的部分。
第4題
Jim grew up with many animals at home and knows well how to (take care of) pets.
“knows how to”中間插入well是很不自然的說法,請看 Google search:
找不到 "knows well how to take care of pets" 的結果
找不到 "know well how to take care of pets" 的結果
若去掉 well,再排除網址設於台灣、中國、日本、韓國等非英語系地區的英文訊息,結果為:
約有474項符合"know how to take care of pets"-site:tw -site:cn -site:jp -site:kr的查詢結果
關於"knows how to take care of pets"-site:tw -site:cn -site:jp -site:kr有3項搜尋結果
第13題
Candy has decided to move to Taipei next year. When she studies in an art school there, she (will live) with her aunt for five months.
這裡的第二個句子以 when she studies… 來表達未來的情況,也是不太自然。用 Google 查詢時,可以把內容太過特定的字眼改成較普遍的字詞,減少因特殊情境而查不到或例子太少,所以我們把原句簡化以提高出現的機率:
關於"When she studies there"-site:tw -site:cn -site:jp -site:kr有2項結果
但是仍然只有兩項,如果改成較道地的說法 while she is studying there,頻率就增加了許多:
約有245項符合"While she is studying there"-site:tw -site:cn -site:jp -site:kr 的查詢結果
下辦理美國留學簽證的保證書常見範本,就是一個很好的佐證:
SPONSOR'S AFFIDAVIT OF FINANCIAL SUPPORT
To whom it may concern:
I certify that I__________will be sponsor for my daughter__________while she is studying in__________. Also my daughter will cover all expenses for herself including education, personal, medical, tuition and travel expenses when she returns home from the U.S. after she completes the school’s program.
底下也是一例:
She has been taking Italian at Kent State and will also take it while she is studying in Italy. She will also be traveling on weekend trips during her…—取材自 ngurto.org/information.htm
第20題
I heard there are many monkeys in this mountain. But I didn’t see any of them last time when I was here.
中文說「山裡有許多猴子」、「山上有許多猴子」都可以,但英語習慣說 monkeys on this mountain,不是 in this mountain。只要一查 Google 便可證實這點:
關於"many monkeys in this mountain" -site:tw有2項搜尋結果 (這兩個例子仍是源自台灣)
約有236項符合"many monkeys on this mountain" -site:tw的查詢結果
約有231項符合"many monkeys on this mountain" -site:tw -site:cn -site:jp -site:kr的查詢結果
句子中有特殊情境的部份,如名稱、數字等變項,用 * 取代,可以提高語料出現的頻率,更方便檢視。此外,第二句的中文意思是「『當我』上次來這裡的時候,我沒看到任何猴子」而講英語時這個when是不必要的,加上反而不自然:
關於"didn't see * last time when I was here"有2項搜尋結果(這兩個例子仍是源自台灣)
拿掉 when 再對比之下:
約有4,870,000項符合"didn't see * last time I was here"的查詢結果
第21~23題閱讀
Karen: So that’s why you (have) all those colors on your hair?
Sheryl: Oh, no!
介詞 on 通常用在表面光滑的物體,如果頭髮上沾了什麼,要用 in:
關於"those colors on your hair" -site:tw 有 1 項搜尋結果(這一個例子仍是源自台灣)
約有107項符合"those colors in your hair" -site:tw 的查詢結果
第27~28題閱讀
Four students of Class 705 want to take an art class next year. They took several tests last week. Here are their grades.
很多人會把「的」一律用 of 來表達,但英文「五百元的支票」是 a check for $500不是 *a check of $500;「某班的學生」介詞用 in,不是用 of:
約有41項符合"students of class A" -site:tw 的查詢結果
約有5,440項符合"students in class A" -site:tw 的查詢結果
以下也同樣誤用 of:
第34~35題閱讀
Susan visits Jenny for the weekend. She arrives at the train station of Jenny’s town in the afternoon.
關於"the train station of his hometown" -site:tw有5項搜尋結果
約有101項符合"the train station in his hometown" -site:tw的查詢結果
第39題
What does the writer think of the movie?
(B): Its music is great for the story.
雖然(B)並非答案,似乎無關宏旨,但這個句子英文不太自然,仍然是瑕疵。把「它的配樂…很棒」直接用 its music is great for…表達,是受到中文的影響,英文習慣上會說the music is great for…。
關於"its music is great for" -site:tw 有 1 項搜尋結果(此例源自台灣本次基測解析)
約有654項符合"the music is great for" -site:tw 的查詢結果
同樣的問題也出現在底下:
第40~42題閱讀
Today Siena is famous for keeping its “old face.” For example, its city walls, which helped keep the city safe in the past, are hundreds of years old now…
關於"its city walls are * years old" -site:tw -site:cn -site:jp -site:kr 有1項搜尋結果
但檢視上述唯一的搜尋結果,卻是不相干的句型,因此結果其實是零。
若用the city walls取代its city walls,例子便增加許多:
關於"the city walls are * years old" -site:tw -site:cn -site:jp -site:kr有10項搜尋結果
第40~42題閱讀
…the first bank of the world was built in this city and has been doing business ever since.
關於"the first bank of the world" -site:tw -site:cn -site:jp -site:kr有9項搜尋結果
約有9,690項符合"the first bank in the world" -site:tw -site:cn -site:jp -site:kr的查詢結果
在試題中一再出現該用 in 時誤用 of 當介詞,可見英文介詞對國人而言是很困難的,對命題委員也不例外。因此國人出英語考題,絕對有必要請母語專家審題。
第29~30題閱讀
Mark: …can I borrow that CD for the weekend?
Anna: Uh… I’m afraid not. I bought it only two days ago. Can you wait until next month?
第二句英文通常會把 only 放在 bought 之前,而不是 two days 前,見底下根據:
關於"I bought it only two days ago" -site:tw 有6項搜尋結果(其中一例 是來自台灣)
約有146項符合"I only bought it two days ago" -site:tw -site:cn -site:jp -site:kr 的查詢結果
第34~35題閱讀
Susan: …It took me three hours from New Town Train Station to here. I’m really tired now.
講「從甲地到這裡花多少時間」,中文「…到這裡」不能省略,而英文中因為有from及出發地點則不必再說 to here。為了簡化,我們把花多少時間的變項以 * 代替來查詢:
找不到和您的查詢-"It took me * hours from the * train station to here" -site:tw -site:cn -site:jp -site:kr-相符的資料
找不到和您的查詢-"It took me * hours from the station to here" -site:tw -site:cn -site:jp -site:kr-相符的資料
查不到的原因就在 to here 兩字,刪去這兩字之後,除掉亞洲四個網路大國之外,至少還有七個例子:
關於 "It took me * hours from the station" -site:tw -site:cn -site:jp -site:kr 有7項搜尋結果
如果真要強調「從…到這裡」的話,英文習慣上說to get here from…:
約有 83,300 項符合 "It took me * hours to get here from" -site:tw -site:cn -site:jp -site:kr的查詢結果
第40題
What is the best title for the reading?
(B): A City of Festival.
雖然(B)不是正確選項,但是仍應列出正確而道地的講法,此例中 festival用單數是不道地的:
約有47項符合 "a city of festival"-site:tw -site:cn -site:jp -site:kr 的查詢結果
若改成複數,則有:
約有 4,830 項符合"a city of festivals"-site:tw -site:cn -site:jp -site:kr 的查詢結果
第43~45題閱讀
Even in hard times, the farmers still give thanks to the land and keep working happily on their farms. When their farms grow very little rice, they just laugh and say, “It’s OK. Don’t worry!”
關於“their farms grow very little rice”有3項搜尋結果,但都是出自台灣。
關於"farms grow very little" -site:tw 有2項搜尋結果
相較之下,"farms don't grow" -site:tw 就有較高的出現頻率:
約有200項符合"farms don't grow" -site:tw的查詢結果
約有198項符合"farms do not grow" -site:tw的查詢結果
我們把這個句子簡化 “the farm grows very little”,用 Google 查詢的結果顯示為:
找不到 "The farm grows very little" 的結果
因為一般英文的習慣,會把否定詞放在grow前,所以如果改為 “the farm doesn’t grow”來查詢,結果是:約有297項符合"The farm doesn't grow"的查詢結果
因此,我們知道 “The farm doesn’t grow much rice”的說法比較好。但如果是比較不同穀物的收成的特定情況,"The farm grows very little rice." 就可以成立。
That is the way Taiwanese farmers live with their problems. They work hard and never ask for much from the land. All they want is to love and live for it. Because of the movie, the world can remember the farmers in Taiwan for their hard work and their “let-it-be” idea about life.
講這群農人隨遇而安的人生觀,用their “let-it-be” idea about life 是不太自然的說法:
關於"for their * idea about life"-site:tw -site:cn -site:jp -site:kr有3項搜尋結果(其實都出自台灣)
如果換成 attitude toward life 就道地多了:
約有253,000項符合"for their * attitude toward life"-site:tw -site:cn -site:jp -site:kr 的查詢結果
第44題
Which is NOT said about Taiwanese farmers in the reading ?
這問題顯然是受到中文的「哪一個?」的影響,但英語常用的句型習慣是說 what is not said about 而非 which is not said about:
關於 "Which is not said about"-site:tw -site:cn -site:jp -site:kr 有4項搜尋結果(仍是台灣的例子)
約有 12,500 項符合 "What is not said about"-site:tw -site:cn -site:jp -site:kr 的查詢結果
數十年來,無論是以前的大學聯招,現在的學測、基測,以及國內舉辦的各種英文測驗,只要是由國內老師自己命題,題目本身難免都多多少少有錯誤,筆者十幾年前就曾投書報章,指出由國人自己出英文考題的毛病,現在應該是痛加檢討的時候了。以後學測、基測等英語考試,最好是直接採用有國際上有公信力的英文測驗,或國內財團法人語言訓練測驗中心的英文檢定考試來取代臨時找人命題所衍生的各種問題。此次基測,英文題目雖有不少瑕疵,幸好大致上還不致影響作答。十幾年前大學聯考曾經出現過英文作文題目本身為不通的中式英文 (*What else would you do if you should fail to enter college? 1997大專聯考),若考生英文太好,無法理解這樣的中式英文,寫出命題者認為「文不對題」的內容,豈不冤枉?
(作者為前台灣翻譯學學會理事長,國家教育研究院中英詞彙審譯委員,師大翻譯研究所兼任副教授)