A stitch in time saves nine

2016/02/23 08:41:21 網誌分類: 生活

23 Feb

         　　I get tons of reader emails asking me to help them improve their grammar, teach them to write office memos, correct their homework, and so on. I would like very much to help them but it is impossible. If I helped readers correct homework, write office memos, and improve grammar, I would have no time left to do other work, such as my TV shows. It is also unethical to help readers with homework or write memos. A ton is a unit of weight. But a ton of emails means a lot of emails. If you have tons of money, it means you have a lot of money.

        　　If something is unethical, it means it is dishonest, or not morally right. I try my best to reply to as many emails from readers as I can. Although it is unethical for me to correct or do homework for readers, I welcome suggestions for my columns. A reader emailed me to say he saw the proverb “a stitch in time saves nine” in a newspaper. He suggested that I explain this proverb. A stitch in time saves nine has a simple meaning. It means it is better to deal with problems right away because if you delay, the problems will become bigger and harder to deal with.

        　　Another reader suggested that I explain the meaning of the word “quota” because the Transport Department had used the word incorrectly in a press release about allowing private cars on South Lantau on weekdays for recreational purposes. It has set a quota of 25 cars a day. A quota is a fixed number or amount. Therefore, a “quota of 25 cars” means the 25 cars make up the entire quota. But the press release said “25 private car quotas”. It also said “five of the quotas” will be for electric cars. The word was incorrectly used both times because the entire quota consists of 25 cars, which means it should be used in the singular. The press release should have said a “quota of 25 private cars” and it should have said “five from the quota will be for electric cars.”

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        　　我總是收到大量的（tons of）讀者電郵，請求我幫他們改善文法、教他們寫辦公室的備忘錄、改正他們的功課諸如此類。我很想幫助他們，但這是不可能的。若我幫讀者改功課、寫辦公室備忘錄、改善文法，我便沒有時間留給自己做其他事了，例如做我的電視節目。而且，幫讀者做功課或寫備忘錄，是不道德的（unethical）。 A ton是重量單位「噸」，但a ton of emails是指大量的電郵。若你有tons of money，即是說你有很多錢。

        　　若某事是unethical，即是說那是不誠實或不道德的。我盡我所能回覆讀者的電郵。雖然去為讀者改正或做功課是不道德的（unethical），我仍然歡迎大家就我的專欄作出任何提議。一位讀者傳電郵給我，說他從報上讀到諺語“a stitch in time saves nine”，建議我可以解釋一下這個諺語。A stitch in time saves nine意思很簡單，就是最好能及時解決問題，因為若你延誤，那問題就變得更大，亦更難應付。

        　　另一位讀者提議，我可解釋一下“quota”這個字，因為運輸署發佈有關私家車於平日可駛進南大嶼山作康樂消閒用途的新聞稿中，用錯了這個字。它設定了一天二十五輛車的限額（quota）。A quota就是定額或限額。因此，a “quota of 25 cars”意指整個限額（quota）就是二十五輛車，但新聞稿寫的卻是“25 private car quotas”。它也寫到，“five of the quotas”是編配給電動車的。這個字在這兩句中也寫錯了，因為一個限額（quota）是二十五輛車，那它就應該寫成單數。新聞稿應寫作“quota of 25 private cars”以及“five from the quota will be for electric cars”。　　＊由今日開始，我的專欄會加上 QR code，你只須用手機掃描 QR code，就可以聆聽我朗讀專欄的錄音。mickchug@gmail.com

        中譯:七刻

        Michael Chugani 褚簡寧

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