中国学生常见标点符号错误
(1) 顿号、书名号、句号、省略号错误。比较中英文标点符号可见,英文标点中没有中文形式的顿号、书名号、句号和省略号。而这四种标点符号成了大学英语写作中“借鉴频率较高的符号。
例如：
〔错误〕1. While she is reading《Gone With the Wind》, I am cooking。
〔错误〕2. My sister bought a lot of fruits for me , such as banana 、orange 、apple and pear.
英文中的印刷体用斜体字表示书籍、报刊、戏剧、电影、绘画作品等的名称,在书写体或打字机打的文本中用字下线表示斜体字;英文常用逗号来代替冒号;而句号是用实心小黑点表示。
故以上两句应改为:
〔修改〕1. While she is reading Gone With the Wind , I am cooking.
或While she is reading Gone With the Wind , I am cooking.
〔修改〕2. My sister bought a lot of fruits for me , such as banana , orange , apple and pear.
还有,英文中的省略号其实是三个句号的并列,许多学生由于受中文影响常错误地把英文省略号写成六点。
(2) 冒号错误。冒号是中英文兼有的标点符号。在汉语中,冒号是表示提示性话语之后的停顿,常用在“说、道、讲、问、唱、回答、喊、吼”等动词的后边,以标明下面的话是谁说的。
此用法影响下列英文句子标点:
〔错误〕3. I thought to myself :“What kind of trap is she laying ?”
〔错误〕4. He asked :“Where are you from ?”
以上两例中的冒号在英文中需用逗点表示。汉语中的冒号还可用在“如次“如下“例如“像等引起下文的提示语后边。在英文表达中,“for example”(例如) 一类的词后常用逗点代替冒号。
〔错误〕5. Good manners can be seen in everyday life. For example : a person with good manners is kind and helpful to others.
〔修改〕5. Good manners can be seen in everyday life. For example , a person with good manners is kind and helpful to others.
(3) 破折号错误。汉语中的破折号标明行文中解释说明的部分,而英文同位语也具有同等说明的功能,故英文写作中用破折号连接同位语成份的错误也屡见不鲜。如:
〔错误〕6. We are studying and living at the famous university — Beijing University.
〔修改〕6. We are studying and living at the famous university , Beijing University.
对于同位语,英语一般使用逗点而不用破折号。英文中破折号的用法远没有中文的丰富。
