★ Do you know how to service this new-type machine?

你知道怎样维修这种新型的机器吗?

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这一句不能译作："你知道怎样使用这台新型的机器吗？"如要表达此义，应该说：

Do you know how to seve this new-type machine?

在现代英语里，出现了一种用名词作动词的倾向。例如：to paper one's room; to bottle the fruit；to bandage up a wound；to oil a machine；to position a factory near the town；to pressure him to do so等等。然而，某些名词作动词使用时，与原有动词的涵义有所不同，上面所述的to service和to serve的区别就是一个典型的例子。试对比下列各组词的不同涵义：

to power：为...提供动力 to empower：为...授予权力

to site：为...提供场所 to situate：位于；处于

to package：给...打包装箱(美语) to pack：给...包装

to loan：贷款 to lend：出借；出租

to decision：根据积分评定 to decide：决定；判决

应当在此指出，把名词作动词使用时必须要符合一条准则，那就是在找不到适当的动词表示涵义时，才能用名词作动词，否则就是滥用。因此，以to message代替to send a message to；用to bill替代to charge to one's account；以to signature 代替to sign或用to suspicion去替代to suspect老是不妥当的。然而，我们又应该注意到，在现代英语中，把名词作为动词使用的现象是很普遍的，而且有日渐增多的倾向。下面是一些从英美书刊中信手拈来的例子：

Tom has his car serviced (=maintained) regularly.

Mr. Smith has authored (=written) a book on AIDS.

You must pressure (=force) him to do it.

Her dress is patterned upon (=made from) a Paris model.

Dick is the man who used to partner Mary.

Opposition to the war snowballed.

We shall book through to Hong Kong.

Don't fool away your time, my boy!

Mr. Smith noons for half an hour every day.

They have husbanded their farms very well.

Students in Hong Kong can view a collection of more than 100 rare species of goldfish in the Ocean Park.

读者们不难从上面的例子看出，用名词作动词可以带来一种新鲜感，能唤起人们的注意并给人们留下一个逼真生动的画面。
关键字:学习解惑
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