Bona fide 真正的/真實的, ad lib 即興撰造, quid pro quo 補償物/交換物... English is full of Latin words and phrases which are used as a kind of shorthand 速記.
But some local councils say that Latin is elitist and discriminatory 具優越感和帶有歧視的, because people might not understand it - particularly if English isn't their first language.
Bournemouth council in the south of England is the latest local authority 地方當局 to draw up a list 製定了一分清單 of nineteen phrases which its staff are no longer allowed to use, verbally or in official correspondence 口語或正式書信.
Other local councils have banned QED 這就是所要證明的 and ad hoc 特別的. The move has prompted derision 嘲笑 among some linguists.
We asked Dr Peter Jones, the co-founder of the charity Friends of Classics to imagine that he was a civil servant in charge of implementing 實施 the ban. What sort of memo 備忘錄 might he have to write?
“You will be aware that a number of councils has decided that all Latin words and phrases should be subject to a veto 否決, e.g. 'e.g.', et cetera 等等. Ergo 所以/因此, some will think this hocus-pocus 戲弄/欺騙, but I say you cannot allow the status quo 現狀 to remain as it is".
But the move has been welcomed by the Plain English Campaign which says some officials only use Latin to make themselves feel important.
A campaign spokesman said the ban might stop people confusing the Latin abbreviation 縮寫 'e.g.' with the word egg. The debate may well continue ad nauseam 冗長乏味的.
GLOSSARY 詞匯表
bona fide 真正的/真實的請閱讀更多我的博客文章>>>
