48031543 2008-4-8 13:40
一些英语问答(一直更新)
一九九九年九月四日[u]联合报[/u]笫33页有「一周一成语」，也以[color=red]day and night[/color](中文译作「[color=red]夜以继日[/color]」)为例，并造句：
Mary knitted [color=red]day and night[/color] to finish the sweater before her mother's birthday.在母亲生日前，玛利夜以继日的完成了这件毛衣。(杨长江)
2000年一月七日中国邮报 (China Post) 头版有一则新闻报导：James Soong (宋楚瑜) and his running mate Chang Chau-hsiung (张昭雄) also extended gratitude to some 6000 volunteers who had worked[color=red] day and night[/color] binding the petitions(连署书).
美国克林顿总统在电视演讲中不只一次地说过[color=red]day and night[/color].英国首相布莱尔在2000年二月三日正午12：05在CNN 谈话中也说过[color=red]day and night[/color].但在页556，Rewey Belle Inglis等着Adventures in American Literature中，作者在介绍美国着名散文作家及诗人爱默生的一篇名为Compensation([u]补偿[/u])的散文时说：The idea of balance in human life ﹣
[color=red]night and day[/color], good and evil, action and repose ﹣ was a favorite of his.
在页700，A Complete Dictionary of English Phrases (Shanghai: Commercial Press, 1925)中的例句：The earth moves [color=red]night and day[/color].
另在页472，Dictionary of Current English Idioms(Tokyo: Kenkyusha Limited, 1975)中的例句：. . . as [color=red]night follows day[/color].
在以上文句及两本字典中均用[color=red]night and day[/color], 为甚么?
[color=red]day and night[/color]是口语，非正式英文(informal English);[color=red] night and day[/color][color=black]是文语[/color]，
正式英文 (formal English)。正如中文中有「夜以继日」([color=red]night and day[/color]) 及「日以继夜」([color=red]day and night[/color])一样。「夜以继日」是成语，而「日以继夜」是误用。后来以讹传讹，而成了我们平日脱口而出的「日以继夜」