名词business是多义词,可当"商业"讲,也可当"企业"讲,另外还有"各种事情"及"权利"、"理由"等含义,在阅读理解时很难把握,本文试图作些梳理和澄清.

　　一、 business原指"商业"(buying and selling, commerce, trade).如business English商业英语,take a plunge in business 下海经商,Business to business. 亲兄弟,明算账。(说明:最后一句为商场用语,带铜臭味,其中的business当"生意"讲.不少词典误译为"公事公办",笔者认为"公事公办"应译成do official business on principle.)

　　二、 在现代英语中,business的"商业"含义已扩展为不仅指企业,而且指工业、农业和服务业,如He has a big business in London. 他在伦敦有一家大商号(大企业).business当"企业"讲常用作定语.如business

　　equipment企业设备,business failure 企业破产,business management 企业管理,business school(college)商学院(实为财经类高等学府),Master of Business Administration(简称MBA)工商管理硕士,business man(business person)企业家.(说明:①business man 旧译"商人",但此词不仅指商业企业家,也可指工业或农业家.②有人将business person译成"工作人员",以示与business man有别,其实两者含义相同.先是business man 兼指男、女企业家,后来出现business woman专指女企业家,同时专设business person兼指男、女企业家.)

　　三、 business 当"营业"讲,专指与工业、农业、商业经营有关的事业,如Business is usual on holidays. 节假日照常营业.business当"营业"讲常用作定语.如business income营业收益,business expense营业开支,business tax营业税,business hours营业时间.(说明:business hours指买卖开业时间,office hours指机关上班时间.银行用banking hours.)

　　四、 business 指各种事情.

　　1. business指"一般事情"(affair, matter, thing).如Marriage is a lifelong business.婚姻是终身大事.I must say, it's a funny business. 我必须说,这是不道德行为.What is your business here?你来这里有何贵干?I have urgent business. 我有急事.I believe you are right in this business. 我认为你对这件事的看法是对的.

　　2. business 指"正经事"(serious affairs).如Let's get down to business. 让我们开始做(谈)正经事.They means business here. 他们这些人说话是当真的.(引自大学英语《精读》第三册第七单元课文)Mr. Smith traveled on business, not for pleasure this time.史密斯先生这次是工作旅行,而不旅游.(说明:句中的business意为"正经事",可指公事,也可指企业或个人的商务以及任何私事.travel on business 应译为"工作旅行",而不宜译为"因公出差"或"商务旅行".大学英语《精读》第四册第一单元课文有一句话:Pleased, I left town on a business trip. 参考译文:我听了很高兴,就离城出差去了.译者确认那个当父亲的是企业雇员,故将on a business trip译成"出差"是正确的.)

　　3. business 指"职责"或"该关心的事"(one's duty or concern).如It's a teacher's business to help his pupil. 帮助学生是老师的职责.Everybody's business is nobody's business.人人负责等于无人负责.It's no business of yours. 不要管闲事.

　　4. business 指"行业"(line of business).如What line of business is he in?他是干哪一行的?His business is poultry farming. 他从事养禽业.She knows her business她通晓本行.

　　五、 business指"权利".如You have no business to do that. 你无权这样做.They have no business saying such things about my brother. 他们无权对我兄弟说三道四.Then some activitists on the work force claimed that the workers had no business settling for $ 5 and a few competitive bonuses while the bosses collected hundreds of dollars each. 接着干活的人中有几个活跃分子声称老板从每个工人身上可以嫌好几百元,雇工没有理由满足于每人五元加一点点竞争性奖金.(引自大学英语《精读》第四册第一单元课文)

　　(文/毛础安　英语辅导报大学教师版04~05学年第3期;版权归英语辅导报社所有，独家网络合作伙伴新浪教育，未经许可，不得以任何形式进行转载。)