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各种「能力」

各种「能力」

作者: 黑腿渔夫 | 来源:发表于2016-08-16 10:36 被阅读0次

    如有不准确之处,请指出。欢迎大家找茬。 ◉‿◉

    Ability, Capacity, Capability, Competence, Competency, Aptitude, Flair, Talent, Faculty

    Ability指体力或智力,依上下文而定,但复数abilities只指智力,指体力。如students of mixed abilities。通常接不定式,如the ability to lift a great stone,the ability to motivate other people。很少接of doing sth。

    Capacity可接不定式(his capacity to think in an original way),也可接for sth/doing sth(a child’s capacity for learning)。在法律背景中capacity可用来表示人的「行为能力;资格;身份」(a person’s legal competency or qualification),如acting in her capacity as manager/acting in her corporate capacity(以xx身份行事),she has full capacity to bind the corporation with her signature(这里我觉得是指她具有做某事的「资格」),his pain reduced his capacity to understand the hospital’s admission form(这里指此人的mental ability)。

    Garner’s Dictionary of Legal Usage表示capacitycapability虽都表示「能力」,但二者之间有着important nuances。Capability(接to do sth或of doing sth)有两层含义,(1) power or ability in general, whether physical or mental,(2) the quality of being susceptible of,如常见的说法sth is beyond my capabilities(注意这里是复数)。除法律背景外,capacity还指一个国家的军事力量,如Britain’s military/nuclear capability。

    Competencecompetency都指能够胜任某事的能力,一般语境中常用competence。但在法律背景中需要注意二者的不同之处(不仅仅是发音不同)。

    根据Garner’s Dictionary of Legal Usage,competency有着特定的法律意义(the ability to understand problems and make decisions; ability to stand trial),常见短语包括competency to stand trial(受审能力)。在谈到其他情况下的法律资格时则常用competence,如the legal competence of witnesses(作证资格),competence of evidence(证据的可采性,也可以说admissibility),sth is within the competence of the court(这里指「权限;管辖权」,有时与jurisdiction同义)。简言之,当上下文clearly and solely提到mental disability时,用competency,其他情况下一般是competence。

    再多说几句,关于capacity和competency的区别。前者指legal ability or qualification,后者通常出现在「与证据有关」的背景中,如前面提到的competency to stand trial。说「此人具备签订合约的资格/能力」时用capacity to contract,而不是competency to contract。

    Aptitude, flairtalent都指「天赋」(natural ability),而且都接for sth/doing sth。如an aptitude for dealing with children。

    但三者仍有细微区别。

    在说「能力倾向测试」时用aptitude test。Aptitude多以单数形式出现,偶尔用复数,比如his superior abilities and aptitudes。

    Flair强调的是a special or instinctive aptitude。说这人有语言天赋,就可以说he has a flair for languages。此外flair还有a way of doing things that is interesting and shows imagination的意思,常见的搭配有artistic flair,she dresses with flair。感觉flair在这里是指偏向艺术时装方面的「新颖」「才华」「天资」。

    Talent:单数a talent表示「一种才能」,talents则是「多种才能」,多才多艺的人可以说a man of many talents。Talent还可以指「一个有才能的人」,如he is a great talent。

    Faculty表示「才能;能力」时接for/of doing sth。不可以接不定式。如the faculty for writing verse。此外,faculty也指人的「官能」,the faculty of hearing(听觉),the faculty of sight(视觉)。注意这里都用介词of。谈到Mental faculties(the ability to think and understand)要用复数形式。还有个固定说法,to be in full possession of all your faculties,指有着正常的五官官能和思考理解能力。

    小结下这些词的搭配

    Ability to do sth,很少接of doing sth

    Capacity to do sth, capacity for sth / doing sth

    Capability to do sth, capability of doing sth

    Competence/competency in sth/ doing sth

    Aptitude, flair和talent都接for sth /doing sth

    Faculty for / of doing sth,不要说to do sth

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