Consist的兩個意思 (古德明)

                
                
Consist的兩個意思
問:貴欄日前有以下一句: Some of his soldiers had carried off her cattle, in which consisted her sole wealth(他麾下士兵搶了她的牛,而那些牛就是她的全部財產)。句中 consisted之後,是不是應加 of?
答: Consist是不及物動詞( intransitive verb),必須和介系詞( preposition)連用,才可帶出受詞( object)。英文當然不可以說 which consisted her sole wealth。
但是,讀者說的那一句, consisted是和介系詞 in連用的,只是由於用了關係代名詞(relative pronoun) which, in字倒置於 consisted之前而已。此外,句子動詞 consisted也倒置於主詞(subject) sole wealth之前,以加強語氣,這是頗不尋常的,所以讀者誤把 sole wealth當作受詞。句子可改寫如下: Some of his soldiers had carried off her cattle, in which her sole wealth consisted。假如改用「連接詞+代名詞」而不用關係代名詞,則可以這樣寫: Some of his soldiers had carried off her cattle, and her sole wealth consisted in them (and... in them= in which)。
留意 consist of和 consist in不同。 Consist of指「由……組成」, consist in則指「在於」或「等於」,例如:( 1) His investment portfolio consists of bonds, stocks, and real estate(他的投資組合包括債券、股票、房地產)。( 2) I don't think patriotism consists in saying"Yes" to those in power(我認為愛國不等於向當權者唯唯諾諾)。
【代郵】啟章先生:「青雲」並非「烏雲」。「青」即淡藍色,故曰「青天白日」。「青雲」、「青冥」亦即「青天」。
(古德明)