試想想，你坐在翻譯室內，大堂的講者在做報告，忽然講了這句話，你會怎樣翻成中文？

The police were ordered to stop drinking at midnight.

又可曾想過（當時陣上當然沒有仔細思考去「想」的奢侈囉），不論你怎麼樣翻，你命中的機會只有25%？

因為此語至少有以下4個可能代表的意義：

1. At midnight, the police received an order: stop people drinking.
2. A midnight, the police received an order: policemen must not drink any more.
3. The police received an order：no one is allowed to drink after midnight.
4. The police received an order: policemen must not drink any more after midnight.

關鍵在於甚麼？（1）「午夜」所指的是命令發出的時間，還是事件發生（停止喝酒）的時間；（2）要禁酒者為誰──警察，還是其他人？

所以，四個可能性分別為：

1. 午夜時，警方收到命令，禁止人喝酒。
2. 午夜時，警方收到命令，警員不准再喝酒。
3. 警方收到命令：午夜後不准人喝酒。
4. 警方收到命令：午夜後警員不准再喝酒。

譯者一時不察，就拆招牌，落荒而逃！

下次介紹更可怕又麻煩的陷阱，讓大家減少機會被歧義(ambiguity)玩殘。

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