專欄文章

Zero，零。留意中文一些包含零的話，英文可以略過，像氣溫零下10 度，英文只需講Thetemperature is minus 10 (degrees)，不必說10(degrees) below zero。

說經濟增長是零，亦即毫無增長：Economic growth is at zero. Zero growth has been recorded.

不涉數字用得最多的zero，大概係to zero in on someone or something， 是指極度專注、focus on 一些人或事物。例：

● Let’s zero in on the key issues and don’t get distracted. 我們應絕對專注於重要的議題，不要分心。

相反，to zero out 是把任何數目減至零，帶cancel (out)之意。

● I called the bank and zeroed out my account.我致電銀行，一舉清了我的帳戶。

● The new government is planning to zero out transport subsidies for the elderly. 新的政府計劃取消長者交通津貼。

Zero 一樣可做形容詞： Politics has zero interest for me. 政治對我來說是零興趣。有零興趣，當然還有許多其他的零XX，諸如零容忍，zero tolerance。既是零，就一次錯失或意外都不能容忍，It won’t be accepted even once.

● That school adopts a zero-tolerance policy. 那間學校實施零容忍政策。

● The school sign reads, “ZERO TOLERANCE:Use of profanity, verbal threats or any act of violence will NOT be tolerated on school grounds or at school events.” 學校通告謂，「零容忍：嚴禁於校園或學校活動中，任何粗口、囗頭恐嚇或暴力行為。」

另外，都聽過零和遊戲zero-sum game 吧，說的是在一場博弈中，一方的贏，就是另一方的輸，a situation in which any gain by one side is at the expense of the other side. 商業上的例子，有說就像經營電台：

● Radio has become a zero-sum game, with stations gaining listeners only at each other’s expense.

也要留意，zero hour 並非凌晨或零時，而是指軍方、警方一類有計劃的行動發難時間，the time when a military operation, a police raid etc is planned to start。

最後，有沒有聽過zero dark thirty？可泛指午夜至破曉任何一段時間， a very late, or very early time of day, between midnight and dawn。

Zero Dark Thirty 亦是一部電影戲名，主題是當年美國刺殺拉登（Osama Bin Laden）的行動。

戲初上映之際，導演清楚說明，片名係指午夜十二點半，half an hour past midnight、midnight thirty、or 0030。中間有個dark 字，係軍方術語，亦有黑暗秘密的含意，also referring to the darkness and secrecy that cloaked the entire decade-long mission。

日常生活，可以有這一句：● I have to leave home at zero dark thirty to catch my flight. 我得在深宵離家，去趕搭飛機。