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问题的起源，是诸多ESL 词典在common下面举例：
朗文：
ORDINARY 普通的 [only before noun, no comparative] ordinary and not special in any way 普通的，平凡的
He insists that he is a revolutionary, not a common criminal.
他坚持说自己是个革命者，而不是普通的罪犯。
[only before noun] ordinary; not unusual or special 普通的；平常的；寻常的；平凡的
In most people's eyes she was nothing more than a common criminal.
在多数人的眼里她只不过是个普通的罪犯。
还有：英語常用詞疑難用法手冊：
4) 一般的、不特别的。
the common man 普通人
the common people 老百姓
He was treated like a common criminal. 他受到像普通刑事犯那样的对待。
It's common decency. 这是起码的教养问题。
然而邪门的是：
英汉大词典：
8. 众所周知的；臭名昭著的
a common criminal 臭名昭著的罪犯
4. widely but unfavorably known [a common criminal]
网上有人发文章《谭译｜common加上criminal可不普通啦！ 》（http://www.sohu.com/a/151435067_256852），认为common + criminal 的搭配「应是“众所周知或臭名昭著的罪犯”，而非“普通罪犯”」。
先说common criminal为什么可以是「众所周知或臭名昭著的罪犯」，因为common的主要意思有两层，按照SOED的分法：
1. Of a public or non-private nature. ——共同、共有、公共
2. Of ordinary occurrence or quality. —— 平常、不稀奇、平凡，甚至低劣
SOED在Of a public or non-private nature. 这个分类下面有个小义项：
5.Generally known; spec. (of an offender or offence) public, notorious, habitual. ME.
J. Wesley Baptized liars and common swearers.
common nuisance etc.
common nuisance
公害
指侵犯不特定多数人的健康权、财产权、名誉权等合法权益的危害，表现为进行了法律所不允许的行为，或者未能尽到法律要求其应尽的义务等。
(→public nuisance; nuisance)
World Book Dictionary：
generally or publicly known; notorious:
a common pickpocket, a common liar.
远东英汉大辞典：
9. 聲名狼藉的。a common thief 一個聲名狼藉的小偷
21世紀大英漢詞典：
问题来了，common能表达「众所周知或臭名昭著」，是不是意味着common + criminal 的搭配 只能表达「众所周知或臭名昭著」，绝不能表达另一层意思「Of ordinary occurrence or quality.」呢？
当然不是！
韦氏高阶：
a : without special rank or status平凡的；无特殊地位的
You're nothing but a common [=ordinary] thief!
你什么都不是，就是个不起眼的小偷！
编者已经贴心地说了「=ordinary」，那就应该照着「Of ordinary occurrence or quality.」理解啦
再看下面这些google books 里面搜来的例句：
On his release, MacDermott was again anxious to deny that he had been given any special consideration. He was treated like a common criminal, he insisted, just like all the other DORA prisoners
很明显common是跟special 对立的
They treated me like a common criminal 'The way people are offended by it. Like, a guy wrh a list of convictions as long as yer arm, who can't believe that he was treated like a 'common criminal!' That somewhere there must be this one common criminal, and everyone else is a special class of criminal!
结论应该是：
common 自带「Of a public or non-private nature. 」「Of ordinary occurrence or quality.」两大意义，跟criminal 这类词搭配的时候，既可以表达第一类意思（公共+罪犯 =公众都认识的罪犯），也可以表达第二类意思（普通+罪犯=普通罪犯）。第二类意思是字面意思，一看就知道，所以英英词典着重解释第一类意思，但绝不是说没有第二类意思呀！
ESL 词典举例，只举了第二类意思，也不是说第一类错误，只是没提而已，万万不可搞出非此即彼的事情来！
21世紀大英漢詞典
common criminal
1.普通犯罪者
2.惯犯
21世纪英汉大说「惯犯」，大概是从SOED「Generally known; spec. (of an offender or offence) public, notorious, habitual. 」这里看来的，不过还是说「人所共知的罪犯」比较好。
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发表于 2019-12-8 15:37:26
