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Sara asks:
Here I have a question lingering in my mind for a long
time, the question is "What is the difference between adjective and noun
when they two can both modify a noun?" The other day, I came across the
Chinese sentence ....你不能讓他和安全剃須刀睡在一起．Here, 安全剃須刀, the rendering to has two
versions, one is "safe razor" and the other is "safety razor". I am a
little confused about their differences and I hope you can throw some
light on this.
My comments:
The example you gave, Sara, sounds a tad bizarre but
your question is legit. I have a question for you regarding the bizarre
part, but I shall answer your question first.
Noun as adjective, isn't it?
From personal experience, I do have a tip to give you, and that is to
take it easy. When a noun is employed to modify another noun, it's
probably because of a lack of an appropriate adjective for the purpose.
It's as simple as that.
A safety measure (to ensure safety of the workers) taken at, say, a
coal mine is different from a safe measure (one that is safe to apply).
Here a safe measure doesn't sound right.
The rule of thumb, therefore, is to go with what sounds right to the
ear.
Now, that sounds like something hard to achieve, doesn't it? But it
shouldn't. Just give it a little time and be patient.
Hear other people (native speakers preferably) say it first and then
copy it. This is especially important for learners of English as a second
language, who tend to rationalize by trying to reconcile English grammar
with that of their native tongue. Don't bother. Just speak the way the
natives speak - when in Rome, do as the Romans do.
In the beginning, things may look hazy and confusing, but before long,
they will clear up and you shall be more at ease.
It'll take some time, for sure. But then, what's the hurry? The goal is
to get it right, not to get it first and fast (but wrong). As your feel
for the English language improves, you'll be comfortable. All in good
time.
If you want to experiment, go with what sounds right in English, rather
than what would appear logical in Chinese. Home cooking, for example, is
simple and natural in English. Domestic cooking, on the other hand,
sounds, well, exactly like a piece of translation done by a novice Chinese
translator.
Back to the example you gave, which sounds quite bizarre, as I said
earlier.
If I understood you correctly, the Chinese sentence you meant to
translate into English should read something like this: You should not let
him go to bed with a (safe or safety) razor. And you want to take a stand
between "safe" and "safety".
What I want to tell you is this: Save the trouble - just say "razor".
In this case, you don't need to take sides because the razor doesn't need
no modifier, noun or adjective, if you pardon the grammar. If it's a safe
razor, which is likely the case here, that will be expected and therefore
it will be unnecessary to say so. Who, you see, would want to do with an
unsafe razor anyway?
If it were a safety razor, on the other hand, that implies that the
knife would be one that would not get yourself hurt whichever way you
choose to use it. Then it could very well just be some hullabaloo from the
manufacturer. In that case, no-one should take that kind of propaganda
seriously. So, in any case, you would sound more effective with a bare
"razor" - leaving it there to stand on its own, stark and naked, that is,
without being clothed and sheltered with any modifier, noun or adjective.
But that is not the "bizarre" part of your question. The bizarre part
is, I ask you, Sara, why would anyone go to bed with a razor in the first
place, be it a safe one or one of safety?
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