Wipe out

短短九天錄得19宗登革熱個案，康文署決定封閉獅子山公園30天，進行滅蚊（wipe out）行動。身為家長，最希望學校和屋苑能加強滅蚊措施。

動詞wipe解「擦、抹」。例如，The crayon is water-soluble, it isn't difficult to wipe it clean.（那蠟筆是水溶性的，擦拭乾淨並不困難。）Don't wipe your nose with your hands.（不要用手擦鼻子。）

Wipe加上介詞out，變成短語動詞（phrasal verb）wipe out。介詞out可以增強詞義，有「完全地、徹底地」的意思。因此，wipe out可以解「徹底消滅」。「滅蚊」即是要將蚊隻徹底消滅，所以英文可以說wipe out mosquitoes。例句：The Lion Rock Park will be closed for 30 days to wipe out mosquito breeding sites.（獅子山公園將關閉30天，以消滅蚊子滋生地點。）又例如，The tribe were wiped out by hunger, fatigue and diseases.（那部落因飢餓、疲勞和疾病而滅亡。)

Wipe out還可以指「徹底除去」，get rid of something completely。例句：It took me just over a year to completely wipe out my debts.（我只花了一年多的時間便還清債務。）

（本欄逢周一、三、五刊登）