The situation is capable of improvement.
此情況有可能好轉。
That oil tanker is capable of being restored.
那艘油輪有可能修好。
請注意,下列句中的able是用錯了,應改為capable:
This book is able to be translated.(錯)
This book is capable of being translated.(對)
That law is able to be evaded.(錯)
That law is capable of being evaded.(對)
(五) able 一般用作正面意義,指好人好事;capable 則是中性詞,既可指好事,亦可指壞事,例如在下例中,capable of anything是表示「任何壞事都做得出來」之意:
That guy is capable of anything!
那傢伙什麼勾當都會幹得出來!
(六) able的反義詞是unable;capable的反義詞是incapable。另一點值得注意的是,able的名詞是 ability,義:「能力」(the power to do);capable的名詞是capability 或 capacity,前者義:「具有從事某事的能力」;後者義:「容量」或「受容力」。需要在此指出的是,ability是可以通過練習或鍛煉獲得的,而capability則是固有的能力,它與練習或鍛煉無關。通過下列例句的對比,我們不難區分其義蘊:
I do not doubt his ability to do the work.
He has the capability to benefit from university education.