「今天一堆涉外同事全用上ChatGPT寫郵件了，過於方便，英語白學了。」 AI寫作機械人ChatGPT面世後，有中國人在Twitter這樣說。
的確，因ChatGPT可以理解中文指示，使用者哪怕一句英語也不會，也能靠ChatGPT，幾秒鐘內寫出絕對流暢和幾乎沒grammatical mistakes的文字。
但AI寫作機械人的到來，不一定代表英語白學了。肯定的是，當誰都能產出沒文法錯誤的書寫英語，perfect grammar不再是衡量英文是否優秀的主要標準。AI的強項是邏輯推理，在post-Chatgpt 年代，想寫出眾的school essays or business English， 就要打破純推理的框框，運用橫向思維（lateral thinking）和跨領域知識，自己的書寫英語才能在多如牛毛的pefectly grammatcial的英文文章中脫穎而出。
去年底我寵物成功移民到加拿大後，我給我的pet travel agent寫了一封感謝信。適逢ChatGPT也差不多同時被推出，出於好奇，我也請ChatGPT寫感謝信。The results are as follows. I think the contrast between the two versions demonstrates that in the post ChatGPT era, 英語不是會白學，而是需要學得更深。
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The prompt I gave ChatGPT:
Write a thank you letter to a pet travel agent who successfully helped my rabbit relocate from Hong Kong to Vancouver
ChatGPT’s version
Dear [Pet Travel Agent],
I wanted to take a moment to thank you for the wonderful job you did in helping my rabbit, [Rabbit’s Name], relocate from Hong Kong to Vancouver. As a first-time pet owner going through the process of international travel, I was understandably anxious about the move. But you put my mind at ease from the very beginning, and your expertise and professionalism made the whole process seamless and stress-free.
I was particularly impressed by the care and attention you gave to ensuring that [Rabbit’s Name] was comfortable and safe during the journey. The travel crate you provided was spacious and well-ventilated, and you even included some of [Rabbit’s Name]’s favorite toys and treats to help keep them entertained. And of course, the fact that [Rabbit’s Name] arrived in Vancouver happy and healthy was a huge relief.
I also appreciate the support you provided throughout the process, from answering my many questions and concerns, to providing detailed instructions on how to prepare for the move. Your expertise and guidance were invaluable, and made what could have been a very stressful experience into a smooth and successful one.
Again, thank you so much for everything. [Rabbit’s Name] and I are both very grateful for the wonderful job you did, and I will be sure to recommend your services to anyone else in need of pet travel assistance.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
My version
I used to work for a mainland businessman who had the funds to hire one of the most expensive law firms in Hong Kong. Dealing with those lawyers provided me with a lesson on “You get what you pay for”: their paperwork was more than thorough, their flagging of potential problems was timely, and their attention to our queries large and small was always so prompt that they gave us the impression that we were their only client, even though we knew they were, at the same time, offering the same level of service to many other individuals and businesses.
Dealing with Tommy of Canlife Pets Moving reminded me of my experience with those pricey lawyers. From providing advice on how to handle the Canadian animal import authority, to processing the complicated paperwork, to preparing my rabbit for his flight – I’m so grateful to Tommy for shouldering the burden of importing my rabbit into rabbit-unfriendly Canada.
The only difference between Tommy and those lawyers is price. His first quotation was so reasonable that when my rabbit was nearing his departure date, I fully expected Tommy to charge extra. By that time he had proved himself to be so responsible and meticulous that I wouldn’t have minded paying more. But he stuck to his original quote.
I highly recommend Tommy to anyone who loves his or her furry friend/friends enough to be willing to go through the stress of shipping pets overseas. He will be on the standby to relieve much of the strain.
Michelle Ng
英國牛津大學畢業，前《蘋果日報》和《眾新聞》專欄作家，現在身在楓葉國，心繫中國大陸和香港。
聯絡方式： michelleng.coach@proton.me
個人網站： https://michellengwritings.com
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