"Mountains enjoy.."

Hello

I was in a translation class and the teacher asked us to translate the following:
تتميز الجبال بطبيعة خلابة
Which means
Mountains enjoy a splendid nature.

However, the teacher informed me that using "enjoy" is not right in this context and recommended using "have." I don't quite sense that there is anything wrong with the word "enjoy." Can you please advise?

Thanks,

Bassma

Welcome to the forums, stifled chortles. I don't read Arabic but I can say that "Mountains enjoy a splendid nature." is not a meaningful English sentence.

Your teacher is wrong too. "Mountains have a splendid nature" is not grammatically correct. Mountains might have specific characteristics (crags, steep slopes etc) but they are a part of nature.

"Mountains are/look splendid."

Enjoy

http://www.bing.com/images/search?q...5D3C6E4B4B068EF&form=CONMHP&conlogo=CT3210127

People can enjoy but mountains cannot enjoy.
People can have or own things, but not mountains.

You can say:
Mountains, as part of nature, are splendid/beautiful/majestic/awesome etc.

Not a teacher

'The hotel enjoys a magnificent view of the harbour.'── quoted from http://www.macmillandictionary.com/dictionary/british/enjoy
Why can a hotel enjoy something but mountains cannot?
Not a teacher.

Matthew Wai said:

'The hotel enjoys a magnificent view of the harbour.'── quoted from http://www.macmillandictionary.com/dictionary/british/enjoy
Why can a hotel enjoy something but mountains cannot?
Not a teacher.

Click to expand...

That is called personification, one of the figures of speech. It is used to describe buildings but it is uncommon to be used for things like the landscape.

not a teacher

From above "[transitive] formal to have something as a benefit or advantage"
It's still not a natural sentence. Not all mountains enjoy a splendid nature. Some are just areas of ground higher than other areas of ground.

May I say that it is uncommon and unnatural but not ungrammatical to say 'mountains enjoy something'?
Is it grammatical to say 'The hill enjoys fertile soil'?

Not a teacher.

Yes, that's right.

Matthew Wai said:

May I say that it is uncommon and unnatural but not ungrammatical to say 'mountains enjoy something'?
Is it grammatical to say 'The hill enjoys fertile soil'?

Not a teacher.

Click to expand...

I am not a teacher.

You are right, although I wouldn't say 'unnatural'. There is nothing wrong with 'mountains enjoy xxx' as long as it makes sense. Mountains don't/can't enjoy having people traipsing all over them, but they can enjoy a particular climate or lush vegetation etc.