≪In the Japanese sentence 「ホワイトさん、そして彼の奥さんは数学を教えていますが、科学者です。」, there is ambiguity about who teaches math and who is a scientist due to the lack of clear subject markers for each clause. Here's a breakdown of the possibilities:
1. **Interpretation 1: Both teach math and are scientists.**
The sentence might imply that both ホワイトさん (Mr. White) and 彼の奥さん (his wife) teach math and are scientists, with the second part of the sentence describing them collectively.
2. **Interpretation 2: Mr. White teaches math, and his wife is a scientist.**
It could also mean that ホワイトさん teaches math, while his wife is described as a scientist.
3. **Interpretation 3: Both teach math, but only the wife is a scientist.**
Another possibility is that both teach math, but the description of being a scientist applies only to the wife.
### Resolving the ambiguity
In Japanese, such sentences often rely on context or prior information to clarify meaning. To make the sentence more explicit:
- If Mr. White teaches math and his wife is a scientist:
「ホワイトさんは数学を教えていて、彼の奥さんは科学者です。」
- If both teach math but only the wife is a scientist:
「ホワイトさんと彼の奥さんは数学を教えていますが、奥さんは科学者です。」
Without additional context, the original sentence leaves room for interpretation.≫
