英语程度副词与其关联副词的用法比较
2015-01-09汪少华
汪少华
摘 要: 在英语学习中,我们经常见到这样一些副词,如hard,hardly; quick,quickly;short,shortly,等等。在这些词当中,两种不同形式表达的含义有的完全不同,有的很相似,有的完全一致。这就给学习者使用这些词带来一定麻烦。作者就此问题分类作探讨。
关键词: 程度副词 关联副词 可测量性 可见性 抽象性
一、第一类词有hard,hardly;late,lately;most,mostly,等等,这两种副词形式的含义完全不同,所以使用时比较容易区分。
1.We all work hard in the interests of our future.我们都为我们自己的将来而努力工作.。
Had we hardly started when it began to rain.我们刚出发,就开始下雨。
2.What do you mean by coming home so late?你怎么敢这么晚才回家?
She hasnt been feeling well lately and she let the housework slide.她近来一直感到不适,对家务也就随它去了.
3.They are the most precious cultural legacy our forefathers left.它们是我们祖先留下来的最宝贵的文化遗产。
Timothy was crying,mostly from exhaustion,and his nose was running.由于太累了,蒂莫西哭的一把鼻涕一把泪。
4.The next flight dose not go direct to Tokyo; it goes by way of Shanghai.下趟航班不直飞东京,而是绕道上海。
I will telephone you directly I hear the news.我一听到消息,马上打电话给你.
Pressure varies directly with temperature and inversely with volume.压力随温度呈正比例变化,与容积呈反比例变化。
5.His glittering career was cut short by a heart attack...他辉煌的事业因心脏病发作而被迫终止。
John passed through a difficult period shortly after his marriage broke down.婚姻破裂不久,约翰经历了一段短暂的艰难时期。
6.After that they drove clear over to St Paul.之后,他们一口气开到圣保罗。
He inclined towards the speaker to hear more clearly.他把身体倾向发言人,以便听得更清楚些。
7.Joe isnt a bad boy.If anything,hes a pretty good one.乔不是一个坏男孩,总之,他是一个非常好的男孩。
It was prettily engraved with flowers on the back.此件雕刻精美,背面有花饰图案。
二、第二类词主要有dear,dearly;low,lowly;loud,loudly,等等,这两种副词形式不同,含义也有所差别,但是没有第一类的区别明显,而且翻译成汉语时用词很接近,所以使用时很容易混淆。这类词含义及用法上的主要特点是:不带-ly的副词表示具体的行为和动作,说明的动作或状况有可测量性和可见性;而以-ly结尾的副词表达的常常是抽象性的行为和状况。这时,这些词大都具有“very much”和“much”的含义。试作如下比较:
1.You should not be afraid to aim high in the quest for an improvement in your income.想让自己的收入有所提高时,你应该敢于给自己设定高的目标。
I gather his report is highly critical of the trial judge.据我所知,他在报道中毫不留情地批评了初审法官。
2.The wide paved road degenerated into a narrow bumpy track.铺好的宽阔道路渐渐变窄,成了一条崎岖不平的小径。
Stress is widely perceived as contributing to coronary heart disease.压力被广泛认为是导致冠心病的一个因素。
3.You will have to pay dear for that telescope.买那个望远镜你得付很高的价钱。
The Republican candidates admissions about his failure to pay taxes cost him dearly.该共和党候选人承认自己没有缴税,这一坦白让他付出了惨痛代价。
4.Three mortar shells had landed close to a crowd of people.3枚迫击炮弹落在人群旁。
The Prime Minister has made a statement closely approximate to a falsehood.首相发表了一项几近谎言的声明。
5.The bird is now flying quite low.鸟儿现在飞得非常低。
He bowed lowly before the queen.他谦恭地给女王鞠了一躬。
6.Thats when I try to meditate or do some deep-breathing exercises.这时我就会试着沉思或者做些深呼吸练习。
It has touched me deeply to see how these people live.看到这些人的生活境况,我深受触动。
7.He held on tight but she prised it from his fingers.他抓得很紧,但她还是掰开他的手,把它拿走了。
I shivered and pulled my scarf more tightly round my neck.我打了个寒战,用围巾把脖子围得更紧了。
8.Even Ford,who seldom smiled,laughed out loud a few times.即使是很少笑的福特,有几次也笑出声来。
The officials felt taken for granted and grumbled loudly.这些官员感到受了怠慢,于是大声抱怨起来。
三、第三类词主要有slow,slowly;quick,quickly等异形同义词。在现代英语语法中,我们通常用-ly副词修饰实意动词,但由于句子结构及搭配不同,使用时具有不同的倾向性。在此,主要探讨在什么情况下常使用不带-ly的副词形式。同时,把第二类中一些适应于下列规则的词也包括进去。总的说来,倾向于使用不带-ly副词形式的情况大致有下列四种:
(一)动词之后的副词比较级或最高级。
1.The advantage in going faster is that you get there quicker.快点走的好处在于,你可以早点到达那里。
2.As the input of energy is increased,the volume gets louder.随着能量输入的增加,音量变得更大。
3.The car went slower and slower until it came to a stand still.汽车走得越来越慢,最后停了下 来。
4.Prost went quickest.普罗斯特走得最快。
5.He is moving ever closer to drawing his pension.他就要领取养老金了。
(二)在so或too之后表达程度。
1.She had never before seen one who seemed so quick and pliable.她以前从没遇到一个人像他这么聪明伶俐、这么富有同情心。
2.Thats right some driver drive too slow! This is also dangerous.的确,有些人驾车很慢,这样也很危险.
3.Dont talk so loud; the child is in bed now.别这样大声说话,孩子已经睡了。
(三)表示倾向性词语之后。
1.Come quick! Something terrible has happened! 快来呀! 出了可怕的事情啦!
2.You drive as slow as my Granny.你开车像我奶奶一样慢。
3.The sun shines bright.阳光明媚。
4.The flakes were falling thick and hard now,pouring past the window,a waterfall of mystery.雪越下越厚、越下越大,在窗前倾泻,好似一挂奇妙的瀑布.
5.Brooks is 89 years old and still going strong.布鲁克斯已经89岁了,仍然很健康。
(四)习惯性短语或用法。
1.Take it easy.不要紧张。
2.If we stand firm,I firmly believe we shall succeed.如果我们坚定不移,我坚信我们会成功。
3.He often plays high.他赌注常下得很大。
4.They were drinking deep in the fort deep into the night.他们在城堡中痛饮到深夜。
不难看出,以上三类词中,第一类比较不易混淆,对于后两类词,在判别使用哪一种副词形式时,一般可以考虑以下几个原则:第一是具体含义与抽象含义的区别。在表示实实在在的物体活动、位置移动或具体可见的状况及变化时,常使用不带-ly的副词形式,如:fly high,stay close by,open wide,sink deep,turn sharp right;反之,具有抽象含义的动词常用以-ly结尾的副词,如:think highly of,look closely into,love dearly,等等。第二个原则就是常用固定搭配与灵活搭配的不同。在一些固定词组或经常搭配使用的词组中,不带-ly的副词形式使用得很多,如:aim high,run high,fight fair,go easy with,drink deep,sleep sound,等等。第三个原则是口语与书面语的使用区别。如:有人说:“Speak loudly and clearly.”也有人说:“Speak loud and clear.”两种形式前一种说法属于规范性语体;而后一种 说法属于口语体。不带-ly 的简单形 式是早期英语遗留下来的口语体形式。
根据以上原则,可以解释为什么不可以说:“Dont talk so loud.”但必须说: “He protested/complained loudly.”Talk loud是常用的搭配形式,而且talk一词的形象比较具体;protest与complain则是搭配性很强的词,常常和许多别的副词灵活搭配,如:publicly,sharply,secretly,等等。这两个词比talk更具感情色彩,所以就更具抽象性。