题图:夏日的南池子大街
对于题目所示的问题的答案是,既等于,又不等于。
我们说等于,是仅就其字面意思而言,两句的汉译都是:将近十点啦。我们说不等于,是因为almost是一个“纯”程度副词,nearly则不然,它同时还传达说话人的某种思想情绪及心理状态。如:
It's nearly ten
o'clock.
将近十点钟啦。(对已到10点感到意外,嫌时间过得太快)
It's nearly eight
kilometers to the zoo.
到动物园还有八公里路呢。(比设想的要远些)
It cost me nearly twenty
pounds.
它花了我将近二十英镑呢。(比估计的价格高,嫌贵了一点)
若将nearly改作almost,以上三句均为不带任何感情色彩的客观陈述。
在一定的上下文中具有某种感情色彩的副词除
nearly之外尚有:yet、still、really、ever等。现分述如下:
1.
yet用于否定问句中,表示惊奇、不耐烦等情绪。如:
Have you not graduated
yet?
你还没毕业吗?
Aren't you ready
yet?
你还没准备好吗?
2.
still在句中重读时则表示惊讶、恼怒等情绪。如:
Proof was given, but
they still doubted.
证据虽已出示,他们竟然还在怀疑。
She is still in
bed.
她居然还在睡觉。
3.
really是一个不可滥用的副词,它常用以表示兴趣、惊讶、怀疑或某种温和的抗议等。如:
We are going to Japan
next week. ——Oh, really!
下周我们准备到日本去。哦,是吗?
Really! What a nasty
thing to do!
啊!一件多么难办的事!
Really, Hubert, don't
you think we've wasted enough time?
唉,休伯特,你难道认为我们的时间浪费得还不够吗?
Really, you ought not to
knock your wife about like that!
啊呀,你真不该把你的妻子打成那样!
4. ever的含义有时相当于on
earth、in the
world,用以加强语气,但同时它又传达了种种思想情绪。以下四句分别表示了说话人的恼怒、惊讶、气愤以及沮丧。
Who ever left the door
open?
究竟是哪一位让门开着的?
此句的实际含义相当于:What stupid
person(笨蛋)left it open?
As if he would ever do
such a thing!
好象他真的会干这样一件事似的!
此句的实际含义为:He would
certainly not do it。
Well, did you ever hear
such nonsense !
啊,你们听这一派胡言!
Why ever did you wash it
in boiling water?
你到底为什么在开水里洗这东西呢?
加载中,请稍候......