something乃常用词，为大家熟知，但它的极强的表现力仍值得一书。

一、作为代词，它可用以表示：

1. 具体的物。以下三句均出自中学英语课本。

1/ They seemed to be eating something which they had cooked on the fire. 

2/ There is something that shines, perhaps bayonets. 

3/ I'm sure she has something you can borrow.

稍加分析，便不难发现1、2、3三句中的something指的虽是具体的物，但其区别也较明显。

句1中的something系看不清或看不懂的物，此物在“不知”之列。something的这种用法极为普遍。

句2中的something似知非知，没有把握，但又可猜测，此物在“半知”之列。又如：

Many happy hours she had spent planning for something nice for him. Something fine and rare——something worthy of the honor of being owned by Jim.

此句中的三个something即是一种似知非知，尚在揣摩之物。

句3中的something不同于1、2两句，它是“已知”的。这里的something指的就是上文中的some jewelry。对于已知的物，用something也不罕见，它可避免重复，使行文简洁。又如：

In the old stories which taught moral lessons to children, the squirrel was a 'good' animal: it saved something for the future. 

其中的something即指上句的food，即nuts。所以，用something表示具体物时，此物可以是不知的，半知的，也可以是已知的。

2. 抽象的物，甚至是一种概念。如：

1/ In 1898 they declared that they believed there was something in nature which gave out radioactivity.

2/ If you think of bacteria, then a molecule, then an atom, then a nucleus, you are getting to something very, very small.

3. 各类事情。如：

1/ The battle won't be won until everyone knows how serious the danger is, and does something to stop it.

2/ He said he was fed up with resting at home and wanted to do something useful.

4. 各种感觉。它可以是一种心态，也可以是某种人体感觉。如：

1/ Something tells me he is not reliable.

2/ Something choked me, and I could not finish the sentence.

5. 表情。如：

1/ Something in the doctor's eyes told me he meant what he said.

2/ I always found something which I could not fully understand in her smile.

6. 人（常指有一定影响或地位的人）。如：

1/ He is a lawyer or something.

2/ He is something in that company.

二、Something的一种特殊含义

我们知道，some用作形容词时，常有赞许和推崇的口吻。如：

1/ That was some speech you made!

2/ It was (quite) some party!

故而，something有时也含这种口吻，但something的汉译则因句而异，褒贬不一。如上面的例句He is something in that company应译：他是那家公司颇有地位的人。又如：

3/ He used to think something of himself.

他过去总是自视过高。

4/ There is something in what he says.

他的言辞颇有道理。

5/ It's something to be home again without an accident.

平安回家，值得庆幸。

三、Something + 形容词的一个作用

众所周知，修饰something的形容词是后置的。试比较下列三组句子：

1/ a. Do you find story unbelievable?

      b. Do you find something unbelievable in his story?

    2/ a. The sentence is wrong.

      b. There is something wrong with the sentence.

    3/ a. He was trying the impossible.

      b. He was trying something impossible.

以上三组句中的a句与b句含义大同小异，但a句感情直露，措辞坦率。b句虽是直言，其语气较为委婉，表达更趋精当，也更让人接受。

四、“Something + 动词不定式to do”用以表示“与……有关”

不论有无把握，都可以用something to do。

1/ I'm sure he has something to do with insurance.

2/ A：What is a 'cam'?

  B：I don't quite know, I think it has something to do with the machinery.

五、Something用作副词

这时，something常与介词like合用。如：

1/ The building looked something like a church.

2/ There are something like 1,000 people present.

3/ It must be something like six o'clock.

Something作副词也可单独使用。如：

4/ He has grown something impatient.

5/ It rained something awful last night.

Something作副词时，相当于rather或a bit，在口语中加以运用，可避免武断的口吻，增加一点委婉的色彩。