|
|
10. |
有關 many 與 much 的慣用語：
|
|
|
|
A. |
one too many 的含義是 "多了一個，不需要的一個"，one
too many for 的含義是"比…更好或更聰明"。 如： |
|
|
|
|
(1) |
I wish John would go away; he's one too many here.
(我希望約翰走開，他在這裏是多餘的－－礙手礙腳的。) |
|
|
|
|
(2)
|
Sunny was one too many for you that time.(那次桑妮勝過你。)𣿅
|
|
|
|
B.
|
much more 和 much less 都是表示 "更加"
的含義，前者用於肯定句，後者用於否定句。 如：
|
|
|
|
|
(1)
|
It is difficult to understand his books, much more his
lectures.
(他的書很難懂，他的演講更難懂。)
|
|
|
|
|
(2)
|
I didn't even speak to him, much less discuss your problems
with him.
(我連跟他講話都沒有，更沒有跟他討論你的問題。)𣿅
|
|
|
|
C.
|
be much of a (有…氣概或風度，了不起的)𣿅
|
|
|
|
|
(1)
|
He is much of a hero.
|
|
|
|
|
|
(他有英雄氣概－－他是個了不起的英雄。)
|
|
|
|
|
(2)
|
He is not much of a gentleman.
(他沒有君子的風度。)𣿅
|
|
|
|
D.
|
be not much of a (不是個了不起的)
|
|
|
|
|
(1)
|
Many of his students say that he's not much of a teacher.
|
|
|
|
|
|
(他的學生中有很多說他不是什麼了不起的教師。)
|
|
|
|
|
(2)
|
It wasn't much of a dinner.(那頓飯不怎麼樣。)
|
|
|
|
E.
|
be up to much (好，有價值)，
be not up to much (不好，無價值)
|
|
|
|
|
(1)
|
I think his work is up to much.(我認為他的作品很好。)
|
|
|
|
|
(2)
|
I don't think his work is up to much.(我認為他的作品不好。)
|
|
|
|
|
不
|
可說：I think his work is not up to much.
為什麼不可? 詳閱 p.102K。
|
|
|
|
F.
|
be too much for someone
(非某人能力所及，非某人能勝過)𣿅
|
|
|
|
|
(1)
|
The school tennis champion was too much for me.
(我敵不過該校的網球冠軍。)𣿅
|
|
|
|
|
(2)
|
This is too much for him to manage.
(這件事不是他的能力處理得了的。)𣿅
|
|
|
|
|
(3) |
I couldn't finish that book on relativity; it was too much for me.
(我未能看完那本相對論，我看不懂。) |
|
|
|
G. |
make much of－－意思是
(1)尊重、重視 (2)瞭解 (3)恭維、誇獎、諂媚。 如： |
|
|
|
|
(1) |
People still make much of him in the country.
(在鄉下大家還是尊重他。)𣿅 |
|
|
|
|
(2) |
She makes too much of her children.
(她溺愛子女。) |
|
|
|
|
(3) |
I didn't make much of that lecture.
(我聽不懂那篇演講。) |
|
|
|
|
(4) |
A newly married woman doesn't expect her husband to make much of other
women.
(一個新婚婦女不希望丈夫誇獎別的婦女。)𣿅 |
|
|
|
H. |
think much of－－意思是
"對…有很高的評價"，"認為…了不起"。 如： |
|
|
|
|
(1) |
I don't think much of that method.(我認為那種方法並不怎麼高明。) |
|
|
|
|
(2) |
We don't think much of you.(我們覺得你沒有什麼了不起。)𣿅 |
|
|
|
I. |
see much of someone (時常碰見某人)𣿅 |
|
|
|
|
(1) |
A: |
Do you see much of him?(你是不是時常碰見他?)𣿅 |
|
|
|
|
|
B: |
I have seen little of him lately.(最近我很少見到他。)𣿅 |
|
|
|
|
(2) |
I haven't seen much of him lately.(同上。)𣿅 |
|
|
|
J. |
...not so much...as...(不是…，而是…)𣿅 |
|
|
|
|
(1) |
It wasn't so much his appearance I liked as his
personality.
(我喜歡的不是他的外表，而是他的人格。)𣿅 |
|
|
|
|
(2) |
He's not so much unintelligent as uneducated.
(他不是不聰明，而是未受過教育。) |
|
|
|
|
(3) |
He was not so much angry as disappointed.(他不是生氣，而是失望。)𣿅 |
|
|
|
K. |
...not so much that(子句)...as but 或 but(that)(子句)...(不是…而是…)𣿅 |
|
|
|
|
(1) |
It wasn't so much that I disliked her as but I just
wasn't interested.
(不是我不喜歡她， 我只是沒興趣。)𣿅 |
|
|
|
|
(2) |
It's not so much that I don't want to come but (that)
I just haven't got the time.
(不是我不想來，我只是沒有時間。)𣿅 |
|
|
|
L. |
...not so much as (= not even)...(甚至不) |
|
|
|
|
(1) |
He didn't so much as (= He didn't even) say
thank-you, after all we'd done for him.
(在我們為他做了一切之後，他連謝都沒有謝一聲。) |
|
|
|
|
(2) |
She didn't so much as ask me to sit down.
(她甚至沒有請我坐。)𣿅 |
|
|
|
M. |
if...so much as (=
if...even)...(假如…還…) |
|
|
|
|
(1) |
If you so much as
look at another woman, I'll murder you.
(如果你還敢看別的女人，我就宰了你。)𣿅 |
|
|
|
|
(2) |
If you so much as
have to do with that woman again, I'll divorce you.
(假如你再和那個女人來往，我就跟你離婚。)𣿅 |
|
|
|
(註) |
有關much 和many 的代名詞用法可閱 p.327。 |
|
3. |
small, little |
|
|
1. |
small只指實際的大小之 "小"，是 big 或 large
的反義字； little 除了有 small 的 "小" 的含義外，再加上說話者的感情因素，所以往往有
"小得可愛" 或 "小得可憐" 的含義，而且前面時常有表示情感的形容詞。 如： |
|
|
|
(1) |
Could I have a small brandy, please?
(請給我一小瓶白蘭地好嗎?)𣿅 |
|
|
|
(2) |
A small child went up to me and asked me for a dollar.
(有一個小孩走到我前面向我要一塊錢。)𣿅 |
|
|
|
(註) |
a little child也可以說，但帶有感情的作用，所以最好譯成
"一個很小的小孩"。 a small man除了作 "一個矮小的男人" 外，還可作 "卑鄙的人、小人"
講。 如： |
|
|
|
|
Only a small man would behave so badly.(只有小人其行為才會如此惡劣。) |
|
|
|
|
比較 : You're too small (a man) to be a policeman.
𣿅
(你的個子太小〔矮〕不適宜當警察。) |
|
|
|
(3) |
Poor little thing, come here and let me look after you.
(可憐的小東西，來這裏我來照顧你。)𣿅 |
|
|
|
|
•
•
• |
|
|
2. |
little 可以用在表示時間或距離的片語裏，含義是"短的"相當於
short。 如：𣿅 |
|
|
|
(1) |
I'll be back in a little while.
(我再過一會兒就回來。)𣿅 |
|
|
|
(2) |
It's a little way from here.
(那地方離這裏很近。)𣿅 |
|
|
|
(註) |
a small way指 "小規模地"、"樸實地"。
如：𣿅 |
|
|
|
|
(1) |
They live in a small way.(他們生活簡樸。) |
|
|
|
|
(2) |
He's contributed to scientific progress in a small way.
(他對於科學的進步已經小有貢獻。)𣿅 |
|
|
3. |
small可作 "微不足道的"，"不重要的"
講。 如：𣿅 |
|
|
|
(1) |
Be thankful for small mercies.(對於小的恩惠也要感謝。)𣿅 |
|
|
|
(2) |
He's a small eater.(他是個食量很小的人。)𣿅 |
|
|
4. |
little 很少用在 be
動詞之後做主詞補語，通常都是用small。 如： |
|
|
|
(1) |
The shoes are too small (不用little) for me.
(這雙鞋我穿太小。)𣿅 |
|
|
|
(2) |
The room I live in is smaller than this.
(我住的房間比這一間小
。)蕌 |
|
|
|
|
但是我在美國人為孩子們編的一本字典裏看到下面這樣的句子：𣿅 |
|
|
|
|
Elephants are big, but ants are little.(象很大，螞蟻好小。)蕌 |
|
|
|
|
上面說過，little 除了指"小"而外，還加上感情的作用，這裏用
little 正是如此，所以我把本句裏的 little 譯成 "好小"。從這裏可知，有些洋人將 "The
house is little." 視為錯誤的句子，主張將其中的 little 改為 small，未必是絕對正確的。𣿅 |