释义 |
■ most1) 这个单词,既可以是个副词,修饰后面的形容词或副词,也可以是个代词,表示“大多数(人或物)”(= most of them),甚至可以是个名词,表示“最大限度”,阅读时与听时要注意分辨。 - All of the houses have central heating and most visibly have indoor swimming pools.所有房屋都有中央取暖设备,而且大部分显然有室内游泳池(这里的 most 是个代词,相当于 most of them,不是修饰 visibly 的副词)。
- As money came into the country by these channels, the government in turn attempted to gather it up by various means, most visibly by establishing a chain of state-run stores in all cities where goods could only be bought with hard currency.随着钱财通过这些渠道流入这个国家,政府就设法通过种种办法把钱汇集起来,其中最明显的办法就是在所有各个城市设立连锁的国营商店,货物只能用硬通货购买(这里的 most 不是代词,而是修饰 visibly 的副词)。
2) 一般的语法书都指出凡是最高级形容词都要有定冠词或其他表示定指的限定词。这在一般情况下是对的。但是如果最高级不是在多个事物之间比较得出来,而是同一事物在不同的空间或时间或场合作比较而得出来的,就不能加定冠词。 - This lake is deepest (*the deepest)at this point.这个湖在这里最深(同一个湖不同地点的比较)。
- I'm happiest (*the happiest) now.我现在最高兴(同一个人不同时间的比较)。
- Spring is when we're happiest (*the happiest).春天是我们最快乐的时候(同一些人不同时间的比较)。
- He is still most (*the most) comfortable operating behind closed doors...(US News & World Report, Dec. 25, 2006, p.48)他仍然是闭门躲在家里办事最舒服(同一个人不同状况的比较)…
- If you need to call customer service, try to wait for a weekday afternoon. Representatives tend to be busiest (*the busiest) during lunch hours and the 6:00 p. m. hour, as well as Monday mornings. (US News & World Report, Dec. 24, 2007, p.55)你如果需要打电话找顾客服务部,最好设法等到周日下午才打。那里的工作人员通常最忙的时候,是在午饭时刻和下午六点钟以及星期一上午(同一些人在不同时间的比较)。
- Local resistance to the occupation was strongest (*the strongest) in the rocky hills near Darnah, but even there it was ultimately crushed. (Newsweek, April 28, 2008, p.26)当地居民对占领军的抵抗,以达尔纳附近的岩石丘陵一带最为猛烈,但是连那里的抵抗也终于被粉碎了(同一个 resistance 在不同地点的比较)。
但是,有时候某事物本身是个可变数,是否算同一事物,可以有不同的理解,此时也有加上定冠词的。 - The ozone levels are generally the highest in the afternoon and early evening.臭氧含量通常在下午和傍晚时分最高(注意这里 levels 用复数,表示不同时间有不同的含量,因而讲的是多个不同 levels 中之最;如果 level 用单数,虽然也可以说 the highest,但不大自然)。
同一事物在其存在的时段中,某一属性有时强烈,有时减弱。如果说它在某一时候或在某一场合下这个属性最强,可以说 to be at its + -est。 - ... the cold war was at its hottest. (The Economist, Oct. 13, 2007, p.41)…当时冷战正酣。
- With oil revenue at its highest in almost three decades... the nation hopes the economy will turn around without delay. (Iran Daily)石油收入既然达到了几乎三十年来的最高点…国人就希望经济马上得到扭转。
- Rivers perhaps are the only physical features of the world that are at their best from the air. (Anne Morrow Lindbergh, North to the Orient, p.200)从空中俯瞰,河流也许是地球上最好看的地物了。
- America, at its best, matches a commitment to principle with a concern for civility. (…) America, at its best, is also courageous. (George W. Bush, Inauguration Speech, Jan. 20, 2001)(美国官方的中文译文)在一个最理想的美国,对原则的承诺和对文明的关注是完全相应的。(…)一个最理想的美国也是最有勇气的美国。(试改译)一个充分发挥其优势的美国,是以对文明的关注来履行自己对原则的承诺的。(…)一个充分发挥其优势的美国,又是勇敢无畏的。
- The story of Moses is one of the most poignant in the Bible. It shows God at his most adamant and petulant, refusing to forgive Moses for his own anger and vanity when he disobeyed the Almighty. (Richard Cohen, The Daily Gazette, Schenectady, New York, April 23, 2008, A9)摩西的故事,是《圣经》中最尖刻的故事之一。它显示了上帝当时那一阵子是如何的强硬与暴躁,拒绝饶恕摩西本人不服从万能之主时的那种怒气与虚荣心。
此外,如果是同一事物在对于其他若干事物不同的反应当中之最,则最高级形容词同前者(同一事物)挂钩,而定冠词则同后者(若干事物中引起反应最大者)挂钩。 - This is the place on earth where I am most (*the most) at peace.这是世界上我感觉最宁静的地方(是所有地方相比之最,不是我与他人相比之最)。
- Outgoing Treasury Secretary John W. Snow said that the program, in effect since shortly after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, is the thing "I'm proudest (*the proudest) of" in his tenure. (The Washington Post, June 24, 2006)即将卸任的财政部长斯诺说,这个在 2000 年 9 月 11 日袭击之后不久实施的项目,是他在任内“最引以为荣”的(不是多个人当中比较谁最 proud)。
- But Book Relief is struggling to find the money it'll need to pay for storing and shipping the contributions to the areas where they're needed most (*the most needed). (Newsweek, Oct. 10, 2006, p.9)“书籍赈灾”正在苦苦设法弄到钱来支付储藏与运输费用,以便将捐赠书籍送到最需要的地区(是哪些地区最需要,不是哪些书籍最需要)。
- I find myself in a position to throw light on just that part of his tragic career which has remained most(*the most) obscure. (Somerset Maugham, The Moon and Sixpence, Chapter II)我发现对他悲剧的一生中人们最不清晰的一段日子,我恰好可以投掷一道亮光。
这个 the 所表示的定指意义,也可以通过 what, when, where 之类的关系代词或关系副词来代为表示。 - In short, progressive indexation is a mechanism that would "work" when we didn't need it and wouldn't work when (=at the moment at which) we needed it most. (The Atlantic Monthly, Nov. 2005, p.44)总而言之,累进指数计算法,是一种不需要时“起作用”而最需要时却不起作用的机制。
- He would not be expecting anyone to confront him where (=in the field in which) he feels he is strongest.他不会预料到会有谁敢在他自认为最强之处同他作对的。
这样的最高级也可以在形容词前面加上 at one's。 - At breakfast this morning Uncle Ras, who is fond of diversions of all sorts, asked me when in my childhood I had been at my happiest. (John Darnton, The Darwin Conspiracy, p.176)拉斯叔父喜欢各种各样的消遣,今天吃早餐的时候问我,我儿童时代什么时候最高兴。
3) 凡是“最”,一定要划定个“范围”,只能在这个范围内是“最”,否则就会过于泛泛而落空。在语言上,遇到最高级,也要注意“范围”何在(当然也有不表明范围的,例如:“最深切的谢意”,但这个“最”只是客套,不是比较出来的),否则也容易发生误解。例如 2007 年 2 月,哈佛大学任命了 Drew Gilpin Faust 为该校有史以来的第一位女校长,《华盛顿邮报》谈到她就任后将遇到的艰巨任务时说: - Her major challenges include uniting nine powerful, highly decentralized faculties, steering the biggest undergraduate curriculum changes in three decades and presiding over an ambitious multi-billion dollar campus expansion,…她的艰巨任务,主要有:将九个力量雄厚但又高度分散的学院联合起来,掌握好三十年来规模最大的本科生课程改革,并且主持耗资数十亿美元的校园扩建…
这里 in three decades 是管 biggest 的,不是修饰动词 steering 的,因为 biggest 如果没有范围(这里是时段范围),就会落空;而且,动词 steer 没有终结意义,是第二类动词,不能用 in + 时段来修饰它(这里即使把 steer 改为有终结意义的第三类动词 complete,它也不能把 in three decades 抢过来当作自己的时间状语,因为 biggest 已经把 in three decades 占住了不放)。 - The nation's unemployment rate edged up to 4.5 percent in April as cautious employers added the fewest new jobs in more than two years, signaling that the labor market is starting to feel some of the strain of the sluggish economy. (The Associated Press, May 4, 2007)全国的失业率上升到了百分之四点五,这是因为小心翼翼的雇主们所新增的就业机会,是两年多以来最少的,这显示出劳动市场正在开始感受到经济停滞的某些压力(这里 in more than two years 也是管 the fewest 的,不是管 added 的)。
因此,遇到最高级,就要在后面注意它的范围何在,即使相隔很远,也不能断线。 - The Senate yesterday approved the most far-reaching changes to the nation's product safety system in a generation. (The Washington Post, March 7, 2008)参议院昨天通过了对国内产品安全体系实行一代人以来影响最为深远的改动(这里 in a generation 也是一个时段数量,管 the most far-reaching)。
4) 最高级形容词同它所修饰的名词之间,有时候会出现介词 of,这时候意义加上了一点细微的色调,通常表示该事物是想象中之“最”而不是现成摆着的“最”,因此其实不是真的进行比较之后得出的“最”,而是修辞上的加强语气。 - We always go into these things with the best of intentions and the best of hopes.我们总是抱着最善良的用意和最良好的希望进行这些事情的。
- We are always looking forward to giving you the best of products at the best of prices and with the best of hopes that we continue our relations till time abides with your love for things Indian!我们总是期待着以最相宜的价格向您提供最优质的产品,并抱着最良好的希望,但愿我们之间的关系能够同您对印度风物的喜爱一样经久不衰。
- Whether you are in the best of health and hope to stay that way, are ill and hope to get better, or are in persistently poor health and facing the reality of living with disease, The Merck Manual of Health & Aging gives you and those who care about you the information needed.无论您现在是十分健康而且希望保持如此,或是现在害病希望病好,或是长期健康不佳,面对着抱病度日的现实,《默克健康与老年手册》都会向您和照料您的人提供所需的资讯。
- Journalism is a highly competitive profession at the best of times.即使是在情况最好的时候,新闻事业也是一门竞争十分激烈的职业。
- At the best of times his face has not a gentle expression; but when it was screwed up like that it was almost diabolical. (Bram Stoker, The Lair of the White Worm)哪怕是在情况最好的时候,他的脸上也没有一点温和的表情;而一旦脸绷成那个样子,那就简直是凶神恶煞了。
- It was the best of times, it was the worst of times... (Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities 开头的名句)那是最好的时代,那是最坏的时代…
- For frequent fliers, it is clearly the worst of times. (…) And yet for airline companies, these are the best of times.(Newsweek, Aug. 13, 2007, p.18)对经常飞行的旅客来说,这显然是最坏的时代。(…)但是对于航空公司来说,这是最好的时代。
- Creation is the most satisfactory of feelings.创造是一种最适意的感受。
- Both characters culminate in the most satisfactory of outcomes.两个书中人物的结局都写得极为圆满。
- Good magicians can fool the smartest of people.出色的魔术师连最聪明的观众也能骗过。
- We all sometimes make mistakes under the best of circumstances.哪怕是在最好情况下,我们人人也都常常会犯错误。
- ... they (=the specimens) are scattered all over the estate in the oddest of places. (John Darnton, The Darwin Conspiracy, pp.182-183)…这些标本到处分散放在庄园一些最古里古怪的地方。
- Surely if we pointed our telescope at the brightest of stars, we would be looking towards the nearest of stars.可以肯定,假如我们把望远镜对准最明亮的星球,我们的视线会遇到的是最近的星球。
- But saying that he (=McCain) wouldn't do what he says he will do in his campaign literature is not the most convincing of arguments.(Froma Harrop, The Daily Gazette, Schenectady, New York, June 21, 2008, A9)但是,如果说,他说要做的事他将不去做,这样的论点恐怕说服不了人。
还要注意,最后面的名词,如果是可数名词,通常要用复数形式,但是实际上可以指复数,也可以指单数。 - He is the worst of men.他是个坏透了的人。
5) 不但形容词有最高级,副词甚至某些(有程度差别的)动词也可以有最高级。副词的最高级,通常用前面加 most 的形式,只有少数与形容词同形的副词采取 -est 的形式(例如 fast, early, late, hard 等),在句子中前面可以加上 the,也可以不加(美国英语多加)。 - He spoke (the) most rudely of the three.三个人当中,他说话最粗野。
- Bob drives most carefully of all my family.我一家人就数鲍勃开车最小心。
但是要注意,上述规律也只限于多个相比中的“最”。如果是同一事物在不同场合的“最”,就不能加 the。试比较: - He runs (the) fastest in the class.他一班人当中跑得最快。
- He runs fastest (*the fastest) when he goes to school.他上学校时跑得最快。
另外一点需要注意的是:多个相比中的“最”,还要弄清楚是哪些多个。 - The Sun's gravity pulls on Mercury the hardest.太阳的引力对水星的拉拽作用最强。
这里是同一个太阳引力“对水星”和“对其他行星”之比,不是“太阳引力”和“其他引力”对同一个水星之比。 6) 动词的最高级,一律用 most,通常放在句末。如果动词的词义是表示有程度高低之分的状态的,most 前面的 the 往往可以省略(但不省略也可以)。 - what surprised me (the) most最使我感到惊讶的
- what annoys me (the) most最使我感到烦恼的。
但是有少数表示态度的动词(如 enjoy, want, fear, appreciate 等),most 可以不放在句末而放在动词前面,此时前面就不要 the。 - What did the children most enjoy?孩子们玩得最高兴的是什么?
如果动词的词义时表示行动数量的多少的,most 前面的 the 就通常不省略。 - He worked the most and was paid the least.他干得最多,拿得却最少。
- What dictionary do you use the most?你最常用哪一本词典?
7) most 有时候不一定就是真正通过比较比出来的“最”。它可以仅仅是一种加强语气的修辞手段,此时,就不要求有定冠词 the。 - They are the most respectable.数他们最为正派(比出来的)。
- They are most respectable.他们十分正派。
但是,从上面 2) ,我们知道了,同一事物在不同情况下的“最”,也不用定冠词 the。这一来,没有定冠词的 most 出现时,就有两种可能,一种是同一事物在不同情况下的“最”,一种是加强语气的修辞手段。 - He was most eloquent at the end of his speech.既可以是“他的通篇演说,以讲到结束时最为娓娓动听”(比出来的),也可以是“他的演说,讲到结束时非常娓娓动听”(只是加强语气)。
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