■ away

1) 作为副词，同前面的一个动词连在一起，成为一个 phrasal verb，此时往往表示一种“逐渐减弱直至消失”的含义（属于第三类动词，即经过一段过程最后到达必然的终点，着重其过程），同某些动词后加 out 的含义（属于第四类动词，着重其结果）不同。试比较 fade away, die away, rub away, wear away 同 fade out, die out, rub out, wear out，即可体味出“体”的区别。

• The sound slowly faded away.声音慢慢地消失了。
• He faded away into obscurity.他逐渐隐没，不为人所知。
• The sound of the chopper finally faded out.直升飞机的声音终于消失了。

2) 作为副词，还可以表示离开多远（其距离数量放在 away 前）。

• —How far are you from answers?—Perhaps light-years away. —你离开答案还有多远？ —说不定还有好些光年呢。

距离数量往往前面是系动词 to be，而且这个距离数量有时候不是以数量词而是以普通名词词组形式出现（尤其是“距离数量”转义为“达到目的所需的条件”时），容易误解为表语（其实表语是 away），需要特别注意。

• A playground is but a hard day's work away.努力干它一天，运动场就可以修起来 (a hard day's work 是距离数量转义为所需条件)。
• All the answers were just a phone call away.只要打个电话，所有答案就在眼前。(just a phone call 是距离数量转义为所需条件)
• ... the 18-year-old says a free ride is only an outstretched thumb away. (The Associated Press, March 18, 2007)…那个十八岁的姑娘说，想要免费搭乘，只消伸出大拇指，就能办到（愿望与如愿之间的距离只是一个伸出的大拇指）。

away 后面还可以加上 from 介词短语，表示“离开…有多远”。

• Many families are just one layoff or one medical emergency away from going into bankruptcy.许多家庭，只要有一个人下岗，或是有人害一场急病，就会陷于破产。

如果前面的名词表示“距离”，甚至可以不要 away 而只说 from。

• It's only a hairsbreadth from the hall.它离大厅只有方寸之遥。
• My son is 15 now. I'm a slipknot from 57; his father, Mort, still older. (Wendy Watson, Newsweek, Dec. 5, 2005, p.16)我的儿子今年十五岁。我差一点五十七了；他爸爸墨尔特年纪就更大一些。

有时候，前面如果出现过 way，为了避免发音重复，后面的 away 就可以改为 off。

• Yet he also acknowledges that with Tikrit's security still in chaos, that prospect seems a long way off. (Newsweek, Oct. 15, 2007, p.29)但他也承认，鉴于蒂克里特的治安仍然混乱，那样的前景看来还遥远。

还有一些单词和词组有类似 away 的情况。

• Some newspaper editors'feeling for usage often is about two generations in arrears.有些报纸编辑遣词用句的语感常常落后大约两代人之久。
• At each turn, they are steps ahead of the French police. (US News & World Report, Dec. 22, 2003, p.46)每一道关口，他们都比法国警察抢先几步 (steps 不是 are 的表语)。
• The French and many of those demonstrating in the streets of Western Europe last weekend are six decades removed from their liberation. (The Daily Gazette, Schenectady, New York, Feb. 23, 2003)法国人和上周末在西欧上街游行示威的许多人们，距离他们获得解放，已经有六十年了 (six decades 不是 are 的表语，removed 不是 decades 的定语)。
• He drived slowly, keeping a few cars behind, just in case the man happened to glance in his mirror.他慢慢地开着车，保持在后面隔着几辆车远的距离，以防那个人万一从后视镜向后看 (keeping a few cars behind 不是“把几辆车保持在后面”，而是自己 keeping behind，而 a few cars 则是 behind 的距离)。