■ even

1) 作为副词，even 可以起两个相反方向的进一步强调作用，一个是正面方向的“甚至更加如何如何”；一个是负面方向的“甚至连这个也没有”。正面的进一步强调，

• It's warm there even in December.那里甚至十二月也暖和。
• Even a child could do it.这样的事情连一个小孩子都能做。
• It would be madness even to attempt it.哪怕试试这样干也是发疯。
• The next day was even colder.次日更加寒冷。
• He seemed indifferent, even hostile.他的样子很冷淡，甚至带敌意。

负面的进一步强调，

• He can't even sew a button on.他连一个扣子都不会钉。
• Don't even think about it.这件事情，你想也别想它。
• I am tasting happiness never even dreamt of before.我尝到从前连做梦也想不到的幸福。

2) 英语往往有些本来在从句中的成分“跳”到了主句中。

• I don't think you're right (= I think you aren't right)，但有时候则本来在主句中的成分“跳”到了从句中。

even 作为一个负极性项 (negative polarity item, NPI)，就通常出现在表示否定、怀疑或假设的从句之中，此时千万不要把 even 理解为加强从句中的肯定。

• The Sun's gravity holds this solar system together. In fact, the Sun's gravity is why we even have a solar system. (= In fact, the Sun's gravity even is why...) (Kids Discover)太阳的引力使得这个太阳系合在一起。实际上，就连太阳系之所以存在，也是由于太阳的引力。
• ... and Dr. DeBakey denying— implausibly, many say—that there even was a feud. (=... and Dr. DeBakey even denying...) (The New York Times, Science, Nov. 27, 2007, F1)…德贝基大夫甚至否认——许多人说这个否认是很勉强的——彼此有什么不和。
• Before she had even (= even before she had...) buckled herself in, the craft was airborne, banking hard across the Virginia woods. (Dan Brown, Deception Point, p.18)她还没来得及扣好坐稳，直升飞机就离地升空，斜斜地掠过弗吉尼亚的森林。
• Some question whether the sunken ship has even been found. (= Some even question whether the sunken ship has been found.)有些人连该沉船是否已被发现也提出质疑。
• Only 3 percent of Americans were even aware such an agency existed.哪怕仅仅知道有这个机构存在的美国人，也只有百分之三。
• The question is whether those forces are the right tool for the job at hand—can any number of US troops stop what has become a Sunni-Shiite civil war?—not to mention whether they're even available. (Newsweek, Jan. 8, 2007, p.26)问题在于这些兵力是否就是适合当前任务的工具——哪怕是多大数量的美国军队，就能制止一场已经发展成为逊尼与什叶两派内战的战争吗？——更何况这些兵力能否弄到还是个问题。
• A promising model has emerged in Brooklyn, where District Attorney Charles Hynes started his re-entry program long before other jurisdictions even realized they were necessary. (The New York Times, Nov. 29, 2007, A30, Editorial)一个有发展前途的（防止重新犯罪的）模式已经出现在布鲁克林，该地的区检察长海恩斯，甚至早在其他司法辖区尚未意识到有采取这些措施的必要之前很久，就开始推行了他的“回归社会”方案。

3) even 尽管既可以用于加强肯定，也可以用于加强否定，但是如果用于是否疑问句中，它的意思，按照语境或前后文，也可能并不是加强肯定，而是减弱肯定，加强否定的可能性。

• Did she even have a reason?她难道还有什么理由吗？

（有 reason 是最起码的要求，不可能是进一步的要求“甚至还有理由”。）奥巴马当选美国总统后，有人不服气，提出种种疑问，其中之一是对他是否真的出生在美国表示怀疑（美国宪法规定总统必须是土生的美国公民），说：Was he even born in the United States? 这里的 even，就不是加强肯定的“甚至”，反而是减弱肯定、加强否定的“难道”、“甚至连…也成问题”。但是如果问句不是一个 yes-no 的一般疑问句，而是一个特殊疑问句，句中的动词，其内容就是谈话双方都肯定了的，even 就是加强肯定。

• Why did God even place such a tree in the garden if he didn't want Adam to consume its fruit?上帝既然不想亚当吃树上的果实，那么他为什么还把这样一棵树放在伊甸园里呢？

4) even 最常用的是作为副词，大家心目中也习惯它作为副词的用法。但是 even 也可以作为形容词，意思是“平整的”、“齐平的”、“均衡的”、“平均的”、“均等的”、“打成平手的”。

• even ground平地
• an even coastline平整的海岸线
• an even game难分输赢的比赛
• to break even不赢不亏
• to plane the boards down to make them even把那些木板刨平
• The floor is not even.地面不平。
• He kept his voice even.他的声音平稳。
• After four rounds they're even.经过四个回合，他们打成了个平手。
• He stands an even chance of winning.他输赢的机会各半。
• So now we're even. 或 So that makes us even.现在咱们谁也不欠谁的了。
• Before Tuesday's voting, the two were even among white males this year. (The Associated Press, Feb. 13, 2008)在星期二的投票之前，他们两人今年在白种男性当中势均力敌。
• He's itching for a chance to get even.他渴望有机会能够报一箭之仇。
• ... and McCain's revival has not been robust enough to bring him even with Barack Obama. (George Will, Sunday Gazette, Schenectady, New York, Aug. 18, 2008, F2)…麦凯恩的卷土重来，势头并不够壮，不足以使他同奥巴马平起平坐。

有时候，even 本来作形容词用，但是后面还有副词成分，此时容易把 even 误认为副词（“甚至”）。

• Estrada sighed with relief, knowing he was closer to breaking even for the day. (The Washington Post, Feb. 24, 2008, A15)这里不能把 even for the day 连在一起，因为 even 在此是个形容词，break even 是收支相抵。所以全句应该译为：“埃斯特拉达松了一口气，他知道他今天的收支是相抵了。”