| 词组 | important |
| 释义 | important 1.Important, importantly, more (or most) important, more (or most) importantly. Copperud 1970 reports that the usage panel of Heritage 1969 was evenly divided on the question of the acceptability of more importantly but notes that the subject is (at that time) mentioned in no dictionary of usage. The phrase more importantly had come to our attention only a short time before: "More importantly, Shafer will be trying to take the first of the uncommitted power blocs into the Rockefeller camp ..." (June 13). The adverbial phrase "more importantly" modifies nothing in the sentence. What is wanted in constructions of this kind is "more important," an ellipsis of the phrase "what is more important." — Winners & Sinners, 11 July 1968 There was no great rush to judgment following the split decision by Heritage, but Strunk & White 1972 gave the subject brief mention, advising readers to avoid the adverb by rephrasing. Then Newman 1974 gave the controversy a boost: • Why, after centuries, has more importantly, misused, begun to replace more important? The Harper 1975 panel rejected more importantly by three to one. But Bernstein 1977, after a fairly long discussion, changed his 1968 opinion and concluded that neither important nor importantly was wrong (an opinion concurred in by Safire 1984). Most of the published opinion has come in the 1980s: Simon 1980, Bremner 1980, Copperud 1980, Burchfield 1981, Johnson 1982, Macmillan 1982, Janis 1984, Bryson 1984, Longman 1984, and Safire 1984. The best summary of the whole matter is in Safire. American commentators tend to object to the adverb and to recommend the adjective. Objections are made primarily on grammatical grounds. Many repeat Bernstein's original statement that more importantly modifies nothing in the sentence. But from the same point of view, neither does more important. So a longer phrase, what is more important, is postulated and ellipsis adduced to explain the inconvenient absence of what is. (In support of this explanation, it is worth noting that our evidence for the phrase—beginning with either what or which—is older than that for more/most important. Darwin uses the phrase fairly often in Origin of Species, 1859.) Quirk et al. 1985 describes the grammar of the adjective as a "supplementive adjective clause"; no longer expression needs to be postulated to explain it. Quirk adds that a corresponding adverb can replace the adjective with little or no change in meaning. The OED Supplement simplifies the grammar by calling more important "a kind of sentence adjective" and more importantly "a kind of sentence adverb." Both forms can be explained grammatically, so there is no real ground for objection in grammar. Only one grammatical limitation needs to be kept in mind: the adjective is used in this way only with more or most; the adverb can stand alone, but usually has more or most. Proponents of the adjective also assert—as Newman 1974 does—that the adjective construction is much older. This assertion cannot be proved with the information now available. The OED Supplement shows more important from 1964 and more importantly from 1938. Our evidence tells us that both are older than that, but we know this only by chance. The phrases were of little interest just a few years ago and were easily passed over by citation gatherers. Our oldest examples of each phrase are found on citations marked originally for some other term. There are undoubtedly earlier examples to be found, if someone interested were to look for them. So far, the adverb is still older: • No one could overestimate the cost of that struggle to the English, not only in men and money, but also and more importantly in the things of the spirit — H. L. Mencken, Prejudices: First Series, 1919 • In this country a frontier is no more than something which affects the hours during which licensed premises may be open ... or, more importantly, where the system of government of the Established Church changes —Times Literary Supp., 3 Apr. 1937 • More important, the passion of Giovanni and Annabella is not shown as an affinity of temperament — T. S. Eliot, "John Ford," in Selected Essays, 1932 • But at the end, on every point, unanimous agreement was reached. And more important even than the agreement of words, I may say we achieved a unity of thought and a way of getting along together —Franklin D. Roosevelt, address, 1 Mar. 1945, in Nothing to Fear, ed. B. D. Zevin, 1946 You can, then, use either the adjective or the adverb; both are defensible grammatically and both are in respectable use. As Bryson says, "the choice of which to use must be entirely a matter of preference." Usage writers use both: • More important, there is no verb destruct —Barzun 1985 • More important, do not confuse masterful with masterly —Safire 1984 • ... but, more importantly, I thought it would help users and readers of English —Bernstein 1977 • Importantly, the editor of Webster's New World Dictionary, David Guralnik, agrees —Safire 1980 • Most importantly, remember that due to the fact that is a wordy way of saying the short and simple word since— Shaw 1970 2. Important may be complemented by prepositional phrases beginning with for, in, or to: • Impressions and experiences which are important for the man —T. S. Eliot, "Tradition and the Individual Talent," 1917, in American Harvest, ed. Allen Tate & John Peale Bishop, 1942 • What kinds of involvement with language are most important for students? —Dwight L. Burton, in The Range of English, 1968 • ... tea is very important in British life —Michael Davie, London Calling, 19 May 1955 • ... was important in the development of the cotton oil business —Current Biography 1950 • ... the matter imitated is important at least to the sale of the goods —Oliver Wendell Holmes d. 1935, in The Dissenting Opinions of Mr. Justice Holmes, ed. Alfred Lief, 1929 • ... an end she thinks more important than extra health to her family —Herbert Spencer, reprinted in Encore, November 1944 To is sometimes followed by an infinitive phrase: • It is no doubt important to resist pain, but it is also important that it should be there to resist —Have-lock Ellis, The Dance of Life, 1923 After the superlative, most important, one may often find a prepositional phrase beginning with of: • The most important of these opportunities came in May 1965 —Current Biography, December 1965 |
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