【问】 “in a family way不拘礼节地：They compared notes in a family way.他们不拘形式地交换了意见。

in the family way怀孕，I heard that his wife is in the family way.我听说他的妻子怀孕了。”(《大学英语解答手册》，四川人民出版社，1995，P.25)

上面的说法似乎与下面原文的用法有矛盾：

She gets herself in a family way and is then，as a matter of course，married off.

她怀孕了，于是理所当然地嫁了出去。

【答】 《大学英语解答手册》的说法，就英国英语来说，是正确的。但是，在美国英语中，in afamily way也用于表示“怀孕”，不仅美国作家这么用，而且美国的英语词典也收入了这种用法：

1.in a [or the] family way：pregnant(《韦氏词典》，电子版)

2. Webster's New World Dictionary of the American Language：in a family way：preg-nant;with child

下面是我们收集到的一些实例：

1. The Ferguson family are promising kittens to everyone because their cat is in a familyway. (DAI)

弗格森家里人因他们家的猫怀了胎而答应送给每个人小猫。

2. I can remember the ladies talking about how Mrs. Nabb just couldn't get in a familyway no matter what she tried.

我记得女士们谈论过纳布太太无论怎么想办法也不能怀上孕的事。