an increase in/of

【问】Is the growing economic independence of women one factor in the increase of the divorcerate? (A Course in Basic Scientific English，P. 105)

根据我掌握的英语知识，the increase in与the increase of在表意上是有区别的。据此，我认为上句中的the increase of应改为the increase in。不知我的看法对否?

【答】 the (an) increase in与the (an) increase of在语义上确实是有区别的。the increase (de-crease) in A是指“A本身有增加(减少)”，但它并没有表达出到底增加(减少)多少。而the(an) increase (decrease) of A则是指增大(减少)A，即增大(减少)值为A。请对比下列例句：

1. There was a steady increase in production. (ALD)

产量稳定增加。

2. At the meeting they demand a sharp increase in wages. (EED)

他们在会议上要求大大增加工资。

3. There has been a decrease in production. (ALD)

产量下降了。

4. The decrease in size was gradual. (EED)

尺寸的减小是逐渐的。

5. His weight showed an increase of 3 lbs. in a month. (UED)

他的体重表明他每月增加了3磅重量。

6. In 1937 a further increase of 7 per cent had taken place.

1937年又增加了7%。

在你所提问的句子里，如把the increase of改为the increase in可能会更好一些。但是，有趣的是，即使不改，句子仍然讲得通，因为把the increase of the divorce rate中的divorce rate理解为离婚率所增加的那个值(如离婚率增加了20%，30%)，并不影响句子所表达意义的正确性。

请做下面的英语试题：

Only three new sites were built in this city due to a decrease in business activity and prices rising. (TOEFL，72.1)