【问】...she was extremely difficult to please. (New Concept English,Book 3,L.49) to please是指别人使她高兴,还是指她使别人高兴?如果是指前者,我认为应当使用tobe pleased。不知对否? 【答】 英语里有一些形容词,如easy,fit,difficult,hard,awkward,convenient,impossible,pleasant,tough,unpleasant等,要求一个及物动词不定式来作它们的补足语。但在语义上,句子的主语便是动词不定式的宾语。如你所提问的句子,she在语义上(而不是在语法上)便是to please的宾语。类例: 1. One of the articles is interesting,informative and it is easy to read. (攻读硕士学位研究生入学考试英语试题,85A)(试题要求将it is easy改为easy)其中有一篇文章很有趣,易读,使人长见识。 2. Jack is easy to fool. (CGEL) 杰克容易受愚弄。 3. African elephants are larger,fiercer,and difficulter to tame than Asian elephants.(TOEFL,86.5)(试题要求将difficulter改为more difficult) 非洲象要比亚洲象大,凶猛,并且难于驯服。 4. She was difficult to understand at times. (Wells) 有时很难理解她。 5. I was hard to convince.(Gallacher) 我很难(被)说服。 6. This machine is awkward to handle. 这台机器不好操作。 7. A man so difficult to please must be hard to work with. 一个很难使其满意的人,是很难与之共事的。 8. Most of our fears are unreasonable,but they are impossible to erase.(NCE,Book 3.P.132) 我们的恐惧大都是没有根据的,但是要把它们消除却是不可能的。 某些不及物动词+介词的结构,也可以归到上面的句型中去: 1. He is difficult to deal with. 他是很难相处的(他是很难对付的)。 2. He’s impossible to deal with. 跟他打交道,是不可能的。 3. The man is hard to work with. 这个人很难共事。 请将下面的句子译成汉语: 1. Robotics is not easy to learn. 2. Parts of aluminium alloys are easy to machine. 3. This problem is difficult to solve.