74. 这是一项造福人类的发明。
误:This is an invention that benefits the mankind.
正:This is an invention that benefits mankind.
析:mankind 表示“人类”,其前习惯上不能用冠词。顺便说一句, mankind 表示“人类”时,是一个表集合意义的不可数名词,因此也不能有复数形式。
75. 他本来可以给你更多帮助的,尽管他很忙。
误:He may have given you more help, even though he was very busy.
正:He might have given you more help, even though he was very busy.
析:在通常情况下,may 和 might 均可用来表示可能性,但是当要表示过去可能发生而实际未发生的事时,通常只能用“might + have +过去分词”。同样,下面一句中的 might 也不能换成 may:It was really very dangerous. I might have killed myself. 那真的是太危险了,我差点没命了。
76. 他不是有意要伤害你。
误:He did not mean hurting you.
正:He did not mean to hurt you.
析:mean 表示“打算”“意欲”时,后接动词要用不定式,不用动名词。若表示“意味着”“需要”,则要后接动名词,而不接不定式:This illness will mean going to hospital. 得了这种病就意味着要住院。
77. 这家图书馆是为了纪念这位科学家而建的。
误:This library was built in the memory of the scientist.
误:This library was built in memory for the scientist.
正:This library was built in memory of the scientist.
析:in memory of (为纪念)是习语,可视为复合介词,其中不用冠词,也不能按汉语意思想当然地将 of 换成 for。类似的结构还有:in aid of 为帮助 / in explanation of 为解释 / in honor of 为对……表达敬意 / in praise of 为称赞 / in defence of 为保卫 / in celebration of 为庆祝,等等。
78. 他会说法语、德语和日语,更不用说英语。
误:He can speak French, German and Japanese, not to say English.
正:He can speak French, German and Japanese, not to mention English.
析:not to mention = 更不用说;not to say = 虽不能说,即使不能说。如:It is warm, not to say hot. 天气虽说不上热,但也够暖了。He was impolite, not to say rude. 他即使不是粗鲁,至少也是没有礼貌。
79. 你在那儿见到了多少头大象?——一头也没看见。
误:How many elephants did you see there? No one.
正:How many elephants did you see there? None.
析:none 和 no one 的用法区别为:(1) no one 主要用来指人,不用来指物;而 none 则可以指人也可以指物;(2) no one 后通常不接表范围的 of 短语,而 none 后则可以(而且通常)接表范围的 of 短语,有时 none 单独使用(即不接 of 短语),那么这个 none 多半也是用以复指前文已出现过的名词,也就是说此时可视为其后承上文省略了 of 短语;(3) no one 表示的否定语气较强,指的是“没有任何人”;而 none 表示否定时,往往侧重指数量上“一个也没有”。因此在回答 how many 的提问时,通常用 none;而回答 who 的提问,通常用 no one。
80. 只有用这种方法你才能把它做好。
误:Only in this way you are able to do it well.
正:Only in this way are you able to do it well.
析:“only +状语 (副词、介词短语、从句等)”放在句首时,其后句子要用倒装语序,又如:Only when he returned home did he realize what had happened. 当他回到家里时,才知道出了什么事。注:若其后接的不是状语,而是宾语,则通常无需倒装,如:Only his sister we met there. 我们在那儿只见到了他的姐姐。
81. 你回到楼上去干什么?——我以为没有关窗户。
误:Why did you go back upstairs?
—I thought I had left the windows opened.
正:Why did you go back upstairs?
—I thought I had left the windows open.
析:open 表示“开”,有动词 (表示动作)和形容词(表示状态)之分,此句用 leave the windows open 表示让窗户处于开着的状态;若用 opened,则表示窗户被打开这一动作,与其前的动词 leave (让……处于某种状态)不相符合。
82. 依我看,他不适合做这工作。
误:To my opinion, he is not fit for the job.
误:According to my opinion, he is not fit for the job.
正:In my opinion, he is not fit for the job.
析:表示根据某人的意见,英语通常用in one’s opinion,注意介词用 in,而不用 to 或 according to。
(编辑 周贞雄)