问英语｜英语常见问题解答

问

Is the growing economic independence of women one factor in the increase of the divorce rate? (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 (decrease) 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：

There was a steady increase in production. (ALD) 产量稳定增加。
At the meeting they demand a sharp increase in wages. (EED) 他们在会议上要求大幅度增加工资。
There has been a decrease in production. (ALD) 产量下降了。
The decrease in size was gradual. (EED) 尺寸的减小是逐渐的。
His weight showed an increase of 3 lbs. in a month. (UED) 他的体重表明他一个月内增加了 3 磅重量。
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。

练习

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)

问

His money ____ six times during that period.

A. increased B. increased by C. increased with D. increased to

《中学英语答疑析难》(高三)(p.91)解答说,此题答案只能是B,并且认为increase by n times与increase n times意思不同。请问此题真的不能选A吗?

答

英语里既可以说 increase by n times, 也可以说 increase n times。在一般情况下, 两者的含义是相同的, 都表示“增加到 n 倍”或“增加了 n - 1 倍”(参见 n times more than, as much as)。

Foreign investments there increased six times. 那里的外国投资增加了5倍。
The steel output has increased by two times. 钢产量已增加了一倍。
The strength of the attraction between two unlike charges increases by $2 \times 2 = 4$ times if the distance between the original charges is halved. 如果两个不同的电荷之间的距离缩短一半, 则它们之间的吸引力的强度增加到原来的 $2 \times 2 = 4$ 倍。

increase

increase¹

increase²