问英语
原书主词条 · 2 个连续词条

owe/attribute

原书 PDF 第 1113—1114 页

owe/attribute1

问

Some of the most important concepts in physics ____ their success to these mathematical systems.

A. oblige B. owe C. contribute D. attribute(全国研考试题,94-28)

查英汉词典, owe...to 和 attribute...to 都作“把……归因于……”解。因此, 不知哪个答案是正确的。

答

owe...to与attribute...to有一个很重要的区别:在主动句中owe...to的主语可以是人,也可以是物,attribute...to的主语则只能是人。因此,上面的试题(主语是表物的)不能用attribute...to。两者之间的其他区别是:owe...to只用于主动句,大都与含褒义的词连用。请分析下面的实例：

  1. He owes his success to his father. (AHD) 他把他的成功归功于他的父亲。

  2. The development of socialism as both an intellectual current and socio-political movement owed much to the influence of Saint-Simon's followers. 作为思潮兼社会政治运动的社会主义的发展，在很大程度上归功于圣西门的追随者的影响。

  3. Jim attributes his success to hard work. (LDCE) 吉姆把他的成功归功于努力工作。

  4. Economists attributed the lack of progress to poor cooperation. (EED) 经济学家把缺乏进步归咎于合作不好。

练习

  1. The prison riot was ____.

    1. A

      brought about by the guards, whose severity was an extreme

    2. B

      attributed to the unnecessary roughness of the guards

    3. C

      blamed on the guards, whose harshness caused it to originate

    4. D

      originated from the extreme guard severity (TOEFL)

Markdown：英语常见问题解答大词典-6.md · 7678—7709 行PDF：第 1113 页 · owe/attribute 1

owe/attribute2

问

We ____ Edison's success to his intelligence and hard work.

A. subject B. attribute C. owe D. refer(全国六级,91.6-69)

答案为 B, 能否选 C 呢?

答

上条所提供的例句1~2充分证明，这里选C也肯定是正确的。既可以说owe sth. to sb., 也可以说owe sth. to sth.（如选C，上题便属于后一结构）。让我们再来援引一些例证：

  1. He owes his life to the staff at the hospital. 他的这条命全亏了这家医院的全体医护人员。

  2. Alfred owed everything to him. 阿尔弗雷德把自己的一切归功于他。

  3. I owe my success to my education. 我的成功应归功于我所受的教育。

  4. Britain owed her strength in the 19th century to her naval power. 英国在19世纪的强大该归功于她的海军力量。

Markdown：英语常见问题解答大词典-6.md · 7710—7727 行PDF：第 1114 页 · owe/attribute 2