问英语｜英语常见问题解答

hyphen¹

问

There are three hundred and sixty five days in a year.

有人告诉我这个句子有毛病。但是，毛病何在呢？

答

应当记住，在20-99之间，十位数和个位数中间必须加上个连字符“-”。上句中的sixty five应写作sixty-five。

练习

There are ____ students in the new school.
1. A
  six hundreds fifty-three
2. B
  six hundred and fifty-three
3. C
  six hundred fifty three
4. D
  six hundred and fifty three(北京会考,95-14)

hyphen²

high-heeled shoes/highly praised achievement

问

在 high-heeled shoes 与 highly praised achievement 中 high-heeled 和 highly praised 都是复合形容词作定语,为什么前者用连字符,而后者不用呢?

答

无论在英国英语或者美国英语中,如果副词以-ly结尾,则它与形容词或分词构成复合形容词时,往往不用连字符。如,a highly qualified person, a highly paid worker, a carefully written report, rapidly disappearing languages。偶尔,也会见到用连字符的,如 highly-paid job。

The heavily loaded flatboats were swept along by the swiftly moving current. 满载货物的平底船被急流冲走了。
a beautifully furnished room (Ridout) 一个布置漂亮的房间
a neatly typed letter 一封打印整洁的信
a carefully prepared speech 一篇准备很细致的发言

hyphen³

a four hour journey/a four-hour journey

问

下面是摘自《大学英语》1996年第6期上的一段文字,标题为:《由新概念英语第三册中的两处疏忽所想到的》:

“笔者在教学中,发现所使用的新概念英语第三册中有这样两个句子,即:1. Even by modern standards, the 46,000 ton Titanic was a colossal ship. (p. 67)(即使按现代标准,46,000吨的泰坦尼克号也算是一艘巨轮。);2. Why people are prepared to tolerate a four hour journey each day for the dubious privilege of living in the country is beyond my ken. (p. 230)(为了农村生活令人半信半疑的好处,人们为何甘愿每天在路上花四个小时,这是我想不到的。)

根据笔者所见及查阅有关资料,上面这两个句子,都有一个共同的问题,忽视了连字符(hyphen)的使用。正确的用法应该是:“the 46,000-ton Titanic”和“a four-hour journey”。有例为证:

Crowning the hill is Coit Tower, a 210-foot(64-meter) lookout named for eccentric Lillie Hitchcock Coit and... (山顶上是高210英尺〈64米〉的科伊特塔。这是一座瞭望台，以性格古怪的利利·希契科克·科伊特命名……)。
These sessions, which began when she was 25 and received 77-year-old Winston Churchill...（这些从她25岁时接待77岁的温斯顿·丘吉尔开始的历次会见……）。”请问a four hour journey是疏忽，还是正确的用法？

答

不能否认，a four-hour jouney 是符合传统语法的正确写法的。但是，随着语言的发展，数词 + 度量名词 + 名词的表达方式也日益增多。

$\left\{ \begin{array}{ll}\text{a ten-day absence}\\ \text{a ten day absence}\\ \text{a ten days absence}\\ \text{a ten days' absence (CGEL)} \end{array} \right.$
several $\left\{ \begin{array}{l} \text{weeks}' \\ \text{weeks} \end{array} \right\}$ vacation (CGEL) 几个星期的假期

由此可见，the 46,000 ton Titanic 和 a four hour journey 是符合现代英语惯用法的，而并不是什么疏忽。

练习

Many students signed up for the ____ race in the sports meeting to be held next week.
1. A
  800-metre-long
2. B
  800-metres-long
3. C
  800 metre length
4. D
  800 metres length(上海高考,03春-21)
Despite the wonderful acting and well-developed plot the ____ movie could not hold our attention.
1. A
  three-hours
2. B
  three-hour
3. C
  three-hours'
4. D
  three-hour's(全国四级,96.1-31)