worth

《新英汉词典》认为 worth 是形容词，“用作表语，后接宾语”。2000 年版已改为介词。国外的许多语言学家(如 Curme 等)也把 worth 看作是形容词。但 R. Quirk 等则认为 worth 具有介词的语法特征：支配名词短语、支配带逻辑主语的动名词以及 what 从句：

1. San Francisco is worth $\left\{\begin{array}{l} frequent visits. \\ your visiting frequently.\end{array}\right.$ 旧金山值得经常参观。

2. The bicycle is not worth what you paid for it. 这辆自行车不值你付出的那么多钱。请做下面的英语试题：

3. Only one of these books is ____.

A. worth to read B. worth being read C. worth of reading D. worth reading(全国高考)

2. —What do you think of the book?

—Oh, excellent. It's worth ____ a second time.

A. to read B. to be read C. reading D. being read(全国高考)

在后一个句子中，it 是形式主语，而动名词结构 repairing the watch 是真实主语，见 worth doing。

从语义上看,He 是 listening to 的逻辑宾语,或者说,介词 to 的逻辑宾语。也只有在语义上充当逻辑宾语的成分,才能做 be worth 的语法主语。我们不能说:He is worth repairing the car. 下面是一些正面例句:

1. She's not worth getting angry with. (PEU) 不值得跟她生气。

2. You are not worth helping. (LDCE) 你不值得帮助。

除了动名词之外，在 worth 之后还可以跟名词(或代词)和 what 从句。但是不能跟动词不定式：

1. It was worth at least fifty francs. (Bennet) 它至少值 50 法郎。

2. They thought the book worth publication. (Davies) 他们认为这本书值得出版。

3. The bicycle is not worth what you paid for it. (CGEL) 这自行车不值你付的那些钱。请做下面的试题：

4. The book is not ____ what we paid. A. worth B. value C. cost D. expensive(TOEFL)

A. worth B. worth so C. worth them D. worth it (TOEFL)

3. I noticed that the meals were well ____ what was charged for them. A. worthy of B. worthy C. worthwhile D. worth

4. In the meantime, the question facing business is whether such research is ____ the costs. A. worth B. worth of C. worthy D. worthwhile(全国六级,97.1-67)

现代语法学家和词典编纂者大都承认 It is worth doing 的用法是正确的。例如：

1. It is scarcely worth going home. (CGEL) 你回家几乎是不值得的。

2. It isn't worth waiting for him. (LDCE) 等待他是不值得的。

3. It isn't worth repairing the car. (PEU) 修理这辆汽车是不值得的。

4. The fact remains that the food is in one place and the need for it in another, and it is worth risking any number of rebuffs to bring the two together. (The Guardian) 实际情况仍然是一地有粮，他方需求。所以，要把双方召集到一起，无论遭受多少冷遇都是值得冒险 的。(卫报)(译文引自《现代英语报刊阅读词典》)

诚然，worth 常常用作表语，但是上句中的 worth 却是 a handful of goods 的定语，意思是“价值为”。worth 用作后置定语的实例俯拾即是：

1. San Francisco is a city worth frequent visits. 旧金山是一座值得经常参观的城市。

2. He is a stingy man not worth a cent. 他是个一钱不值的吝啬男人。

[句意]曼哈顿岛是1626年从当地印第安人(即美洲土著人)手里买来的,所花的费用仅仅是价值约为24美元的一点点货物。

上句中的 worth being celebrated 的用法是错误的,应改为 worth celebrating,因为在 sth. is worth doing 句型中,句子的主语(sth.)必须是 doing 动作的客体(逻辑上的宾语),见 worth 诸条目。