问英语｜英语常见问题解答

best¹

far the best, by far the best 见 far the best, by far

best²

best/the best

问

Which animal do you like best? [《初中英语教科书》第二册(上),人教社,p.22]

《中学英语句型·词组大全》(初中第二册)(清华大学出版社,p.24)在注释中说:“like best:最喜欢(best是副词,不可说the best)……

Which animal do you like best? （你最喜欢哪种动物？）

= Which animal do you like most?

Which animal do you like the best? (错)"

请问上句中的 like the best 真的是错误的吗？

答

对于中学生可不讲这个问题。如果有的学生写出了含 like the best 的句子，也不要判为错误，因为这也是一个正确用法。也就是说，best 等副词用作状语时，也可以加 the（参见 the $^{4}$ ）：

We like him the best of all. 所有的人之中我们最喜欢他。
The person who works the hardest should receive the greatest reward. 工作最努力的人应该获得最高的报酬。
Which of these flowers do you like the best? 这些花你最喜欢哪一朵？
Who did he love the best? 过去他最爱谁?
If you like something best or like it the best, you prefer it to other things. 如果你说 like sth. best 或 like sth. the best, 那就是说你喜欢它甚于其他东西。

best³

'd best

问

“I think we'd best stay the night here,” I said.

句中的'd best 是什么意思?

答

'd best = had best, 也是一个情态习语, 其意义和用法相当于 had better, 但没有后者用得广泛(参见 had better)。

You had best forget this incident. 你最好是把这件事忘掉。
You had best get home before midnight. 你最好是午夜前回家。

练习

According to one belief, if truth is to be known it will make itself apparent, so one ____ wait instead of searching for it.
1. A
  would rather
2. B
  had to
3. C
  cannot but
4. D
  had best(全国研考,01-3)

best⁴

问

This is the best play ____ last year.

A. to perform B. to be performed C. performing D. to have performed

《高中英语语法练习手册》(外研社, p.175) 对上题作了如下解答(答案为 B):

“不定式用在 the first, the second, the last, the only 后面, 有时用在最高级后面, 可以代替定语从句。the best play to be performed = the best play that was performed the first to come = the first who comes”

我认为上面的四个选项都是不正确的，并且该书所作的解释，也是站不住脚的。不知您是否同意我的意见。

答

我同意您的意见。上面的四个选项都不能用。这里应当用过去分词 performed 作定语（见 infinitive $^{38}$ ）。为什么不能选 B 呢？这是因为动词不定式作定语时通常具有情态意义或将来时意义。该书解释说 the best play to be performed = the best play that was performed，这是不正确的。只有含 first，last，next 的短语的动词不定式定语才具有过去时意义，而 best 并不包括在此种用法之中。例如：

He was the first man to fly across the Atlantic (to fly = who flew). 他是第一个飞越大西洋的人。
What is the best thing to do? 最适合做的事是什么?
The best thing to do would be to apologize. 最好还是道歉吧。
What is the best way to get there? 到那里去最好怎么走？

另外,从例(1)可以看出,该书作者说 the first to come = the first who comes,是错误的,应将comes改为came(见first $^{4}$ )。