问
All night long we can hear the strange sounds of wild birds and animals. [《高中英语教科
long(adv.)²
书》第一册(上),人教社,p.14]
句中的 long 是形容词,作后置定语吗?
答
all day long, all night long, all summer long 中的 long 并不是形容词,而是副词,用以强调时间的延续。
long(adv.)
原书 PDF 第 848—849 页
long(adv.)1
all night long
long(adv.)2
as long as/so long as
问
“I think we should continue walking as long as we can see where we're going,” I said.
上句中的 as long as 能否用 so long as 来替换?
答
当 as long as 和 so long as 用作连词，作“只要、如果(provided that, only if)”解时，它们是可以互换的。故上句中的 as long as 可以换为 so long as。请观察下面的实例：
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“Have dinner with me.” “Ok, so long as you let me pay for the wine.” “和我一起吃饭吧。” “好吧，只要你让我付酒钱。”
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We'll let you drive so/as long as you have a valid license. 只要你有有效的执照,我们就让你开车。
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Then as long as your medical examination proves to be satisfactory, I'm quite prepared to offer you the job. 那么，只要你的体格检查结果令人满意，我很愿意把这份工作交给你。
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I'm happy as long as you are happy. 只要你幸福,我就感到幸福了。
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So long as you make Ruth happy I'm content. 只要你使露丝幸福,我就满意了。
但是,当用于同级比较时,在肯定句中只能使用 as long as,而不能使用 so long as。
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You can stay here as long as you want. 你希望在这里呆多久就呆多久。
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This river is as long as that one. 这条河与那条河一样长。
练习
请做下面的英语试题(改错题):
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Waiting for a plane to take off from an airport can often take so long as the trip itself. A B C D
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People in industrial countries can expect to live for twice so long as people who lived a few hundred years ago.
long(adv.)3
for long / for a long time
问
Look at these dusty tables and chairs! You may have not cleaned them for long. 上句中的 You ... for long 是指“你们擦桌椅没有干很长时间”，还是指“你们长时间没有擦桌椅了”？
答
for long 与 for a long time 虽然都是指“很长时间”，但是用法却迥然不同。主要区别有：A. for long 只用于否定句、疑问句和条件句，不能用于肯定句，而 for a long time 则既可用于肯定句，也可用于否定句。B. 在用于否定句时，for long 在否定范围之内（即被否定），而 for a long time 在否定范围之外（即不被否定）（参见 time ）：
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He didn't speak for long. (=He only spoke for a short time.) 他没有讲很长时间。 (=他只讲了很短的时间。)
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He didn't speak for a long time. (= It was a long time before he spoke.) 他很长时间没有发言。
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But we never fight for long. 但是,我们从不长时间打架。
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We haven't written to each other for a long time. 我们很长时间没有通信了。
你所提问的句子,根据句意应当是:“你们可能很长时间没有擦桌椅了。”因此,我们有理由把你所提问的句子改为:
You may not have cleaned them for a long time.
请注意,课本上的英文句子把 not 的位置放错了,见 not 。