问英语｜英语常见问题解答

问

Mrs.Shaw's glance wandered round her lovely room,which had provided a magazine called Tasteful Homes with a large number of photographs.

[原译]萧太太的眼光环顾了一下她那美丽的房间，房间里摆着有一份名叫《风雅家庭》的杂志，上面登有许多照片。（《外国短篇小说集》）

译文似乎误译了 provide 的含义。请分析。

答

译者误解了provide的含义，因而把整个句子的意思都译错了。provide with 是一个很常用的动词，它的意思是“为……提供”[supply(someone or something) with（necessary things or people)]。例如：

The workers tried to provide the production lines with automatic control devices. 工人们试图给生产线装上自动控制装置。
I shall be very glad to provide you with any additional information about it. 我极愿向您提供关于这个问题的其他资料。

[试译]……漂亮的房间，一本名叫《风雅家庭》的杂志曾经刊登过许多有关这间房屋的照片。

练习

请做下面的英语试题：

Directed by D.W. Griffith in 1915, “The Birth of a Nation” provided the screen for its A B C D first major spectacle.
This room is partly ____ with a few old armchairs.

A. provided B. decorated C. beautified D. furnished(全国研考)

问

These fish provide the main food for whales.

上句中的provide...for与provide...with有无区别？

答

provide for 与 provide with 虽然都作“给提供”解,但它们的用法是不同的。前者用于 provide sth. for sb. or sth. 结构(即 for 表示“向谁提供”),而后者用于 provide sb. with sth. or sb. 结构(即 with 表示所提供的物或人)。请对比下列实例:

It is the duty of the government to provide homes for old people. 给老年人提供住房是政府的职责。
He provided the wine for the meal. 他为这顿饭提供了酒。
They provided him with money and clothes. 他们给他提供了钱和衣服。
His firm provides him with a car. 他的公司给他提供了一辆汽车。

provide

provide¹

provide²