问英语
原书主词条 · 3 个连续词条

until recently

原书 PDF 第 1267—1268 页

until recently1

问

下面是《英语世界》1987年第4期第227条答问：

“问:《中高级英语考试》, p.320 对 lately 与 recently 的解释如下: lately(最近, 不久前, 指过去时间的一点) 与 recently(近来, 最近, 指过去时间的某一点以来, 常用于否定句与疑问句)。是否可以这样理解: lately 与 recently 都用于完成时句中, recently 用于肯定句; 而 lately 用于否定句或疑问句。

▲答:汉语“最近”不分肯定句,否定句;而英语 recently 则限用于肯定句中,lately 用于否定句中,不能代之以 recently。下面四类句型都要用 lately:(1) I have not seen him lately. not = negative.(2) Have you seen him lately? question = 50% negative.(3) I saw him only lately. (= I did not see him until lately) only = hidden negative. 最近 = 不更早。(4) I saw him as lately as a few days ago. 几天前的最近 = 并非早些时候。以上各句选 lately 而不用 recently,说明英语重形式,汉语“最近”可以通用,这就说明汉语的优点在于简便,何必多此一个形式。”

我对问者和答者的说法抱有怀疑态度。recently 真的不能用于否定句吗？

答

我国出版的其他语法著作和辞书(如《最新高级英汉词典》, p. 625)也大都是这么说的。但是, 现代英语的实际使用情况并非如此: lately 不仅用于否定句中, 亦可用于肯定句中; recently 不仅用于肯定句中, 亦可用于否定句中:

  1. His visits used to be rare, but {latelyrecently}\left\{\begin{array}{l} lately \\ recently \end{array}\right\} he has been here quite a lot. (CGEL) 过去他很少来这里,但是近来他常常到这里来。

  2. I perceive that you have been unwell lately. (Doyle) 我看出你最近不大健康。

  3. Here is a little song written lately. (Yeats) 这是最近写出的一首小曲。

  4. She had shown lately a kind of warming sympathy. 她近来曾表现出了一种温馨的同情。（《英汉百科翻译大词典》）

  5. He has been friendlier lately. (EDC) 他近来更友好了。

  6. He lately moved into a new apartment. (EDC) 不久前他搬进了一套新公寓。

  7. I have not been sleeping well {recently.lately.\left\{\begin{array}{l} recently. \\ lately.\end{array}\right. (CGEL) 我近来一直睡眠不好。

  8. John has seemed worried lately. (EED) 约翰近来似乎很焦虑。

  9. You've been very busy lately. (TOEFL) 你近来是很忙的。

练习

  1. Recently it was damaged. She damaged it ____.

    1. A

      late

    2. B

      lastly

    3. C

      lately

    4. D

      finally(NCE)

Markdown：英语常见问题解答大词典-7.md · 4770—4807 行PDF：第 1267 页 · until recently 1

until recently1

问

下面是《英语惯用法大词典》(中国科学技术出版社,1994年)对 until recently 所作的说明：

“until recently 作‘直到现在’解,常与动词的一般过去时连用。如:

Until recently he worked very hard on his mysterious experiments." (p. 1566)

请问 until recently 在这里是作“直到现在”解吗？

答

首先,应当指出,该书的说明本身是有矛盾的。既然 until recently 作“直到现在”解,那怎么还能与动词的一般过去时连用呢?大家知道,动词的一般过去时总是含有与现在无关的味道。其次,从该书所给的例句也可以看出,until recently 并不是指“直到现在”,而是指“直到最近”“(直到)不久之前”。原句的意思是:

直到不久前他还在努力地搞他那个神秘的实验。（言外之意：他现在已经不再搞那个实验了。）

下面让我们用实例来证明这一点：

  1. I was in Florence until recently, but I caught a heavy cold. (Mansfield) 不久前我还在佛罗伦萨，但是那时我患了重感冒。

  2. The problem has been ignored until very recently... (EED) 这个问题直到不久前还被

人们所忽视……

(参见 recently 2^{2} )

练习

  1. ____ quite recently, most mothers in Britain did not take paid work outside the home.

    1. A

      Before

    2. B

      Until

    3. C

      From

    4. D

      Since(全国四级,95.6-52)

Markdown：英语常见问题解答大词典-7.md · 4808—4836 行PDF：第 1267 页 · until recently 1

until recently2

问

Until recently, scientists have been unable to devise a drill which would be capable of cutting through hard rock at great depths. This problem has now been solved. (这里的 until 为介词)(New Concept English, Book 3, p. 118)

[原译]直至今日,科学家尚未能设计出一种能钻透极深处坚硬岩石之钻探机……此难题现已解决。(朗文出版公司、世界图书出版公司版,p.219)

译文刚说“直至今日科学家尚未能设计出……钻探机”，接着又说“此问题现已解决”，这不是自相矛盾吗？但自相矛盾的原因何在呢？

答

句中的 until recently 显然不能译为“直到现在”，因为下面的句子说到“现在此问题已解决”。until recently 在这里可译为：“不久前”“直到不久前”。

[试译]直到不久前,科学家们尚不能设计出能够钻透深处坚硬岩石的钻探机。但是,现在这个问题已经得到了解决。

(参见 until recently 1^{1} )

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