问英语｜英语常见问题解答

as good as¹

问

我查词典，as good as 只有一种解释：“差不多”“几乎”。难道它就没有别的意义了吗？

答

一般词典给出的只是成语 as good as 的释义,而没有给出自由组合 as good as 的释义。因为后一结构的各个组成成分仍保留其原义,而整个结构的含义就是各组成部分的语义之和(和……一样好),因此没有必要给以特别的解释。

但是, 自由组合的 as good as 使用得更为普遍, 是各类标准英语考试经常考核的项目之

"Do you enjoy listening to records?" "I think records are often ____ an actual performance." A. as good as or better than B. as good or better than

C. like good or better than D. as good as any other(TOEFL)

下面是含成语 as good as 的例句：

Don't worry, the matter's as good as settled. (ALD) 别担心，问题差不多已经解决了。
The man who had been shot was as good as dead. (DAI) 受到枪击的那个人差不多已经死了。

练习

There are as good fish in the sea ____ ever came out of it.
1. A
  than
2. B
  like
3. C
  as
4. D
  so(全国英语专业四级,07-51)

as good as²

问

Do you enjoy listening to records? I find records are often ____ or better than an actual performance. A. as good as B. as good C. good D. good as(全国研考,96-1) 规定答案为 A。但是,我想知道能否选 B。

答

此题来源于1972年6月的TOEFL,见上条。大家知道,TOEFL的专家们只承认规范的书面英语的用法,而排斥非正式语体的用法。按照这个观点,此题只能选A。但是,在非正式语体中,as good as or better than, as well as or better than, as great as or greater than 省略后一个as,是符合惯用法的。例如:

There is no surgical patient I cannot treat competently, treat just as well or better than any other surgeon. (摘自《大学英语》)

[附注]MWDEU(p.129)指出, as good or better than 等结构是历史悠久的习语, 并举例证明了它们的“合法性”:

... a rate it said was as good or better than conventional trains — N. Y. Times 9 Apr. 1970

as good as $^{3}$

... but the mayors have as good if not a better point — Glenn A. Briere, Springfield (Mass.) Sunday Republican, 1 Dec. 1985
... a giant rocket with lifting power as great or greater than the Saturn 5's.

as good as³

问

This suit is as good as new.

[原译]这套衣服实际上是新的。(《英语疑难词语辨析词典》, 河北教育出版社, p. 29) 原句中的 as good as 在这里可以译为“实际上”吗?

答

原书作者说,这里的 as good as 相当于 practically。该书译者便据此将它译为“实际上”。其实,这里的 practically 是“差不多”“几乎”的意思。as good as new 是很常见的用法,它的意思是“差不多像新的一样(in very good condition)”。

He fixed my shoes and now they're as good as new. 他修好了我的鞋,现在看起来像新的似的。
When the car was repaired, it looked as good as new. 这辆汽车修理好的时候,看起来差不多就像新的一样。