问英语｜英语常见问题解答

right¹

问

Then suddenly an old man stepped out right in front of me.

[原译]这时,突然有一个老年人走到我的右前方。[《电大英语》第二册学习辅导材料(上),p.17]

right 在这里是作“右”解吗？

答

副词 right 有一个很重要的用法, 就是起加强语气的作用, 以便精确地表达空间关系或时间关系。right in the middle(在正中), right after(紧在……之后, 在……之后, 立即)。请分析下面的例句:

I'll go right after lunch. (Chambers) 午饭后我马上去。
Come over right after you've finished working. (CGEL) 你干完活后马上过来。
The nail went right through the wall. (CGEL) 钉子正好钉透了墙壁。
The dog was lying right in the middle of the floor. (CGEL) 那条狗正好躺在地面正中间。

在你所提问的句子里，right in front of 的意思是：正好在……的前面。

right²

问

You may throw a ball into the air, and if you are very strong it will go up high. But it won't stay there all the time. As gravity pulls it, it falls right back to the earth again. [北大《英语》(二), p. 1]

[原译]……它会恰好又回到地面。(教参)

请问 right 在这里做“恰好”解吗？

答

副词 right 除作“恰好”解之外,还可作“立即”“很快”(immediately, without delay)解。例如：

I will be right back. 我很快就回来。
He lay down on the floor and went right to sleep. 他躺在地板上，不一会儿就睡着了。
Although states were allowed to coin money right after the America Revolution, they were not allowed to do so today.

(A) fairly (B) temporarily (C) immediately (D) haphazardly在你提问的句子中,副词 right 应取这个含义。只有这样,才能与上句中的 all the time 相呼应,即球不是总停留在空中,而是立即又落回到地面。

right³

问

Your wife is more right than you seem to realize.

请问为什么用 more right, 而不用 righter?

答

按照英语语法规则,形容词 real, right 和 wrong 没有屈折变化形式 realer, righter 和 wronger,而只能通过加 more 和 most 的方法来构成比较级和最高级。再如：

This inn is far more worth seeing. (MEG)

这个旅店更加值得一看。