高大、黝黑，还有：形容词 修饰语与短语
As we saw in Chapter 1, nouns and verbs often have modifiers, words that describe the noun or the verb. 正如我们在第 1 章所见，名词和动词常常带有修饰语，即描述该名词或动词的词。
The following examples are not sentences but only parts of sentences. Here man is the noun; all the other words before and after man are modifiers that restrict the meaning of man in some way: 下面的例子不是句子，而只是句子的片段。这里 man 是名词；man 前后所有其他的词都是修饰语，以某种方式限定了 man 的含义：
The man The man in our neighborhood The irritable, unfriendly man in our neighborhood The man The man in our neighborhood The irritable, unfriendly man in our neighborhood （那个男人 / 我们社区里那个男人 / 我们社区里那个暴躁、不友好的男人）
As we’ve seen before, many modifiers appear immediately before the noun they modify: The, irritable, unfriendly. Some appear after: in our neighborhood. 正如我们之前所见，许多修饰语紧接在它们所修饰的名词之前：The、irritable、unfriendly。有些出现在之后：in our neighborhood。
This brings us to a common term that we use throughout these chapters: phrase. A phrase is a word or group of words used as a single grammatical unit. 这就引出了我们在这些章节中贯穿使用的一个常见术语：短语（phrase）。短语是作为一个单一语法单位使用的词或词组。
The three examples above are noun phrases. They contain the noun man and other words and phrases that modify man. 上面的三个例子都是名词短语（noun phrases）。它们包含名词 man 以及其他修饰 man 的词和短语。
Each of those noun phrases could be used as a single grammatical unit—for example, as the subject of a sentence. That is, the noun by itself would be the simple subject, and the noun and its modifiers would be the complete subject. 这些名词短语中的每一个都可以作为一个单一的语法单位使用——例如，作为句子的主语。也就是说，名词本身会是简单主语，而名词及其修饰语一起构成完整主语。
ADJECTIVES
形容词
Words like* irritable *and *unfriendly are adjectives. Adjectives * modify nouns and sometimes pronouns. They describe the noun or place limits on the word’s range of reference. In the following noun phrases, all the underlined words are adjectives: 像 irritable 和 unfriendly 这样的词是形容词（adjectives）。形容词修饰名词，有时也修饰代词（pronouns）。它们描述名词，或对词的指称范围加以限制。在下面的名词短语中，所有带下划线的词都是形容词：
The silvery moon The light brown hair Blue skies The silvery moon The light brown hair Blue skies （银色的月亮 / 浅棕色的头发 / 蓝天）
In most cases, adjectives simply describe nouns: tall, short, * ripe, rotten, round, perfect, clean, dirty, blank, full, empty, old, * new, ancient, medieval, modern, and thousands more. 在大多数情况下，形容词只是描述名词：tall、short、ripe、rotten、round、perfect、clean、dirty、blank、full、empty、old、new、ancient、medieval、modern，以及成千上万个其他词。
THE THREE ARTICLES
三个冠词
There are only three articles in English: a, an, and the. Articles are always used to modify nouns. Some grammar books treat articles as if they are a separate class of words, but in this book we’ll consider them a small, special subset of adjectives. 英语中只有三个冠词（articles）：a、an 和 the。冠词总是用来修饰名词。有些语法书把冠词当作一个独立的词类，但在本书中，我们将其视为形容词中一个小的特殊子集。
There is some confusion about when to use a and an. We use the article a before a word that begins with a consonant, and use an before a word that begins with a vowel, as in these phrases: 关于何时使用 a 和 an 存在些许混淆。我们在以辅音开头的词前用 a，在以元音开头的词前用 an，如下面的短语：
A child A cheese omelet An only child An omelet A child A cheese omelet An only child An omelet （a 一个孩子 / a 一份奶酪煎蛋卷）（an 独生子 / an 一份煎蛋卷）
But we’re sometimes puzzled when we see a and an used in phrases like these: 但当我们看到 a 和 an 用在如下短语中时，有时会感到困惑：
A union of concerned citizens An honor to work with you A union of concerned citizens An honor to work with you （a 一个有责任感的公民联盟 / an 与你共事的荣幸）
So let’s clarify the rules: Use a before a word beginning with a consonant sound (as in a union or a child): 所以我们来澄清规则：在以辅音音开头的词前用 a（如 a union 或 a child）：
A unicorn An uninvited guest A unicorn An uninvited guest （a 独角兽 / an 不速之客）
Use an before a word beginning with a vowel sound (as in *an * honor or an only child): 在以元音音开头的词前用 an（如 an honor 或 an only child）：
A man An honest man A man An honest man （a 一个男人 / an 一个诚实的男人）
The important consideration is the first sound (not the first letter) in the word following the article. This includes the first sound in abbreviations: An M.D., a U. S. territory. 关键的考虑因素是冠词后面那个词的第一个音（而非第一个字母）。这还包括缩写词的第一个音：An M.D.、a U. S. territory。
Finally, a and an are called the indefinite articles. The is the only definite article in English, indicating a specific object that we can distinguish from all other objects of the same kind: the last * straw. 最后，a 和 an 被称为不定冠词*（indefinite articles）。The 是英语中唯一的定冠词（definite article），表示我们能够与同类所有其他物体区分开的特定对象：the last straw（最后一根稻草）。
ADJECTIVES AND WORD ORDER
形容词与词序
In the noun phrases we’ve seen so far, the adjective appears before the noun. But adjectives can also appear immediately after the noun: 在我们目前见过的名词短语中，形容词出现在名词之前。但形容词也可以紧接在名词之后：
The old house, dark and foreboding The noisy fairground, bright and crowded A glorious sunset, gold and lavender The old house, dark and foreboding The noisy fairground, bright and crowded A glorious sunset, gold and lavender （那座古老的房子，阴暗而可怖 / 那个喧闹的游乐场，明亮而拥挤 / 一轮壮丽的日落，金黄而淡紫）
Articles are helpful in recognizing other adjectives. Consider this: 冠词有助于识别其他形容词。请看这个：
The smaller child learned the simplest tasks. The smaller child learned the simplest tasks.（那个较小的孩子学会了最简单的任务。）
When a word appears between an article and a noun, it’s an adjective or another word functioning as an adjective. 当一个词出现在冠词和名词之间时，它就是一个形容词，或另一个起形容词作用的词。
COMMON KINDS OF ADJECTIVES
常见形容词类别
There are certain groups of words that we can easily recognize as adjectives. Color words are often adjectives: a blue moon, green * apples. (Sometimes, in a different context, color words are nouns: * a dark blue, a vivid red.) 有一些词群我们可以轻易识别为形容词。颜色词常常是形容词：a blue moon、green apples。（有时，在不同的语境中，颜色词是名词：a dark blue、a vivid red。）
The green apples Red sails A blue moon The green apples Red sails A blue moon （绿色的苹果 / 红色的风帆 / 一轮蓝月）
The gold and lavender sunset Red, white, and blue bunting A yellow traffic light The gold and lavender sunset Red, white, and blue bunting A yellow traffic light （金黄与淡紫的日落 / 红、白、蓝的彩旗 / 黄色的交通灯）
There are other descriptive words: 还有其他描述性词语：
The new house Impulsive behavior A generous gift The new house Impulsive behavior A generous gift （新房子 / 冲动的行为 / 一份慷慨的礼物）
A sentimental old song Exciting new developments Soft music A sentimental old song Exciting new developments Soft music （一首感伤的老歌 / 令人振奋的新进展 / 轻柔的音乐）
There are adjectives that indicate number or quantity: 有些形容词表示数量：
Both friends A few corrections Many pages Both friends A few corrections Many pages （两位朋友 / 几处修改 / 许多页）
One sock Two shirts Three shoes One sock Two shirts Three shoes （一只袜子 / 两件衬衫 / 三只鞋）
Words that show possession are often used as adjectives: 表示所属关系的词常被用作形容词：
My mistake Your complaint His insight My mistake Your complaint His insight （我的错误 / 你的抱怨 / 他的洞见）
Bob and Ray’s routine Wayne’s help Elizabeth’s reign Bob and Ray’s routine Wayne’s help Elizabeth’s reign （鲍勃和雷的节目 / 韦恩的帮助 / 伊丽莎白的统治）
Some question words can be used as adjectives: 有些疑问词可以用作形容词：
Which room? What mess? Whose responsibility? Which room? What mess? Whose responsibility? （哪个房间？/ 什么乱子？/ 谁的责任？）
We’ll say it again: A good desk or online dictionary can help you identify adjectives and other words. 我们再说一遍：一本好的案头或在线词典可以帮助你识别形容词和其他词。
NOUNS AND VERBS USED ADJECTIVALLY
名词与动词作形容词用
Sometimes we build a noun phrase by using nouns or verbs to modify a noun: 有时我们用名词或动词来修饰名词，从而构成名词短语：
The street noise The traffic accident The squeaking wheel A frozen lake The street noise The traffic accident （街道的喧闹声 / 交通事故） The squeaking wheel A frozen lake （吱呀作响的轮子 / 一个冰封的湖）
In these cases, we say that the noun or verb is used adjectivally, and we’ll look at more cases of these in future chapters. 在这些情况下，我们说该名词或动词被用作形容词（adjectivally），我们将在后面的章节看到更多这样的例子。
COMPARISONS OF ADJECTIVES
形容词的比较
Some adjectives have three forms, which together make the comparison of the adjective: 有些形容词有三种形式，它们共同构成形容词的比较（comparison）：
Positive
Comparative
Superlative
原级
比较级
最高级
hot cold friendly famous suspicious athletic hotter colder friendlier more famous more suspicious more athletic hottest coldest friendliest most famous most suspicious most athletic hot cold friendly famous suspicious athletic hotter colder friendlier more famous more suspicious more athletic hottest coldest friendliest most famous most suspicious most athletic （热 / 冷 / 友好 / 著名 / 多疑 / 擅长运动）
In any comparison of adjectives like these, there is a positive form of the adjective that simply names a quality the noun has:* * hot, cold, friendly. 在任何像这样的形容词比较中，都有一个形容词的原级形式，只是说出该名词具有的某种性质：hot、cold、friendly。
We use the comparative when we’re comparing two—and only two—items, and we use the superlative when we’re comparing three or more: 当我们比较——且仅比较——两个事物时，用比较级；当我们比较三个或更多事物时，用最高级：
Susan is a fast runner. Susan is a faster runner than Alice. In fact, she’s the fastest runner of all. Susan is a fast runner. Susan is a faster runner than Alice. In fact, she’s the fastest runner of all. （苏珊是个跑得快的赛跑者。/ 苏珊是比爱丽丝跑得更快的赛跑者。/ 事实上，她是所有人中跑得最快的。）
As we see in these sentences, when we’re comparing one- syllable adjectives (and some two-syllable adjectives), we create the comparative and superlative forms by adding the suffixes –er and –est. See the examples for hot, cold, and friendly in the table of comparisons above. 正如我们在这些句子中所见，当我们比较单音节形容词（以及一些双音节形容词）时，通过加后缀 –er 和 –est 来构成比较级和最高级。参见上表中 hot、cold 和 friendly 的例子。
When we’re comparing adjectives of three or more syllables (and some two-syllable adjectives), we create the comparative and superlative forms by placing the modifiers more and most before the adjectives. See the examples for famous, suspicious, and athletic in the table above. 当我们比较三个或更多音节的形容词（以及一些双音节形容词）时，通过把修饰语 more 和 most 放在形容词之前来构成比较级和最高级。参见上表中 famous、suspicious 和 athletic 的例子。
When the comparison of an adjective is formed using the -er and -est suffices or the more and most adverbs, we refer to it as a regular adjective. 当形容词的比较通过 -er 和 -est 后缀，或 more 和 most 副词构成时，我们称其为规则形容词（regular adjective）。
Some two-syllable adjectives, like those below, can take either kind of comparison: 有些双音节形容词，如下面的，两种比较方式都可以采用：
happy, happier, happiest happy, more happy, most happy. often, oftener, oftenest often, more often, most often happy, happier, happiest happy, more happy, most happy. （happy 快乐 / happier 更快乐 / happiest 最快乐；happy 快乐 / more happy 更快乐 / most happy 最快乐。） often, oftener, oftenest often, more often, most often （often 经常 / oftener 更经常 / oftenest 最经常；often 经常 / more often 更经常 / most often 最经常）
Many careful writers seem to prefer happy, happier, happiest * and often, more often, most often*. When in doubt about a comparison, turn to the dictionary. And never use both kinds of comparison with the same word: 许多严谨的作者似乎更喜欢 happy、happier、happiest 和 often、more often、most often。当对某个比较拿不准时，请查阅词典。并且绝不要对同一个词同时使用两种比较方式：
WRONG: Ed is our most hardest working employee. WRONG: Ed is our most hardest working employee.（错误：埃德是我们最最勤奋的员工。）
Some adjectives that describe absolute qualities cannot be compared logically: We don’t usually say deader or deadest, or more pregnant or most pregnant, unless we’re kidding around. And it usually doesn’t make sense to say more full or most instant or most continuous. 有些描述绝对性质的形容词在逻辑上不能比较：我们通常不说 deader 或 deadest，也不说 more pregnant 或 most pregnant，除非是在开玩笑。而且说 more full、most instant 或 most continuous 通常也没有意义。
But sometimes we ignore logic, especially in everyday conver- sation. Unique (meaning “one of a kind”) is a well-known example. Logically, something is either unique or it isn’t, but people will still say things like this: 但有时我们不顾逻辑，尤其在日常对话中。Unique（意为"独一无二的"）就是一个众所周知的例子。从逻辑上讲，某物要么独一无二，要么不是，但人们仍然会说这样的话：
That tire swing in their living room is a very unique feature. That tire swing in their living room is a very unique feature.（他们客厅里那个轮胎秋千是一个非常独特的特征。）
They mean that it’s an unusual feature. But in everyday con- versation (as opposed to professional writing), it seldom matters if you say very unique or most unique. 他们的意思是那是一个不寻常的特征。但在日常对话中（与专业写作相对），你说 very unique 还是 most unique 很少有关系。
Every now and then a careful writer will ignore all of these arguments and compare an absolute quality, and it works. The opening words of the Preamble of the United States Constitution are one such example: 偶尔，一位严谨的作者会不顾所有这些论点去比较一个绝对性质，结果也行得通。美国宪法序言的开篇文字就是这样一个例子：
We, the People of the United States, in Order to form a more * perfect Union . . . . We, the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union . . . .（我们合众国人民，为建立更趋完善*的联邦而……）
No one we know of has ever objected. 据我们所知，从未有人提出过异议。
POINTS FOR WRITERS
写给写作者的要点
1. Know the irregular adjectives.
1. 认识不规则形容词。
A few adjectives have comparisons that are like clothes you see marked down in the stores: They’re irregular adjectives— they don’t follow the usual patterns. They are some of the most commonly used adjectives, so you probably know most of them already: 少数形容词的比较方式，就像你在商店里看到的打折衣服：它们是不规则形容词（irregular adjectives）——它们不遵循通常的模式。它们是最常用的形容词中的一些，所以你可能已经知道其中大部分了：
Positive
Comparative
Superlative
原级
比较级
最高级
bad good little much (or many) worse better less more worst best least most bad good little much (or many) worse better less more worst best least most （bad 坏 / good 好 / little 少 / much 多；worse 更坏 / better 更好 / less 更少 / more 更多；worst 最坏 / best 最好 / least 最少 / most 最多）
2. Use superlatives correctly.
2. 正确使用最高级。
Consider this sentence: 请看这个句子：
I’ve heard Barbra and Taylor sing. Barbra is the best singer. I’ve heard Barbra and Taylor sing. Barbra is the best singer.（我听过芭芭拉和泰勒唱歌。芭布拉是唱得最好的歌手。）
By the strictest rules of usage, we should write *Barbra is the * better singer, because we’re only comparing two singers. Using the superlative form in a comparison of two is common in casual conversation, but we should try to avoid it in careful writing unless we’re deliberately developing an informal style. 按照最严格的用法规则，我们应该写 Barbra is the better singer，因为我们只比较两个歌手。在两个事物的比较中使用最高级形式，在随意对话中很常见，但在严谨写作中我们应当尽量避免，除非我们刻意采用一种非正式的风格。
3. Use hyphens in certain kinds of phrases.
3. 在某些短语中使用连字符。
When we use an entire phrase as an adjective, we typically hyphenate it: 当我们把一个完整短语用作形容词时，通常会用连字符连接：
The four-year-old girl A by-the-numbers process The broken-down car The short-term solution The four-year-old girl A by-the-numbers process The broken-down car The short-term solution （四岁的女孩 / 一个照章办事的过程 / 那辆坏掉的车 / 短期的解决方案）
Some cases are a bit more complex. Consider this noun phrase: 有些情况稍微复杂些。请看这个名词短语：
Nineteenth-century and twentieth-century American literature Nineteenth-century and twentieth-century American literature（十九世纪和二十世纪的美国文学）
We can remove one word and say the same thing: 我们可以去掉一个词，意思不变：
Nineteenth- and twentieth-century American literature Nineteenth- and twentieth-century American literature（十九及二十世纪的美国文学）
Notice the hanging hyphen after nineteenth. It enables nineteenth and twentieth to share the second element century. Here’s another example: 注意 nineteenth 后面的悬空连字符。它让 nineteenth 和 twentieth 共享第二个成分 century。再看一个例子：
Short- and long-term solutions. Short- and long-term solutions.（短期与长期的解决方案。）
All the uses of hyphens shown here reflect formal usage. Increasingly, the hyphen is omitted in cases like these in less formal published prose. 这里展示的所有连字符用法都体现正式用法。在不太正式的出版散文中，这类情况下连字符越来越常被省略。
EXERCISES
练习
4a. Name the three articles. 4a. 说出三个冠词。
4b. Identify the adjectives (including articles) in these sentences and underline them: 4b. 标出下列句子中的形容词（包括冠词），并给它们加下划线：
- The new teacher is waiting in the outer office.
- The new teacher is waiting in the outer office.（那位新老师在门外办公室等着。）
- A rainy day could ruin the entire event.
- A rainy day could ruin the entire event.（一个雨天可能毁掉整个活动。）
- Count Dracula is the tall, pale man in the shadows.
- Count Dracula is the tall, pale man in the shadows.（德古拉伯爵是阴影中那个高大、苍白的男人。）
- A backyard garden is a wonderful thing.
- A backyard garden is a wonderful thing.（一个后院花园是件美妙的事。）
- She wore a red and white dress to the casual party.
- She wore a red and white dress to the casual party.（她穿了一件红白相间的连衣裙去参加那场随意的聚会。）
- I gave my little brother good advice.
- I gave my little brother good advice.（我给了弟弟好建议。）
- She has been a better student this year because of her hard work.
- She has been a better student this year because of her hard work.（因为她的努力，今年她一直是个更好的学生。）
- Bob’s idea is the worst idea I’ve heard in a long time.
- Bob’s idea is the worst idea I’ve heard in a long time.（鲍勃的主意是我长久以来听过的最糟的主意。）
- The point-by-point refutation was a difficult argument to follow.
- The point-by-point refutation was a difficult argument to follow.（那逐点反驳是一个难以跟上的论证。）
- Two roads lead to his farm.
- Two roads lead to his farm.（两条路通向他的农场。）
- Which roads are those?
- Which roads are those?（那些是哪几条路？）
4c. Give the comparative and superlative forms of these adjectives; use a dictionary when you need it. In some cases, there may be no comparative or superlative forms. 4c. 给出下列形容词的比较级和最高级形式；需要时请使用词典。有些情况下可能没有比较级或最高级形式。
- Small
- 小（small）
- Fast
- 快（fast）
- Bright
- 明亮（bright）
- Good
- 好（good）
- Bad
- 坏（bad）
- Curious
- 好奇（curious）
- Cheerful
- 快乐（cheerful）
- Happy
- 快乐（happy）
- Wrong
- 错误（wrong）
- Far (meaning anything except geographical distance)
- 远（far，指地理距离以外的任何含义）