介词之中

Prepositions are short, simple, and remarkably useful words. We use prepositions to create modifying phrases called prepositional ** phrases. 介词是简短、朴素又极其有用的词。我们用介词来创造称为介词短语**（prepositional phrases）的修饰性短语。

With prepositions we can connect a noun phrase—called the** ** object of the preposition—to another word in a sentence. The preposition and its object together make the prepositional phrase. A prepositional phrase usually modifies a noun or verb, but it can also modify an adjective or adverb. 借助介词（prepositions），我们可以把一个名词短语——称为介词的宾语（object of the preposition）——连接到句子中的另一个词。介词及其宾语共同构成介词短语。介词短语通常修饰名词或动词，但也可以修饰形容词或副词。

Here are some examples of prepositional phrases. The prepo- sitions are underlined, and the remaining words are the objects of the prepositions (with modifiers, in some cases): 以下是一些介词短语的例子。介词加了下划线，其余的词是介词的宾语（有些情况下带修饰语）：

among the debris on the roof in the room to our house for your birthday beside our house from the roof by the room after dinner with her （在废墟中 / 在屋顶上 / 在房间里 / 到我们家 / 为你的生日；在我们房子旁边 / 从屋顶 / 在房间旁 / 晚饭后 / 和她一起）

As you see, prepositions usually precede their objects—that is, they are pre-positioned before the objects. 如你所见，介词通常位于（precede）其宾语之前——也就是说，它们被前置（pre-positioned）在宾语前面。

In English, there are hundreds of thousands of nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs, but there are relatively few prepositions— perhaps one hundred or so. The list below contains most of the frequently used prepositions. 在英语中，有成千上万个名词、动词、形容词和副词，但介词相对较少——大约一百个左右。下面的列表包含了大多数常用的介词。

If you read over the following list (about seventy) now and then, and refer to it when you need to, it will be easier for you to recognize prepositional phrases. And dictionaries can always help you recognize them: 如果你不时浏览下面的列表（约七十个），并在需要时查阅它，你就能更容易地识别介词短语。而词典总能帮你识别它们：

aboard about above across after against along alongside amid amidst among amongst around as astride at atop before behind below beneath beside besides between beyond but (meaning except) by despite down during except for from in into like near of off on onto out outside over past save than since through throughout till to toward towards under underneath unlike until up upon with within without worth （以上为常用英语介词列表。）

We’ll look at more prepositions shortly. The most important characteristic of a preposition is that it’s usually followed by its object. You have to be careful about classifying a word as a preposition, because many of them act as other kinds of words—especially as adverbs. Some can also be special kinds of words that we’ll study later, such as participles or as particles in phrasal verbs. A dictionary can help you make the distinction. 我们稍后会看到更多介词。介词最重要的特征是它后面通常跟着它的宾语。你在把某个词归类为介词时必须小心，因为它们中许多会充当其他类型的词——尤其是副词。有些还可以是我们将在后面学习的特殊词类，比如分词（participles），或短语动词（phrasal verbs）中的小品词（particles）。词典可以帮你区分。

MORE EXAMPLES

ADJECTIVAL OR ADVERBIAL?

形容词性还是副词性？

As we’ve just seen, prepositional phrases are used as adjectives or adverbs—that is, they’re used adjectivally** or **adverbially. Adjec- tival prepositional phrases usually follow the nouns they modify. The following sentences contain adjectival prepositional phrases, and we’ve underlined the entire phrase: 正如我们刚才所见，介词短语被用作形容词或副词——也就是说，它们是作形容词用（adjectivally）或作副词用（adverbially）。形容词性介词短语通常跟随它们所修饰的名词。下面的句子包含形容词性介词短语，我们已经给整个短语加了下划线：

The dog in the yard barked loudly. I read the first of three volumes. This is my letter to the principal. 院子里的狗大声叫着。我读了三卷本中的第一卷。这是我给校长的信。

In each of the sentences above, the prepositional phrase modifies the noun it follows. 在上面每个句子中，介词短语都修饰它后面的名词。

In the sentences below, the adverbial prepositional phrases are underlined: 在下面的句子中，副词性介词短语加了下划线：

I arrived at noon. I drove into the garage. I walked for exercise. I walked at a fast pace. 我中午到达。我把车开进车库。我为了锻炼而走路。我以很快的步伐走路。

As adverbs, these prepositional phrases tell us when, where, * why, or how the action of the verb was performed. 作为副词，这些介词短语告诉我们动词的动作是何时、何地、为何或如何*发生的。

We learned earlier that adverbs modifying verbs are often movable. In the sentences below, we see that some of the underlined adverbial prepositional phrases are also movable. Typically, the moveable phrases indicate time, place, or manner: 我们早先学过，修饰动词的副词通常可以移动。在下面的句子中，我们看到一些带下划线的副词性介词短语也是可以移动的。通常，可移动的短语表示时间、地点或方式：

The dog barked loudly in the yard. In the yard, the dog barked loudly. 狗在院子里大声叫。在院子里，狗大声叫。

Little Ruthie practiced the violin for two hours. For two hours, little Ruthie practiced the violin. 小露西练习了小提琴两小时。两小时里，小露西练习了小提琴。

Mr. Lochenhocher would rather listen to the dog. 洛亨霍克先生宁愿听狗叫。

I’ve heard Ruthie play, and I’m with Lochenhocher. 我听过露西演奏，我站在洛亨霍克一边。

We can’t move the adverbial prepositional phrases in the last two sentences. 我们不能移动最后两句话中的副词性介词短语。

Sometimes the guidelines for distinguishing adverbial and adjectival phrases don’t work as well as we’d like. Here’s another example: 有时，区分副词性和形容词性短语的准则并不如我们所愿那样好用。这里是另一个例子：

We drove the car into the garage. 我们把车开进了车库。

Into the garage follows car, but the phrase obviously doesn’t modify car. Here the prepositional phrase is adverbial; it answers the question, “Where did you drive the car?” But this adverbial phrase is not moveable. We probably wouldn’t write Into the garage 跟在 car 后面，但这个短语显然不修饰 car。这里的介词短语是副词性的；它回答的问题是：“你把车开到了哪里？”但这个副词性短语不能移动。我们大概不会写

Into the garage, we drove the car. 在车库里，我们把车开了进去。

When we’re trying to identify the function of the prepositional phrase, the most important point to consider is the meaning of the phrase. Does it reasonably apply to a noun or an action? What does it describe? 当我们试图识别介词短语的功能时，要考虑的最重要一点是这个短语的意思。它合理地适用于一个名词还是一个动作？它描述的是什么？

In other words, sometimes prepositional phrases—and other structures—are grammatically ambiguous. Consider this: 换句话说，有时介词短语——以及其他结构——在语法上是歧义的。请看这个：

Steve read the book in the living room. 史蒂夫在客厅里读了那本书。

Does in the living room describe the book Steve read? That is, he read the book that was in the living room. In that case, the phrase is adjectival. in the living room（在客厅里）描述的是史蒂夫读的那本书吗？也就是说，他读的是在客厅里的那本书。那样的话，这个短语是形容词性的。

But it might be adverbial: Steve was in the living room when he read the book. The sentence can plausibly be read either way, which is not at all unusual. 但它也可能是副词性的：史蒂夫读那本书时在客厅里。这个句子两种读法都说得通，这并不罕见。

To clarify, we could rewrite it this way: 为了澄清，我们可以这样改写：

In the living room, Steve read the book. 在客厅里，史蒂夫读了那本书。

Now the phrase is unmistakably adverbial. 现在这个短语无疑是副词性的。

There’s more. Adverbial prepositional phrases can also modify adjectives and adverbs. Below, they modify the adjectives sure and careless: 还有更多。副词性介词短语也可以修饰形容词和副词。下面，它们修饰形容词 sure 和 careless：

He was too sure of himself. 他太确信自己了。

He was careless with the dynamite. 他对待炸药不小心。

(By the way, both of the adjectives above are called predicate ** adjectives, which we’ll learn about later.) （顺便说一句，上面两个形容词都称为谓语形容词**（predicate adjectives），我们以后会学到。）

Next, these prepositional phrases modify the adverb far: 接下来，这些介词短语修饰副词 far：

Musial hit the ball far into left field. 穆夏尔把球击远飞向左外野。

We steered the boat far from the dock. 我们把船远远驶离了码头。

In the four examples above, the prepositional phrases follow the words they modify. These adverbial uses are less common than those modifying verbs, and they are not moveable. 在上面四个例子中，介词短语跟随它们所修饰的词。这些副词性用法不如修饰动词的那些常见，而且它们不能移动。

CONCERNING AND REGARDING OTHERS

关于 concerning 与 regarding 等

Along with those we’ve seen so far, there are more one-word prepositions that are unusual, because they look like verbs. Specifically, they’re the –ing form of verbs. Here’s a list of common ones, with objects: 除了我们目前见过的那些，还有更多不寻常的单词介词，因为它们看起来像动词。具体地说，它们是动词的 –ing 形式。以下是一个常见列表，附有宾语：

barring bad weather including her concerning the budget pending your letter considering the circumstances respecting your question counting you regarding that issue excepting me saving one last preposition following the instructions touching the matter （barring 除非 / including 包括 / concerning 关于 / pending 待…时 / considering 考虑到 / respecting 关于 / counting 包括 / regarding 关于 / excepting 除…外 / saving 除…外 / following 按照 / touching 关于）

Some of these look like participles (which are –ing verbs used adjectivally, a category we examine in Chapter 17). They may have begun life that way. (Words sometimes go downhill like that.) 其中一些看起来像分词（participles，即用作形容词的 –ing 动词，这是我们在第 17 章考察的一类）。它们可能最初就是这样产生的。（词有时也会这样堕落。）

Even the first list of prepositions contained one –ing word: during, with is a form of a verb we no longer use: dure, meaning endure. 就连第一份介词列表也包含一个 –ing 词：during（在…期间），它是我们不再使用的一个动词 dure（意为“忍受”）的形式。

Other prepositions that look a bit like participles include given and notwithstanding: 其他看起来有点像分词的介词包括 given 和 notwithstanding：

Given the weather, we should cancel the trip. Notwithstanding the weather, we’ll go anyway. 鉴于天气，我们应该取消旅行。尽管天气如此，我们还是要去。

Some authorities don’t accept all of the words above as prepositions. 有些权威不承认上面所有的词都是介词。

PHRASAL PREPOSITIONS

短语介词

This kind of preposition consists of a two-word phrase used as if it were one word. In the following examples, these phrasal prepositions are underlined: 这类介词由一个双词短语构成，用起来像是一个词。在下面的例子中，这些短语介词加了下划线：

according to the Bible instead of Stephanie as for Steve out of flour because of the time owing to the weather depending on the weather up to you except for Patrick （according to 根据 / instead of 代替 / as for 至于 / out of 没有 / because of 因为 / owing to 由于 / depending on 取决于 / up to 取决于 / except for 除…外）

But grammatical categories can be porous, and sometimes au- thorities disagree about a word or phrase. Some grammar books and dictionaries identify the following phrases (or others like them) as prepositions: 但语法范畴可以是通透的，有时权威们对一个词或短语会有分歧。有些语法书和词典把下列短语（或类似短语）认定为介词：

ahead of you contrary to opinion alongside of you due to him apart from you next to you away from you together with you close to you （ahead of 在…前面 / contrary to 与…相反 / alongside of 在…旁边 / due to 由于 / apart from 除…外 / next to 紧挨 / away from 远离 / together with 与…一起 / close to 靠近）

But there’s another way to analyze phrases like these. The first word could be read as an adjective or adverb depending on context, followed by a one-word preposition and its object (*of you, * *from you, *and the others). 但还有另一种分析这类短语的方法。第一个词根据语境可以读作形容词或副词，后面跟着一个单词介词及其宾语（of you、from you 等）。

For example, the prepositional phrases in the following sen- tences are adverbial, modifying the adjectives and adverbs they follow: We are ahead of them. We are next to them. Events were contrary to expectations. We pulled alongside of the truck. 例如，下面句子中的介词短语是副词性的，修饰它们所跟随的形容词和副词：我们在他们前面。我们在他们旁边。事件与预期相反。我们把车开到了卡车旁边。

Some authorities classify the following three-word phrases (and a few others) as prepositions: 有些权威把下列三词短语（以及少数其他短语）归为介词：

by means of in back of in case of in charge of in front of in search of （by means of 通过 / in back of 在…后面 / in case of 万一 / in charge of 负责 / in front of 在…前面 / in search of 寻找）

But in their usual contexts, these are better analyzed as a series of two prepositional phrases, as in these examples: By means of law, the project will be stopped. He is in charge of the unit. She is in front of the audience. Call me in case of an emergency. 但在通常的语境中，这些更好地被分析为两个介词短语的系列，如下例：通过法律，这个项目将被阻止。他负责这个单位。她在观众面前。万一有紧急情况，给我打电话。

So we’ll claim that prepositions are never more than two words long*. But don’t be surprised if you encounter grammar books and dictionaries that recognize some three-word English phrases as “phrasal prepositions” or “compound prepositions.” 所以我们主张介词从不超过两个词长。*但如果你遇到把某些英语三词短语认定为“短语介词”或“复合介词”的语法书和词典，也不要惊讶。

LA PRÉPOSITION

外来介词（LA PRÉPOSITION）

One remaining sub-class of prepositions are words borrowed from Latin and French. You’ll encounter them seldom, but most have their uses in certain contexts. 介词中剩下的一小类是从拉丁语和法语借来的词。你很少会遇到它们，但大多数在特定语境中有其用途。

à la [meaning “in the manner of”] He attempted to write à la H. P. Lovecraft. à la [意为“以…的风格”] 他试图以 H. P. 洛夫克拉夫特的风格写作。

bar [meaning “except for”] She is the best, bar none. bar [意为“除…之外”] 她是最棒的，无人能及。

circa [meaning “in approximately”] Chaucer was born circa 1340. circa [意为“大约”] 乔叟大约生于 1340 年。

cum [meaning “together with”] He has built an office cum workshop. cum [意为“与…一起”] 他建了一间兼具工作间的办公室。

per [meaning “for every”] This car gets twenty-one miles per gallon. per [意为“每”] 这辆车每加仑跑二十一英里。

re [meaning “about”] We are writing re your complaint. re [意为“关于”] 我们就你的投诉写信。

versus [meaning “against”; abbreviated v.] We studied the famous case of Griswold v. Connecticut. versus [意为“对抗”；缩写为 v.] 我们研究了著名的 Griswold v. Connecticut 案。

via [meaning “by way of”] We traveled via the Interminable Turnpike. via [意为“经由”] 我们经由无尽收费公路旅行。

vis-à-vis [meaning “compared with”] We will consider our expenses vis-à-vis our income. vis-à-vis [意为“与…相比”] 我们将把我们的支出与收入相比较。

In general, avoid these prepositions unless the context justifies them. Using them carelessly makes you seem pretentious, and there are perfectly good English words and phrases that you can use instead. 一般来说，除非语境需要，应避免使用这些介词。随意使用它们会让你显得做作，而且有完全好的英语词和短语可以替代。

POINTS FOR WRITERS

写给写作者的要点

1. Should you end a sentence with a preposition?

1. 该不该以介词结束句子？

One of the best-known rules of prescriptive grammar insists that we must never end sentences with prepositions. But, in fact, good professional writers do it all the time. 规范语法中最著名的规则之一坚持我们绝不能以介词结束句子。但事实上，优秀的专业作者一直在这样做。

You should be aware, however, that in formal contexts, some writers and editors regard sentences like the following as too informal or just plain wrong: 不过你应该知道，在正式语境中，有些作者和编辑认为下面这样的句子过于口语化，或者干脆就是错的：

He is the person who I want you to give this to. 他是我希望你把这件东西给的人。

This sentence troubles some readers for one or two reasons. First, the preposition to is no longer before its object, who. In fact, the preposition and its object are widely separated. Second, by the strictest rules of grammar, who should be whom. 这个句子让一些读者困扰，原因有一两个。首先，介词 to 不再位于其宾语 who 之前。事实上，介词和它的宾语被远远分开了。其次，按照最严格的语法规则，who 应该是 whom。

Some editors and writers would prefer this version of the sentence: 有些编辑和作者会更喜欢这个版本的句子：

He is the person to whom I want you to give this. 他是我希望你把这件东西交给的人。

Still other editors might find this corrected version excessively formal for some purposes and readers because of whom and the placement of the prepositional phrase. 还有一些编辑可能会觉得这个改正后的版本因 whom 和介词短语的位置，对某些目的和读者来说过于正式。

If necessary, we can usually rewrite an entire sentence to elim- inate problems like these, as the next two possible revisions show: Give this to him. He should get this. 如有必要，我们通常可以改写整个句子来消除这类问题，如下面两种可能的改法：把这件给他。他应该得到这件。

2. Unnecessary prepositions.

2. 不必要的介词。

It’s always a mistake to add an unnecessary preposition to a sentence. Here are some examples: 给句子加上不必要的介词总是个错误。以下是一些例子：

She got off of the train this morning. Where did you find her at? She was waiting beside of the station. 她今天早上从火车上下来。你在哪里找到她的？她在车站旁边等着。

These are not colossal errors, but deleting unnecessary words is always a good thing to do. 这些不是大错，但删去不必要的词总是一件好事。

EXERCISES

练习

6a. In the following sentences underline the prepositional phrases and double-underline the preposition. Some sentences contain more than one prepositional phrase. If you need to, refer to the lists of prepositions in this chapter. 6a. 在下列句子中，给介词短语加下划线，并给介词加双下划线。有些句子包含不止一个介词短语。如果需要，请查阅本章的介词列表。

In the morning, I drink coffee with cream.
早上，我喝加奶油的咖啡。
As a rule, I never put sugar in it.
作为一个习惯，我从不往里加糖。
Amid cars and trucks, Edwina ran across the street.
在汽车和卡车之间，埃德温娜跑过了街道。
I am looking for the owner of this dog.
我在找这只狗的主人。
Are you referring to the dog that is nipping at your leg?
你指的是那只咬你腿的狗吗？
Throughout the book, the author emphasizes the influence
全书之中，作者强调了历史对我们事件认知的影响。 of history upon our perception of events.
Like Arthur, I walked down the hall and paid no attention to
像阿瑟一样，我走过走廊，对办公室里的噪音毫不在意。 the noise within the office.
According to Arthur, the noise out of the office was because
据阿瑟说，办公室传出的噪音是因为埃德和格雷斯之间的争吵。 of an argument between Ed and Grace.
Arthur should not have been left in charge of the office
夏天期间，不该让阿瑟负责办公室。 during the summer.
In case of further conflicts, we should make plans regarding
万一有进一步冲突，我们应该制定关于所有员工适当培训的计划。 appropriate training for all employees.

6b. After you finish Exercise 6a, go back through the ten sentences above and decide if the prepositional phrases are adjectival (ADJ) or adverbial (ADV), and label them accordingly. 6b. 完成练习 6a 后，回过头看上面十个句子，判断介词短语是形容词性的（ADJ）还是副词性的（ADV），并相应标注。

Remember that adjectival prepositional phrases usually follow the nouns they modify and describe those nouns in some way. 记住，形容词性介词短语通常跟随它们所修饰的名词，并以某种方式描述那些名词。

Adverbial prepositional phrases often follow the verb or appear at the beginning of the sentence. Adverbials tell us when, where, * why, or how the action takes place. They are often moveable. 副词性介词短语通常跟随动词，或出现在句子开头。副词性短语告诉我们动作发生何时、何地、为何或如何*。它们通常可以移动。