跳转至

Chapter 5

Inevitably, Adverbs 副词（adverb），不可避免

Adverbs are another important kind of modifier. Here's a definition that we'll refer to time and again:

副词是另一种重要的修饰语。以下是我们将反复引用的定义：

Adverbs are words that modify verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs.

副词是修饰动词、形容词和其他副词的词。

When adverbs modify verbs, they indicate when, where, why, or how the action was performed.

当副词修饰动词时，它们表示动作是何时、何地、为何或如何进行（when, where, why, how）的。

Let's begin with the simple sentence He ran. Ran is a verb and the complete predicate in this sentence, and we can expand the predicate by adding any possible adverb:

让我们从简单句子 He ran 开始。Ran 是这个句子中的动词和完整谓语（complete predicate），我们可以通过添加任何可能的副词来扩展谓语：

He ran quickly.

Instead of quickly, we could use slowly, clumsily, gracefully, erratically, fast, then, later, and many others.

除了 quickly，我们还可以使用 slowly、clumsily、gracefully、erratically、fast、then、later 以及许多其他词。

All the adverbs we can add to He ran answer this question: "When, where, why, or how did he run?" Common adverbs that modify verbs include soon, later, now, then, before, after, here, there, forward, backward, badly, well, far, also, not, too, and many more.

所有我们可以添加到 He ran 的副词都回答这个问题："他何时、何地、为何或如何跑的？"修饰动词的常见副词包括 soon、later、now、then、before、after、here、there、forward、backward、badly、well、far、also、not、too 等等。

Remember the point we saw in Chapter 3: When a word appears between an auxiliary verb and the main verb, it's an adverb that modifies the main verb:

记住我们在第 3 章中看到的要点：当一个词出现在助动词和主动词之间时，它就是修饰主动词的副词：

He had finally stopped the noise.

Remember, too, that all the adverbs we add to a sentence to modify the verb are part of the complete predicate.

也请记住，我们添加到句子中以修饰动词的所有副词都是完整谓语的一部分。

When adverbs modify adjectives, they appear before the adjective and modify the quality expressed by the adjective:

当副词修饰形容词时，它们出现在形容词之前，修饰形容词所表达的性质：

The bright red car sped away.

We use (and overuse) several adverbs to modify adverbs, particularly very. We could write quite, extremely, somewhat, or rather. Here, the adverb helps to describe the color of the red car.

我们使用（并且过度使用）几个副词来修饰副词，特别是 very。我们也可以写 quite、extremely、somewhat 或 rather。在这里，副词帮助描述红色汽车的颜色。

When adverbs modify other adverbs, adverbs modify the quality expressed by the other adverb:

当副词修饰其他副词时，副词修饰另一个副词所表达的性质：

Mr. Morton ran quite quickly.

Instead of quite, we could write somewhat, very, a bit, rather, more, or less. Here, adverbs answer the question, "How quickly did Mr. Morton run?"

除了 quite，我们也可以写 somewhat、very、a bit、rather、more 或 less。在这里，副词回答这个问题："莫顿先生跑得有多快？"

Notice that, when adverbs modify adjectives or other adverbs, they nearly always appear just before the word they modify.

请注意，当副词修饰形容词或其他副词时，它们几乎总是紧邻其所修饰的词之前出现。

Clearly adverbs are a diverse class of words; they have a great many uses and forms.

显然，副词是一个多样化的词类；它们有非常多的用法和形式。

COMPARISONS OF ADVERBS 副词的比较级

Some adverbs, like many adjectives, have three forms, which together make the comparison of the adverb:

有些副词和许多形容词一样，有三种形式，它们一起构成副词的比较：

Positive（原级） Comparative（比较级） Superlative（最高级）

close closer closest

fast faster fastest

early earlier earliest

warmly more warmly most warmly

generously more generously most generously

suspiciously more suspiciously most suspiciously

Here again, we use the positive when we're describing the action or quality of one thing, we use the comparative when we're comparing two (and only two), and we use the superlative when we're comparing three or more.

这里同样地，我们在描述一个事物的动作或性质时使用原级，在比较两个（且仅两个）事物时使用比较级，在比较三个或更多时使用最高级。

A relatively small number of adverbs form comparisons with the -er and -est suffixes:

相对少数的副词通过后缀 -er 和 -est 构成比较：

Susan runs fast. Susan runs faster than Alice. In fact, she runs fastest of all.

The examples above show that some adverbs (like fast) resemble adjectives with little or no difference in spelling or pronunciation, but with a clear difference in their use. This is obvious if we compare the three sentences above about Susan with the similar sentences we saw in Chapter 4:

上述示例显示，有些副词（如 fast）与形容词相似，在拼写或读音上几乎没有差别，但在用法上有明显区别。如果我们把上述关于 Susan 的三个句子与第 4 章中看到的类似句子进行比较，这一点就很明显了：

Susan is a fast runner. Susan is a faster runner than Alice. In fact, she's the fastest runner of all.

With fast (and some words like it), we can distinguish the adverb fast from the adjective fast only by the context. When we use a word like fast to modify a verb, grammarians say that we use it adverbially.

对于 fast（以及一些类似的词），我们只能通过语境来区分副词 fast 和形容词 fast。当我们用像 fast 这样的词修饰动词时，语法学家说我们以副词方式（adverbially）使用它。

Most of the adverbs that end with -ly use the more and most comparisons. Dictionaries can always help you find the right forms.

大多数以 -ly 结尾的副词使用 more 和 most 构成比较。词典总是可以帮助你找到正确的形式。

THOSE MOST IRREGULAR COMPARISONS 那些最不规则的比较

There are also irregular adverbs that don't follow the usual patterns. They are some of the most commonly used adverbs, so you know most of them already:

也有不遵循通常模式的不规则副词（irregular adverb）。它们是一些最常用的副词，所以你已经知道其中大多数：

Positive（原级） Comparative（比较级） Superlative（最高级）

badly worse worst

well better best

little less least

much (or many) more most

far farther / further farthest / furthest

Far requires some attention. In prescriptive grammar, far, farther, and farthest are supposed to be used to describe physical distance:

Far 需要一些关注。在规范语法（prescriptive grammar）中，far、farther 和 farthest 应该用于描述物理距离：

He ran farther than I did.

Far, further, and furthest are to be used in every other kind of situation:

Far、further 和 furthest 用于所有其他类型的情况：

He went further in school than I did.

It's no surprise that some writers find this distinction unnecessary, especially because most Americans aren't even aware of it. These writers argue that the adverb is always clear no matter which form is used, so we need to settle on one set of comparisons and use it in most or all situations.

毫不奇怪，有些作者认为这种区分不必要，尤其是因为大多数美国人甚至不知道这一点。这些作者认为，无论使用哪种形式，副词总是清楚的，因此我们需要确定一套比较形式，并在大多数或所有情况下使用它。

But there is no clear consensus on how to simplify the far comparison. (That word is far too troublesome.) In your professional writing, an editor or supervisor may expect you to do it the prescriptive way.

但对于如何简化 far 的比较没有明确的共识。（这个词真是太麻烦了。）在你的专业写作中，编辑或主管可能期望你按照规范方式使用。

NOUNS USED ADVERBIALLY 用作副词的名词

Used correctly, other words can modify verbs---particularly nouns that specify where, how, or when the action occurred:

如果使用正确，其他词也可以修饰动词——特别是说明动作发生的地点、方式或时间的名词：

We walked home. We walked single file.

This may seem odd, but it will be clearer when we discuss form, function, and parts of speech in Chapter 16.

这可能看起来奇怪，但当我们在第 16 章讨论形式、功能和词性时会更清楚。

Nouns regarding time are commonly used adverbially:

关于时间的名词常以副词方式使用：

They celebrated her birthday yesterday. Tomorrow we go on vacation. Monday we return from vacation. They worked in the yard Saturday.

Nouns can also function adverbially to modify adjectives. In these sentences, the modified adjective is in bold:

名词也可以以副词方式用来修饰形容词。在这些句子中，被修饰的形容词以粗体显示：

My son is now four feet tall. My daughter is two inches taller. They worked all day long.

Finally, adverbial nouns can modify other adverbs. In these sentences, the modified adverbs are in bold:

最后，副词性名词可以修饰其他副词。在这些句子中，被修饰的副词以粗体显示：

I wish we had left a day later. We can go ten miles farther.

CURIOUS ADVERBS: WHEN, WHERE, WHY, AND HOW 好奇的副词：when、where、why 和 how

When, where, why, and how are four of the most important adverbs in our language. They are the interrogative adverbs, the ones we use to ask questions. We usually place them at or near the beginning of a question:

When、where、why 和 how 是我们语言中最重要的四个副词。它们是疑问副词（interrogative adverb），是我们用来提问的那些副词。我们通常将它们放在疑问句的开头或接近开头处：

Where are you going? When will you be back?

There are of course other useful question words, like who or what, but those are interrogative pronouns, which we'll learn about in Chapter 19.

当然还有其他有用的疑问词，如 who 或 what，但那些是疑问代词（interrogative pronoun），我们将在第 19 章中学习。

In this chapter, we've learned that nouns can be used adverbially, and the interrogative adverbs return the favor. Sometimes they are used as nouns:

在本章中，我们了解到名词可以以副词方式使用，而疑问副词也回报同样的恩惠。有时它们被用作名词：

I know I'm supposed to be someplace today, but I can't remember where or when.

POINTS FOR WRITERS 写作要点

1. Place adverbs correctly. 正确放置副词。

Adverbs that modify verbs are often moveable; they can be placed in several places in the sentence without changing the meaning:

修饰动词的副词通常是可移动的；它们可以放置在句子的几个位置而不改变含义：

Quickly Phil called the police. Phil quickly called the police. Phil called the police quickly.

Quietly the children hurried home. The children quietly hurried home. The children hurried home quietly.

Then he ran. He then ran. He ran then.

The three underlined adverbs obviously work in several places in the sentence. Moving them doesn't alter the meaning, although it may alter the rhythm or emphasis in the sentence. But moving some words, like only or however, can change the meaning:

这三个加下划线的副词显然在句子的多个位置都能使用。移动它们不会改变含义，但可能改变句子的节奏或强调。然而，移动某些词，如 only 或 however，会改变含义：

Only Mr. Morton broke the vase. [Mr. Morton broke it all by himself.] [莫顿先生独自一人打碎它的。]

Mr. Morton only broke the vase. [He didn't do anything else to it.] [他没有对它做任何其他事。]

Mr. Morton broke only the vase. [He didn't break anything else---yet.] [他还没有打碎其他任何东西。]

As we move only, the new contexts change its meaning in the sentences above. (In the first sentence, only is an adjective.)

随着我们移动 only，新的语境改变了它在上述句子中的含义。（在第一个句子中，only 是形容词。）

2. Distinguish good and well. 区分 good 和 well。

Writing for publication or for other professional reasons, you must observe the distinction between good and well:

为出版或其他专业原因写作时，你必须遵守 good 和 well 之间的区别：

He is a good writer. He writes well. [Never write He writes good.]

Good is an adjective. Well is sometimes an adverb and sometimes an adjective, depending on context. It can be an adjective meaning healthy, in sentences like this:

Good 是形容词。Well 有时是副词，有时是形容词，取决于语境。在如下句子中，它可以是意为"健康的"的形容词：

Finally my son is well.

It's hard to use well well. Probably everyone has confused good and well in casual conversation at one time or another, and there it seldom matters. But readers and editors will assume that you're a careless writer if you confuse the two in your professional work.

要好好使用 well 不容易。可能每个人都在日常会话中某个时候混淆过 good 和 well，在那里很少有关系。但如果你在专业工作中混淆这两个词，读者和编辑会认为你是个粗心的作者。

EXERCISES 练习

These exercises refer to matters you've read about in the last two chapters. Don't hesitate to turn back to Chapter 4 if you need to review.

以下练习涉及你在前两章中读到过的内容。如果需要复习，请随时翻回第 4 章。

5a. In the following sentences, mark the underlined words to classify them as adjectives (ADJ) or adverbs (ADV). Count the articles a, an, and the as adjectives. The adverbs here modify verbs only. Here are examples to help:

在以下句子中，标记加下划线的词，将其分类为形容词（ADJ）或副词（ADV）。将冠词 a、an 和 the 算作形容词。这里的副词仅修饰动词。以下是帮助示例：

ADJ ADJ This is a pleasant day. ADJ ADJ ADV The small child runs quickly. ADJ ADJ ADV The other child runs faster.

  1. The smaller child learned the simplest tasks.
  2. The child learns eagerly.
  3. John almost had an answer to the difficult question.
  4. Father always encourages realistic thinking.
  5. The furious family did not wait to see the busy manager.
  6. A thick, wet snow fell softly.
  7. Silently, a strange man in a black cape stood in the shadows.

5b. Write the comparative and superlative forms of these adverbs; use a dictionary when you need to.

写出以下副词的比较级和最高级形式；需要时使用词典。

  1. Fast
  2. Quickly
  3. Slowly
  4. Angrily
  5. Carefully
  6. Well
  7. Badly
  8. Early
  9. Far (referring to geographical distance / 指地理距离)
  10. Often

5c. In these sentences, classify the underlined adverbs: Do they modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs?

在这些句子中，将加下划线的副词分类：它们是修饰动词、形容词还是其他副词？

  1. Your mistake was a very small one.
  2. He does well when he tries hard.
  3. He does quite well when he tries.
  4. The secretary's notes are evidently missing.
  5. Now we finally have the notes.
  6. We took notes rather rapidly, but we could not keep up.
  7. We still need good notes.

5d. Correct the errors in the underlined adjectives and adverbs, which may include suffixes or, in some cases, the placement of the word. Some are correct.

纠正加下划线的形容词和副词中的错误，这些错误可能涉及后缀，或在某些情况下涉及词的放置。有些是正确的。

  1. Esther and Ryan play good, but Esther plays best.
  2. By sunset we will have hiked ten miles or further.
  3. The library has the most complete book on baseball.
  4. Bob was the student only left behind. [Here the writer is trying to say that no one else was left behind. / 这里作者试图表达没有其他人被落下。]
  5. Final we reached the motel.
  6. Be real careful on this highway.
  7. We saw that Bart looked sadly.
  8. Bart was looking sad at his wrecked car.
  9. Bart was feeling sadly on his way home.
  10. In the lab, we measured the results as precise as we could.