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Chapter 6

Among the Prepositions 介词（preposition）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、简单且非常实用的词。我们使用介词来创建被称为介词短语（prepositional phrase）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，我们可以将一个名词短语——称为介词宾语（object of the preposition）——与句子中的另一个词连接起来。介词及其宾语一起构成介词短语。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 prepositions 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示例。介词加下划线，其余词是介词宾语（某些情况下带修饰语）：

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

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.

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——大概一百个左右。以下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:

如果你时常浏览以下列表（约七十个），并在需要时参考它，你会更容易识别介词短语。词典也总是可以帮助你识别它们：

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 / 意为"除了") 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

We'll look at more prepositions shortly.

我们稍后会看到更多介词。

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.

介词最重要的特征是它通常后跟其宾语。你必须谨慎地将一个词归类为介词，因为它们中的很多也充当其他类型的词——特别是副词。有些还可以是我们稍后将学习的特殊类型的词，如分词（participle）或短语动词（phrasal verb）中的小品词（particle）。词典可以帮助你做出区分。

MORE EXAMPLES 更多示例

Prepositional phrases serve a remarkable variety of purposes. Here are a few of their common uses, with prepositional phrases in the right-hand columns in the examples below.

介词短语服务于极其多样的目的。以下是它们的一些常见用法，介词短语在以下示例中位于右侧列。

Prepositional phrases often indicate relative spatial positions, as in these examples modifying nouns (i.e., they're all adjectival phrases):

介词短语通常表示相对空间位置，如下面这些修饰名词的示例（即它们都是形容词性短语 / adjectival phrase）：

the alley --- behind [or beside] our house, on our block the shingles --- on top of our house the shingle --- on the roof the plate --- in the cupboard, by itself the shoe --- under [or by] the sofa, without the other the picture --- above the sofa, of Dorian Gray

Prepositional phrases often indicate relative direction of movement, as in these adverbial examples:

介词短语通常表示相对运动方向，如下列副词性示例：

driving --- by your house, down the street going --- to your house, up the street going --- into [or in] your house going --- through [or around] your house leaving --- from your house throwing --- at your house (Well, that relationship went downhill in a hurry. / 嗯，这段关系急转直下。)

Prepositional phrases can also indicate time relationships, as in these adverbial examples:

介词短语也可以表示时间关系，如下列副词性示例：

We'll meet --- after the film. We'll meet --- at 8 pm. We'll meet --- during the meeting. We'll meet --- before dinner. We'll meet --- for twenty minutes. We'll meet --- until 8 pm.

And some prepositional phrases are just creepy:

有些介词短语就是有点诡异：

The old house --- at the top of the hill The motel --- in the middle of nowhere The woman --- in the shower

ADJECTIVAL OR ADVERBIAL? 形容词性的还是副词性的？

As we've just seen, prepositional phrases are used as adjectives or adverbs---that is, they're used adjectivally or adverbially. Adjectival prepositional phrases usually follow the nouns they modify. The following sentences contain adjectival prepositional phrases, and we've underlined the entire phrase:

正如我们刚刚看到的，介词短语被用作形容词或副词——也就是说，它们以形容词方式或副词方式使用。形容词性介词短语通常跟在它们所修饰的名词之后。以下句子包含形容词性介词短语，我们为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.

In each of the sentences above, the prepositional phrase modifies the noun it follows.

在上述每个句子中，介词短语修饰它后面紧跟的名词。

In the sentences below, the adverbial prepositional phrases are underlined:

在以下句子中，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.

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、为何或如何执行的。

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:

我们之前了解到，修饰动词的副词通常是可移动的。在以下句子中，我们看到一些加下划线的副词性介词短语也是可移动的。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.

Little Ruthie practiced the violin for two hours. For two hours, little Ruthie practiced the violin.

Mr. Lochenhocher would rather listen to the dog. I've heard Ruthie play, and I'm with Lochenhocher.

We can't move the adverbial prepositional phrases in the last two sentences.

最后两个句子中的副词性介词短语无法移动。

Sometimes the guidelines for distinguishing adverbial and adjectival phrases don't work as well as we'd like. Here's another example:

有时区分副词性短语和形容词性短语的准则效果不如我们希望的那样好。下面是另一个例子：

We drove the car into the garage.

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 之后，但该短语显然不修饰 car。这里介词短语是副词性的；它回答这个问题："你把车开到哪里了？"但这个副词性短语是不可移动的。我们可能不会写：

Into the garage, we drove the car.

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，要考虑的最重要的一点是短语的含义。它是否合理地适用于一个名词或一个动作？它描述了什幺？

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。考虑这个例子：

Steve read the book in the living room.

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 描述的是 Steve 读的那本书吗？也就是说，他读了那本在客厅里的书。在这种情况下，该短语是形容词性的。

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.

但它可能是副词性的：Steve 读那本书时在客厅里。这个句子可以合理地按两种方式解读，这完全不罕见。

To clarify, we could rewrite it this way:

为了澄清，我们可以这样重写它：

In the living room, Steve read the book.

Now the phrase is unmistakably adverbial.

现在该短语毫无疑问是副词性的。

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。在下面，它们修饰形容词 sure 和 careless：

He was too sure of himself. He was careless with the dynamite.

(By the way, both of the adjectives above are called predicate adjectives, which we'll learn about later.)

（顺便说一下，上面两个形容词都是表语形容词 / predicate adjective，我们稍后会学习。）

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. We steered the boat far from the dock.

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.

在上面四个示例中，介词短语跟在它们所修饰的词之后。这些副词性用法比那些修饰动词的用法少见，并且它们是不可移动的。

CONCERNING AND REGARDING OTHERS 关于 concerning 和其他

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:

除了我们迄今看到的那些，还有更多单音节介词是不寻常的，因为它们看起来像动词。具体来说，它们是动词的 -ing 形式。以下是一些常见的，带宾语：

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

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.) 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.

其中有些看起来像分词（participle，即以形容词方式使用的 -ing 动词，这是我们将在第 17 章中考察的一个类别）。它们可能最初就是这样来的。（词汇有时就是这样走下坡路的。）甚至第一个介词列表中就包含一个 -ing 词：during，它来自一个我们不再使用的动词形式：dure，意为"忍受 / endure"。

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.

Some authorities don't accept all of the words above as prepositions.

有些权威不认可上面所有词都是介词。

PHRASAL PREPOSITIONS 短语介词（phrasal preposition）

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:

这类介词由一个二词短语构成，像一个词一样使用。在以下示例中，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

But grammatical categories can be porous, and sometimes authorities disagree about a word or phrase. Some grammar books and dictionaries identify the following phrases (or others like them) as prepositions:

但语法类别可以是多孔的，有时权威对某个词或短语持不同意见。有些语法书和词典将以下短语（或类似的其他短语）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

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).

但这些短语还有另一种分析方式。根据语境，第一个词可以被解读为形容词或副词，后跟一个单音节介词及其宾语（of you、from you 等等）。

For example, the prepositional phrases in the following sentences are adverbial, modifying the adjectives and adverbs they follow:

例如，以下句子中的介词短语是副词性的，修饰它们所跟的形容词和副词：

We are ahead of them. We are next to them. Events were contrary to expectations. We pulled alongside of the truck.

Some authorities classify the following three-word phrases (and a few others) as prepositions:

有些权威将以下三词短语（以及其他几个）归类为介词：

by means of in back of in case of in charge of in front of in search of

But in their usual contexts, these are better analyzed as a series of two prepositional phrases, as in these examples:

但它们在通常的语境中，更好的分析是视为两个介词短语的序列，如下例所示：

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.

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."

因此我们将主张介词从不超过两个词长。但如果你遇到将一些三词英语短语认定为"短语介词"或"复合介词（compound preposition）"的语法书和词典，也不要感到惊讶。

LA PRÉPOSITION 法语借词介词

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.

剩下的一小类介词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" / 意为"以……的方式"] He attempted to write à la H. P. Lovecraft.

bar [meaning "except for" / 意为"除了"] She is the best, bar none.

circa [meaning "in approximately" / 意为"大约在"] Chaucer was born circa 1340.

cum [meaning "together with" / 意为"连同"] He has built an office cum workshop.

per [meaning "for every" / 意为"每"] This car gets twenty-one miles per gallon.

re [meaning "about" / 意为"关于"] We are writing re your complaint.

versus [meaning "against"; abbreviated v. / 意为"对阵"；缩写为 v.] We studied the famous case of Griswold v. Connecticut.

via [meaning "by way of" / 意为"经由"] We traveled via the Interminable Turnpike.

vis-à-vis [meaning "compared with" / 意为"相对于"] We will consider our expenses vis-à-vis our income.

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.

总的来说，除非语境有充足理由，否则避免使用这些介词。随意使用它们会让你显得自命不凡，而且有完全可以替换的好英语词汇和短语可以使用。

POINTS FOR WRITERS 写作要点

1. Should you end a sentence with a preposition? 你应该以介词结尾吗？

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.

规范语法最著名的规则之一坚持认为我们绝不能以介词结尾。但事实上，出色的专业作者一直这样做。

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:

然而，你应该意识到，在正式语境中，有些作者和编辑认为如下句子过于非正式或根本就是错误的：

He is the person who I want you to give this to.

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.

这个句子出于一两个原因让一些读者感到困扰。首先，介词 to 不再位于其宾语 who 之前。事实上，介词与其宾语相距甚远。其次，按最严格的语法规则，who 应为 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句子的以下版本：

He is the person to whom I want you to give this.

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认为这个修正版本由于 whom 和介词短语的位置，对于某些目的和读者来说过于正式。

If necessary, we can usually rewrite an entire sentence to eliminate problems like these, as the next two possible revisions show:

如有必要，我们通常可以重写整个句子以消除此类问题，如下面两个可能的修改所示：

Give this to him. He should get this.

2. Unnecessary prepositions. 不必要的介词。

It's always a mistake to add an unnecessary preposition to a sentence. Here are some examples:

在句子中添加不必要的介词始终是一个错误。以下是一些示例：

She got off of the train this morning. Where did you find her at? She was waiting beside of the station.

These are not colossal errors, but deleting unnecessary words is always a good thing to do.

这些并非巨大错误，但删除不必要的词始终是件好事。

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.

在以下句子中，给介词短语加下划线，给介词加双下划线。有些句子包含不止一个介词短语。如有需要，请参考本章中的介词列表。

  1. In the morning, I drink coffee with cream.
  2. As a rule, I never put sugar in it.
  3. Amid cars and trucks, Edwina ran across the street.
  4. I am looking for the owner of this dog.
  5. Are you referring to the dog that is nipping at your leg?
  6. Throughout the book, the author emphasizes the influence of history upon our perception of events.
  7. Like Arthur, I walked down the hall and paid no attention to the noise within the office.
  8. According to Arthur, the noise out of the office was because of an argument between Ed and Grace.
  9. Arthur should not have been left in charge of the office during the summer.
  10. In case of further conflicts, we should make plans regarding 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.

完成练习 6a 后，回过头来通读上面十个句子，判断介词短语是形容词性的（ADJ）还是副词性的（ADV），并相应标记。

Remember that adjectival prepositional phrases usually follow the nouns they modify and describe those nouns in some way. 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.

请记住，形容词性介词短语通常跟在它们所修饰的名词之后，并以某种方式描述那些名词。副词性介词短语通常跟在动词之后或出现在句首。副词性结构告诉我们动作发生的时间、地点、原因或方式。它们通常是可移动的。