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《英语基础词汇惯用法词典》连载

2017-10-17来源:和谐英语

 

 

ability n.

1. 表示“能力”、“能够”,多为不可数名词;表示“才能”、“才干”,多用复数形式。如:

He is a man of ability. 他是位有能力的人。

He is a man of many abilities. 他是位多才多艺的人。

2. 表示有能力做某事或具有做某事的能力等,其后通常要接不定式。如:

He has the ability to speak English fluently. 他能流利地说英语

The ability to be clearly heard is extremely important for newsreaders. 声音宏亮清晰对新闻广播员来说极为重要。

但在现代英语中,也可后接 of doing sth(不如接不定式普遍,建议初学者谨用)。如:

I admire his ability of doing the work quickly. 我羡慕他工作做得快。

3. ability的反义词是inability,不是disability——inability表示没有能力或没有才能,而disability则指因先天缺陷或受伤变残而导致的无能。如:

Physical disability causes mental anguish. 生理伤残会引起心理苦闷。

His inability to speak French puts him at a disadvantage. 他不会说法语,这使他很吃亏。

 

able adj.

1. 表示“有能力的”、“能干的”,可用作表语或定语。如:

He is an able manager. 他是位有能力的经理。

He is old but still able. 他虽年老,但仍有很能干。

2. 用于 be able to do sth(能或会做做某事)。如:

He is able to speak English. 他会说英语

Everyone here is able to type. 这儿的每一个人都会打字。

He will be able to get about in a week or two. 再过一两个星期左右他就能走动了。

He studied hard and was able to pass his examinations.

学习很努力,所以考试及了格。

注:be able to 不仅有多种时态形式(通常不用于进行时或与 be going to 连用),而且还可以与某些情态动词连用(通常不与 can 连用),甚至还可以有非谓语形式。如:

Since his accident he hasn’t been able to leave the house. 自出事之后,他一直未能离开家。

You might be able to persuade him. 你也许能够说服他。

I hope to be able to do the work. 我希望能干得了这项工作。

I regret not being able to help her. 我很遗憾未能帮助她。

3. able 的比较级和最高级通常是 abler 和 ablest,也可以是 more able 和 most able,有时还可用 better able和best able。如:

You are better able to do it than I (am). 你比我更有能力做这件事。

She’s the person best able to cope. 她是个最能妥善处理问题的人。

4. 若要加强语气,其前除可very, quite, perfectly等修饰外,有时还可用well修饰。如:

He is quite [well] able to take care of himself. 他完全有能力照顾自己。

He’s a very able student; he’s just too lazy. 他是个很有能力的学生,只是太懒了。

若受just, only just修饰,则表示“只能”“仅能”。如:

I was just able to make out a dark figure in the distance. 我只能看见远处有个黑影。

5. able的反义词是unable(不能的,不会的),不是disable,后者是动词,其意为“使残废”“使无能力”。比较:

They were unable to reach a decision. 他们没法做出决定。

Now that he was disabled, his house had become a prison to him. 因为他残废了,他的房子就成了他的牢笼。

 

about prep. & adv.

1. 表示“大约”,通常用于数字前。如:

It costs about $10. 这需10美元左右。

He arrived at about 10 o’clock. 他大约10点钟到达。

2. 在动词 know, hear, speak 等之后用不用介词 about, 含义有差别。如:

I have heard about him, but I don’t know him. 我听到过一些关于他的事,但不认识他这个人。

I’ve heard of him, but I don’t know about him. 我听说过他,但我不知道有关他的情况。

试比较:

He knows her. 他认识她。

He knows of her. 他知道有她这样一个人。

He knows about her. 他知道有关她的情况。

3. be about to (do),意为“即将”、“马上”。注意该短语不与具体的时间状语(如:soon, tomorrow, immediately 等)连用。如:

We are about to leave for Beijing. 我们正要动身去北京。

不说:He is about to leave here tomorrow.

注意该短语可与并列连词 when(这时)连用。如:

I was (just) about to go to bed when the telephone rang. 我正要上床睡觉,这时电话铃突然响了起来。

在美国英语中,be about to do sth 的否定式,可表示“不愿意做某事”。如:

I am not about to admit defeat. 我还不想认输。

4. about和on均可表示“关于”,但about主要指泛泛地或非正式地谈论某事,其谈论的内容也较为普通;而on则指比较有系统地或理论性较强地论述某事,其论述的内容较正式或较严肃。比较:

He wrote on mathematics. 他撰写数学著作。

He wrote about the school. 他报道有关这所学校的情况。

It is a book on birds. 那是一本论及鸟类的书。(可能是一本学术著作)

It is a book about birds. 那是一本关于鸟的书。(可能是一本供小孩看的关于鸟类的故事书)

5. 注意不要按汉语意思,在一些及物动词后误加介词 about,而在一些不及物动词后该加 about 时却漏加。如:

他没什么不满吧?

误:He has nothing to complain, does he?

正:He has nothing to complain about, does he?

析:表示抱怨某事时,complain 不及物,其后需接介词 about 或 of 再带名词或代词作宾语。(本句中 about 的逻辑宾语是 nothing)

我们会尽快讨论此事的。

误:We'll discuss about it as soon as possible.

正:We'll discuss it as soon as possible.

析:discuss(讨论)为及物动词,后接宾语时,无需用介词。类似地,英语说 consider sth, 而不说 consider about sth;可说 doubt sth, 而不说 doubt about sth;可说 explain sth,而不说 explain about sth;可说 report sth,而不说 report about sth;等等。