6. after

《英汉对照医院会话》第57页:

Come again after three days and we'll examine the wound. 三天以后来看看伤口。

【评】“介词after+表示一段时间的词语”通常用于动词过去时,因“after”以过去为起点(例如:He came again after three days. 三天后他又来了。)上述例句中的应以介词“in”代替。“in+表示一段时间的词语”通常可用于非持续性动词将来时,表示“某一段时间以后”。现各举几个例子如下:

① He left for Shanghai after three weeks. 他三周后动身到上海去了。[“after three weeks”也可用“three weeks after”代替,这时“after”是用作副词。]

② We arrived at an agreement after a while. 过了一会儿我们达成了一个协议 ·

③ He will meet us in two days. 他将在两天后会见我们。

④ He said he would meet us in two days. 他说他将在两天后会见我们。

有关介词“after”(表示时间意义)的其他用法,拙作《英语介词after短语的用法》(《世界科学》1983年第1期第61页)已论述过,本文不重复了

7. and

Correcting Common Errors in English第28页:

误:There were a hundred twenty-five dollars.

正;There were a hundred and twenty-five dollars.

【评】三位以上的数,在十位数之前(如无十位数则在个位数之前)加用“and”是英美通用的表达法,但在美国英语中“and”往往省略。又如:

101 one(或a)hundred(and)one

234 two hundredand)thirty-four

1,001 one(或a)thousand(and)one

6,078 six thousand(and)seventy-eight

12,345 twelve thousand three hundred(and)forty-five

8. among

《外贸英文书信》第316页:

This Agreement is entered into on the 28th July,1979 by and among China National Textiles Import & Export Corporation Beijing Branch,Rena Gabriel HK Ltd and Beijing Shirt Factory…本协议于一九七九年七月二十八日由中国纺织品进出口公司北京分公司,丽娜 · 加伯利尔有限公司和北京衬衫厂签订。

【评】该句中的介词“among”应改为“between”。有许多书说“between”表示两者之间的关系,“among”表示三者或三者以上的关系。这种说法不够确切,容易使人误用。一般讲,这两个介词的根本区别是:“among”表示某一事物与其周围事物之间整体的和笼统的关系、而“between”表示某一事物与其周围事物之间单独的和个别的关系,此外,表示“合作”和“协力”的意思时,一般也用“between”,不用“among”,即使涉及的事物不止两个。下面的例句可使我们进一步理解这两个介词的不同用法:

① The books and magazines were divided among the students. 书和杂志分给学生们了。

② The books and magazines were divided between A,B,C and D. 书和杂志分给甲、乙、丙和丁了。

③ Please divide this cake among them(among the three children,between the two children). 请把这块蛋糕分给他们(那三个孩子,那两个孩子)。

④ He was among the crowd. 他在人群中。

⑤ Switzerland is situated between Germany,Italy and France. 瑞士位于德国、意大利和法国之间。

⑥ A treaty was signed between three powers last month. 三大国之间上月签订了一项条约。

⑦ A contract is a legally binding agreement between two or more parties. 合同是两方或多方之间具有法律约束力的协议。

⑧ Gravity is a force of attraction between two bodies. 重力是两个物体之间的吸引力。

⑨ The four men tried to lift the case between them. 那四个人齐心协力试图把箱子抬起。

⑩ They caught ten fish between them. 他们共同捕到十条鱼。

(11) There were constant conflicts between employers, workers and trade union officials. 老板们、工人们和工会官员们这三者之间经常有冲突。比较: …among...老板之间,工人之间,工会官员之间经常有冲突。

9. apology

Correcting Common Errors in English第33页:

误:He will not be at ease until you have accepted his apologies.

正:He will not be at ease until you have accepted his apology.

【评】该句的意思是“在你接受他的道歉之前,他将感到不安。”被视作为误用的“apologies”并没有用错,没有“多次道歉”的意思,因此不必改为“apology”。必须指出,在“an apology” 及“of apology”(意“道歉的”,作后置定语用)中,不能用“apologies”代替“apology”。现举几个例子如下:

① Please accept my apology (或apologies)for not arriving on time. 为没准时到达事情接受我的道歉。

② He offered me an apology (或made an apology to me或made his apologies to me) for being late. 他因迟到而向我道歉。

③ I owe you an apology. 我该向你道歉。

④ This is a letter of apology from him. 这是他写来的道歉信。

(待续)