书城外语英文疑难详解
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第4章 冠词

54.选举的总统名词前不用冠词,议员前须加冠词

“他被选为议员。”译成英文为:He was elected councilman. 据说是错误的,为何“他被选为市长。”译作He was elected mayor. 又对了呢?

【解答】“他被选为议员。”应译作He was elected a councilman. 才对,译文中的不定冠词是不可少的。举凡市议会(city council),立法议会(legislative council),乃至美国的国会即众议院(Congress),英国的议会(Parliament)等处的议员在英译时都要加不定冠词,说成a councilman, a congressman, an M. P. (即a member of Parliament)。而翻译某人被选为总统、市长、主席等时,就不要加上冠词,例如:

Washington was elected president of the United States of America. (华盛顿被选为美国的总统。)

He was elected chairman. (他被选为主席。)

He is appointed Deputy Postal Commissioner. (他被任为副邮务长。)

上面这两种说法,我们可以简单地说:那职位当地只有一个的,如国内不能有两个总统,一市不能有两个市长,会议只有一个主席等,所以就不要冠词,至于议员决不止一人,某人被选为议员,不过是选为许多议员当中的一个,所以要加不定冠词,表示是其中之一。

又,定冠词也常是限于一个的,如:the sun, the world之类,所以有时也可以用于一职一人的场合,如:

He was elected mayor of Paris. (他被选为巴黎市长。)也可以说He was the mayor of Paris. (他原是巴黎市长。)

55.说某人是议员,则有加冠词和不加的两种用法

(a)His father is professor of Yale University.

(b)His father is a professor of Yale University.

这两句英文都是翻译“他父亲是耶鲁大学的教授”。据说两句都是对的,但不知到底有何差异?

【解答】凡职位名称用作补语(complement)时,通常都要将它前面的冠词略去,例如:His father is Foreign Minister. (他父亲是外交部长。)He was elected mayor of Nanking. (他被选为南京市长。)等等,都是不加冠词的。尤其是当作补语用的那名词,表示一时只限于一人做的官职或地位的话,一般都要将冠词略去。这种场合的职位,侧重在抽象的观念,而颇含有形容词的意味,故将那限定的冠词“the”略去了(注意略去的不是“a”而是“the”)。质问中的(a)例便是如此。至于(b)例的a professor, 是指具有那职位的个人而言,意即“许多教授当中的一位”,不过其中之一而已。(正如我们说a man, a student, a book等一样。)下例的情形也是一样的:

(a)He is councilman for this city.

(b)He is a councilman for this city.

(他是本市的议员。)

职位名称用于固有名词之前时,如Queen Elizabeth, 或用作固有名词同格时,如Dr. Chang, Professor Wang of Yale University, 通常也是要略去冠词的。

又例:Long afterwards, when the boy became the president of the United States, he...一句中,表官职的president用作补语,但仍未将冠词the略去,是因为它具有“著名的”特殊意义,这个the实等于是说the famous呢。

56.people和a people

“中国人是刻苦耐劳的民族。”译成英文时作The Chinese are hard-working and industrious peoples. 为什么不对?

【解答】译文是不对的,因为英文的people一字有两大含义:一作“人”解,这本身是一个复数字,要两个人以上才能用的,不可以再加〔s〕的语尾;一作“民族”解,指因有共同文化,共同观念,以及由共同责任和利益所产生的团结心而结合的一群人,如果说几种民族时,就用复数形的peoples, 照英文的原则,一个普通名词既可以加〔s〕变成复数,在用作单数时就必须加冠词,所以问题中的译文应改正为:

The Chinese are a hard-working and industrious people. 才对,又如:

The French are a gay people. (法国人是欢乐的民族。)

The English are said to be a reserved people. (英国人据说是很慎言的民族。)

The Chinese are a great people. (中国人是大国民。)

这个people一字如用作“人”解时,则说:

Southern people will never rebel again. (南人不复反矣。)

English people love liberty. (英人爱自由。)

注意:English people英格兰的人;the English=the people of England全体的英格兰人(集合的名称);an Englishman一个英国人。例如:The English belong to the white race. (英国人是白种人。)Those are Englishmen. (那些人是英国人。)

英文的people, race, nation三字都有“民族”的意思,people的含义已如上述;race为种族,即强调生理方面,具有相同的血统和身体上共同的特征;nation强调政治上的统一,指在一个政府下团结一致的人群,例如:

Americans are a people and a nation, but not a race. (美国人是一个民族,一个国民,但不是一个种族。)

Hawaiians were a people, not a nation. (从前夏威夷人就是一个民族,可不是一个国家。)

57.复数名词前加用不定冠词

在上一问的解答中,我们知道普通复数名词后面是可以接不定冠词的,如The English are a people. 但不知在普通名词的复数形前面,能不能也加用不定冠词?

【解答】在下列四种情形中的复数名词的前面,也可以加用不定冠词:

(1)在那复数名词的前面,用有good many或great many的字眼时,例如:

I've been there a good many times. (我到那里去过好几次。)

There were a great many students in the street. (街上曾有许多学生。)

(2)当那名词本身具有复数形时,例如:

The place became a shambles. (那地方变成屠杀场。)

注意:shambles=slaughterhouse(屠场),并不是shamble=clumsy walk(蹒跚)的复数形,这是完全不相干的两个字。这个语尾有〔s〕的名词,前面并不一定要加不定冠词,如turn cities into shambles(化城市为屠场),但The city has been turned into a shambles. (把那城市变成一个屠场),便要有冠词了。

(3)当名词的形式虽变成了复数,但意义仍是单数时例如:

A hundred miles is a good distance. (一百英里是相当远的距离。)(a hundred miles意即the distance of a hundred miles. )

A thousand kisses buys my heart from me. (一千个吻足够收买我的心。)

I am well studied(=inclined)for a liberal thanks which I do owe you. ——Shakespeare(我很想要对你表示充分的谢意。)

The Washington, D. C. National Airport is a world crossroads. (华府国家机场是世界的交通要道。)(crossroads歧路或十字路口,并非指几条路,而是一个有分歧的地点。)

I made a hundred dollars. (我赚了一百块钱。)

There is a fine Zoological Gardens in our town. (本城有一个很好的动物园。)

What this country needs is not a good five-cent cigar, or a good five-cent cup of coffee, but a good five cents. (这个国家所需要的,不是五分钱一支的好雪茄,也不是五分钱一杯的好咖啡,而是一枚值价的好的五分钱。)

(4)有些名词原来就是一对或多数构成的,所以复数形也是指的单数,如a pincers, a tongs, a tweezers, a bagpipes, a thick-lips等皆是。

He is a sly-boots. (他是一个淘气的孩子)

A sliver scissors was given to him. (给了他一把银剪刀。)

Here comes a buttons. (来了一个侍役。)

58.物质名词前加用冠词变成普通名词

普通名词除复数加〔s〕外,单数时一定要加冠词,只有物质名词等则规定不加冠词,但有时仍有加的,不知在何种情况之下才要加冠词?

【解答】照文法规定物质名词确是不要加冠词的,如:

The gas is as transparent as air. (那气体如空气一般的透明。)

He spent money like water. (他用钱如水。)

The dish is made of paper. (这碟子是纸做的。)

当我们要表示数量时,就得另加其他的片语上去,因为我们不能说:Give me a paper, please. 必得说:Give me a piece of paper, please. (请给我一张纸。)或是说成复数:Give me a few sheets of paper, please. (请给我几张纸。)这个补充进去的片语,是要随着情形而改变的,a cup of tea(一杯茶),a spoonful of sugar(一匙糖),a lump of sugar(一块糖),a loaf of bread(一卷面包),a piece of chalk(一支粉笔)等等。说复数则把〔s〕加在cup, spoonful, lump, loaf, piece等字上,不可以说a tea, 也不可以说teas等等。(口语中虽有Two teas, please. What about a whisky? 是two cups of tea和a cup of whisky短缩的说法。)但有时也竟有加冠词或变复数的时候,那就是变了性的结果,那个物质名词已变成普通名词了。物质名词要在什么时候,才可以拿来当作普通名词用呢?那只有在表示:(1)种类,(2)制成品,(3)发生的事件的场合才会变成普通名词,比较下例:

May I trouble you for another cup of tea? (麻烦你再给我一杯茶好吗?)此tea为物质名词,不加冠词。

This is an excellent tea. (这是一种极好的茶。)此tea为普通名词,表示种类,故加冠词。

Paper is made from pulp. (纸是纸浆做的。)此paper为物质名词,不加冠词。

This is a good paper for young people to read. (这是为年轻人读的一份好的报纸。)此paper为普通名词,表制成品,故加冠词。

Be careful about fire. (小心火烛)这是物质名词。

There was a big fire last night. (昨夜发生大火。)这是普通名词,表发生的事件,故加冠词。

普通名词既可以加冠词,也就可以用复数,如:

We produce various teas. (我们出产各种茶叶。)

Hand in your papers. (把你的卷子交来。)

Fires are not so frequent as in former days. (火灾没有以前那样频繁了。)

59.catch cold和catch a cold

“伤风”译成英文时,有时说catch cold, 有时又说catch a cold, 不知有冠词与无冠词是否一样?

【解答】用动词catch或take时,有冠词与无冠词完全一样,但用have时就必须加冠词(have a cold),因为那是表示状态的。还有如在cold前用有形容词时,前面的冠词也非有不可(catch a bad cold)。

I have a slight cold. (我有一点儿伤风。)

He has a bad cold. (他重伤风。)

He is suffering from a severe cold. (他患重伤风。)

I have caught(或taken)

cold. (我伤风了。)

Mind you don't catch cold. (当心你伤风。)

It is foolish to go out without a coat in this weather; you'll catch(a)cold. (这样冷的天气出门,愚笨得连上衣都不穿,你一定会伤风的。)

He stayed away from school because he had a cold. (他伤风了,所以未来上学。)

He is in bed with a bad cold. (他伤风睡在床上。)

I easily take a cold. (我容易伤风。)

You've given me your cold. (你把伤风传给我了。)

Most people have two or three colds a year. (大多数的人一年有两三次的伤风。)

60.We had heavy rain和We had a heavy rain

(a)We had a heavy rain last night.

(b)We had heavy rain last night.

上面这两句话,一句有冠词,一句没有,是否可要可不要?

【解答】原则上rain, snow, wind等是物质名词,是不可以加不定冠词的,不过如有形容词的话,也可以加上冠词,并不为错。文法家说明是由于形容词的关系,而分别出大雨、小雨、霪雨、甘雨等等情况来,加上不定冠词,正可表示“一场”的意思。

问句中所举出的两个例句,意义并不一样,冠词并非可有可无。句首不说We had, 而说There was也成:

(a)There was a heavy rain last night.

(b)There was heavy rain last night.

(a)句的意思是“昨夜下了一场大雨”。(b)句的意思是“昨夜下了大雨”。一般字典上举例多是用的(a)句,不过(b)句的说法,是把重点放在“持续不断地下了大雨”一点上的。再看:

(a)We had a heavy snow last year.

(b)We had heavy snow last year.

(a)是说去年曾下过一场大雪,(b)是说去年冬天下了很大的雪。

61.go to school和go to the school

“上学”一词译成英文为go to school. 在学校这字的前面不可以加冠词,说go to the school就错了,但为什么说I'll go to the school to tell him. (我到学校里去告诉他。)又可以加冠词呢?

【解答】一个普通名词用作抽象的意味时,每每要把定冠词略去。学校的抽象意味是施教,从学生方面来看是去求学,去读书。所以英文解释这种作用时说:the training given in a school, education. (在学校所给的训练,也就是教育。)在这种情况之下,在school前是不要加the的。例如:

We go to school in order to learn. (我们为学习而上学。)

He goes to school by bus every day. (他每天坐公共汽车上学。)

My brothers are at school. (我兄弟都在读书。)

You send a boy to school. (你送孩子上学。)

Have you ever attended school? (你进过学校没有?)

He left school very young. (他很早就辍学了。)

They come home from school at three. (他们三点钟放学回家。)

Come home directly after school. (放学后立刻回家。)

What do you do before school? (上学前你做点什么?)

School begins at eight. (学校从八时起上课。)

种种说法,都是学校的本意、通常的含义。不过你如果把学校一词,不当作本意用,而把它看做一个地方,指校舍或建筑物来说的话(a place for teaching and learning, the building or buildings of a school),它便成了一个具体的东西,失去了抽象的意味,此时便非加用定冠词不可,例如:

I went to the school to see the results of the entrance examination. (我到学校去看入学考试的成绩。)

You will find them in the school between 8 A. M. and 4 P. M. . (在上午八时到下午四时你在学校里可以找到他们。)

He lives opposite the school. (他就住在学校对面。)

The school stands near the church. (学校靠近教堂。)

I always take my lunch at the school. (我在学校吃中饭。)

英文很多普通名词都有这种抽象的用法,一个要加冠词,一个不加冠词,我们必须加以分别。现再举别的字例,以供比较研究:

Church is over. (礼拜做完了。)

I pass before the church on my way to school. (我上学经过教堂。)

He is now in hospital. (他现在进了医院。)

He is one of the patients at the hospital. (他是那医院里的病人之一。)

Mother has gone to market. (母亲买菜去了。)

Is it far from here to the market? (从这里到菜场远吗?)

He was sent to prison. (他被监禁了。)

I visited the prison yesterday. (昨天我去参观了监狱。)

They were at table when I went in. (我进去时他们正在吃饭。)

The supper is on the table. (晚饭上桌。)

但也有例外,如到戏院去看戏,虽是戏院的本意,但仍要加the, 而说成go to the theatre(去看戏),go to the cinema(去看电影),go to the movies(去看电影)。

62.Americans和The Americans

我们说的英语是English, 前面不可加任何冠词,如果加上定冠词说成the English, 就变为英国人的意思了。但常见分明是指的国民,而仍然不加冠词,不知何故?

【解答】英语是the English language, 简单说成English一字;至于英国人就个体来说,单数是an Englishman, 复数是Englishmen, 说成the English是指英国民全体来说的。至于虽是说的国民,而仍然不加冠词的时候也是有的。

固有形容词多半是从国名转化而来的,如Chinese是从China变来的,但有些只取国名的一部分,如American则只采用The United States of America国名的最后一字,至于Dutch则并不是从Holland一名而来,也不是从the Netherlands而来,而是从Dutsch, Deutsch(意为德国的,因Germany即德国,德文为Deutschland)变来的。

如果是指某一国的国语,原则上不要加冠词,如华语为Chinese; 马来话为Malay, 惟说某个特殊的字或著作时,仍可加the, 如:“Hund”is the German for“dog”. (德文“狗”叫“Hund”。)This is translated from the German. (这是从德文直译的。)美国与英国虽为同文国家,照讲美国人也是说的English, 不过他们要有独立的美语,所以说是American English并不满意,而要说Americanism, 简略为American, 如口头美语为spoken American.

用来指国民的时候就比较复杂了:

(1)the+固有形容词(作复数用)=全体国民:

The Chinese are an industrious people. (中国人是勤勉的国民。)

The English are a mercantile people. (英国人是商业的国民。)

The Swiss have their mountains, the French their Paris, the English their home. (瑞士人有山,法国人有巴黎,英国人有家。)

The Americans are very social. (美国人好交际。)

(2)个体的国民,有单复同形的,也有单复异形的,如:

He is a Chinese. ——They are Chinese.

He is a Frenchman. ——They are Frenchmen.

We hated all the French people we met there. ——Jespersen(我们在那儿所遇到的那些法国人,都很讨厌。)

There were staying in the hotel two Japanese, three Portuguese, four Italians, five Poles, six Danes. (那旅馆中住得有两个日本人,三个葡萄牙人,四个意大利人,五个波兰人,六个丹麦人。)

(3)普通说国籍时,常把冠词略去:

I am Chinese. (我是中国的国民。)

比较:I am a Chinese. (我是中国人。)

He is Italian. (他是意大利的国民。)

They are Italian. (他们都是意大利的国民。)

比较:They are Italians. (他们是意大利人。)

A thing you would certainly think twice about before doing in public, if you were English. ——William Plomer(如果你是英国国民的话,这确是一件你要三思而后行的事。)

(4)说个体的多数与说整体不同的地方,就是一则无定冠词,一则有定冠词:

Americans think that they can win the war in Vietnam. (美国人以为他们可在越南战胜。)

The Americans are an active people. (美国人是活跃的民族。)

说美国人是活跃的民族,当然是指整个的美国人而言,至于说美国人以为他们可在越南战胜,不过是一部分鹰派的人的看法而已。

普通名词亦复有这种分别,例如:

The students of our school are very diligent. (我们学校里的学生都很用功。)(The students=All the students)

They are students of our school. (他们是我们学校里的学生。)(students=some students)

有时也可以把some说出来,如Some students of our school speak English very well. (我们学校有些学生英语说得很好。)

63.in a family way和in the family way

Robert Penn Warren在他著的A Chrisitian Education中有句云:"I can remember the ladies talking about how Mrs. Nabb just couldn't get in a family way no matter what she tried. "普通说怀孕是用定冠词的,为何他用不定冠词?

【解答】美国脱离英国这么久,离开英国这么远,在美国使用的英语,要和在英国使用的英语发生歧异,这是理所当然的。英文表现法中原有的许多分别,到现在美国话中都消失了。质问中所提出的表现法,在英国话中原来是有不同的含义的,即:in a family way=without ceremony, 不拘礼节,无所隐秘。in the family way=pregnant, with child, 身怀六甲,有孕。例如:

She speaks to me in a family way. (她对我说话和一家人一样。)

She is now in the family way. (她现在正怀着身孕。)

凡是英国的辞典,乃至牛津系统的辞典,都是有这种分别的,可是到美国就变了,美国韦氏系统的辞典,尤其是人们用得最多的一部辞典,即Webster's New World Dictionary of the American Language, p. 525的family项下,只举出一条:in a family way〔Colloq. 〕, pregnant; with child. 不但把用不定冠词的这个成语,限于“怀孕”一义,而且根本不提另外那个用定冠词的成语。在稍古的韦氏大辞典上,还提到in a family way和in the family way二者都有“怀孕”的意义,逐渐地在美国已由in a family way一个表现法来独占,而把另外一个打倒了。Warren是美国作家,当然要采用这种美国用法的。

64.in spring和in the spring

英文说春夏秋冬四季的时候,有时前面加定冠词,有时又不要冠词,在意义上全无分别,不知在用法上有无规定?

【解答】表季节的字在原则上是不要定冠词的,例如:Spring has come. (春天来了。)Winter comes after autumn. (秋去冬来。)不过如用在介词in的后面,就常有加上定冠词的时候,尤其是美国话如此。在英国凡是说到过去的事的场合,也多加用定冠词,这是有限定的意思,指过去某一年的春天(或夏,秋,冬)。或是因句中有when及其他前后文的关系而加以限制,才用这个定冠词的。

在同一人的笔下,在同一节的文句中,又同在介词in的后面,时而加冠词,时而不加,例如美国的历史家Francis Parkman在其代表作The Oregon Trail一书中说:

With all these changes, the water is so changed with mud and sand that, in spring, it is perfectly opaque, and in a few minutes a sediment an inch thick in the bottom of a tumbler. The river was now high; but when we descended in the autumn it was fallen very low, and all the secrets of its treacherous shallows were exposed to view. (哪怕有这样的变化,水中还是充满了泥沙,所以到春天的时候,简直变得浑浊不堪,放在玻璃杯中不到几分钟,杯底就可以有一寸厚的沉淀。河水现在高涨了;但是当我们在秋天下河去时,便是水落石出,河中那些危险的浅滩原形毕露了。)

他说in spring并不奇怪,因为季节名是以不加冠词为原则的,现在只消检讨加用了冠词的场合就好了。句中说in the autumn, 无疑地是因为在when后的关系。再看其他的例子:

It had begun that tune during the last term at school, in the summer. ——D. Richardson(那是在夏天,在学校里最后一个学期中,才开始唱那个曲子的。)

The snow man they both made in the winter. ——Ibid(他们二人在冬天所做的雪人。)

The clouds that had hung in high puffs for so long in the spring were dissipated. ——John Steinbeck(在春天像长烟似的高挂天空的云散去了。)

The forest had been green in the summer when we had come into the town...——E. Hemingway(夏天当我们来到镇上,森林望去一片绿色。)

在季节名字后接用of时,则前面必须加用冠词,如in the spring of 1967. (在一九六七年的春天。)当英国人说all the summer的时候,美国人则说all summer, 例如:gradually he became aware of the one particular odor he had missed all summer——E. Caldwell(慢慢地他注意到了一种特别的香味,那是整个夏天他都没有闻到的。)

如果和表持续的介词连用时,则英美两国都是要用冠词的,如during the summer, through(out)the summer.

65.不定冠词的用法

常有人说我们学了多年的英文,连一个“a”字的用法都没有学会,似非虚言。请将不定冠词的用法,分条举例说明一下。

【解答】不定冠词的用法,可分为下列九种:

(1)表示“或”的意思,讲话时第一次提到的名词冠以“a”,再提时便冠以“the”如:

One day a wolf fell in with a fox. The wolf was all skin and bones, while the fox was as fat as he could be. (有天一条狼遇到一只狐狸。那条狼瘦得只剩皮包骨,而那只狐狸却非常肥胖。)

用于此意时,复数形常加some, any的形容词,比较:

I saw a bird flying. It was a crow. (我看见一只鸟在飞。那是一只乌鸦。)改成复数则为I saw some birds flying. They were crows.

(2)表示“one”的意思:

He came here a week ago. (他在一星期前来此。)

He will return in a day or two(=in one or two days). (他将在一两天内回来。)

They were all killed to a man. (他们被杀得片甲不留。)

A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. (多得不如现得。)

(3)表示“any”的意思,可代表一个族类:

A horse is a useful animal. (马是有用的动物。)

I like a dog, but don't like a cat. (我喜欢狗,不喜欢猫。)

A cat may look at a king. (一个人无论身分怎样低下,都有相当的权利。)

这个用法和作“或”解的时候不同,在其复数形前面不能加用some的字样,只能说I like dogs, but don't like cats. 表整个族类的,除a dog, dogs外,还可以说the dog, 不过口语中最常用的是dogs一个形式。下面一个略近文言的表现法,也应归入此项。

Of late he gets up late of a morning. (近来他起身很迟。)

It was his custom of a Sunday to sit in the garden. (礼拜天他惯常坐在公园里。)

(4)表示“a curtain”的意思:

There is a Mr. Lee waiting for you downstairs. (楼下有位李先生在等你。)

That is true, in a way. (从某一方面看来,那也是真的。)

(5)表示“the same”的意思:

They were of an age. (他们都是同年的。)

Birds of a feather flock together. (物以类聚。)

No two men are of a mind. (没有两个人是同一条心的。)

(6)表示“per”的意思:

The postman calls twice a days. (邮差每天送两次信。)

His income is three thousand dollars a month. (他的收入每月三千元。)

The car was running at forty miles an hour. (那车每小时以四十英里的速度在跑着。)

(7)用于固有名词前有“像那样的人或物”的意思:

A Newton cannot become a Shakespeare at will. (一个牛顿那样的人不能随意变成莎翁那样的人。)

这样说的a Newton=a great scientist like Newton. a Shakespeare=a great dramatist like Shakespeare.

(8)在下面这样的片语中,也是要用“a”的。

To take(have)a walk(rest, bath, smoke, etc. )(散步、休息、入浴、抽烟等)

With a view to(旨在,为着要)

In a passion(fury)(生气)

Of a sudden(=suddenly)(突然)

A few(少数)

A little(一点)

A good many(许多)

(9)普通不可数的(Uncountable)名词,当作可数的(Countable)来用的时候,就得利用不定冠词了:

(a)a piece of(一件)

an instance of(一例)

a portion of(一份)

a stone(一块石头)cf. stone(石料)

a fire(起火)cf. Fire burns. (火是会燃烧的。)

a murder(谋杀案)

a kindness(亲切的行为)

a beer(一杯啤酒)

an aspirin(一片阿斯匹林药片)

to have a swim(泅一回水)

(b)Asparagus is a grass. (芦筍是一种草。)

There was a long silence. (沉默了很久。)cf. Silence is golden. (沉默是金。)

(c)表结果或制成品:

an invention(发明的东西)cf. invention(发明)

a building(建筑物)cf. building(建筑术)

66.定冠词的用法

请就定冠词的用法,分条举例说明。

【解答】定冠词the和that同一语源,指特定的事物,其用法可分下列各项:

(1)再提到前所说过的名词时:

I met a gentleman and a girl in the park,I thought the gentleman must be the father of the girl. (我在公园里遇见了一位绅士和一个女孩,我相信那绅士就是那女孩的父亲。)

(2)虽为第一次出现的名词,但所指的东西很明显时:

Shut the door, please. (请关门。)

He is the principal of our school. (他是我们学校的校长。)

We sent for the doctor. (我们去请医生了。)

Who is to take the chair tonight? (今晚谁做主席?)

(3)在独一无二的东西前:

The earth moves round the sun. (地球绕着太阳转动。)

Long live the King! (国王万岁!)

The Bible is being kissed by him. (他正吻着《圣经》宣誓。)

(4)由于后面的修饰语而得确定那名词何所指时:

I remember the time we first met. (我记得我们初次相逢的时候。)

Look at the dog by the gate. (你看门口的那条狗。)

I like the view from the window. (我喜欢从窗口看出去的景色。)

She is the girl that showed me the way. (指示我路径的就是这个女子。)

有时因冠词的有无而发生意义上的差别。比较:

They are the students of our school. (全体学生。)

They are students of our school. (部分学生。)

(5)在代表某一种类的名词前:

The whale is a mammal. (鲸是哺乳动物。)

The English farmer is fond of grumbling. (英国农夫一般喜欢喃喃地诉苦。)

The dog is the friend of man. (狗是人类的伴侣。)

(6)加在普通名词前造成抽象名词:

The pen(=the power of a pen)is mightier than the sword(=the power of a sword). (文胜于武。)

Wnat is learned in the cradle is carried to the grave. (婴孩时学到的东西至死不忘。)

She felt the mother rise in her breast. (她感觉到母性爱涌上心来。)

(7)加在形容词前造成复数普通名词或抽象名词:

The wounded were all taken to a neighbouring hospital. (伤者都送到附近的医院去了。)

The rich(=rich people)are not always happy. (富人并不一定幸福。)

The accused was taken out of the court. (被告从法庭被带走了。)

The beautiful(=beauty)is loved by all. (美是人人爱的。)

(8)在名词有序数或最上级的形容词或有only一类的字为修饰语时:

That is at the fifth page. (那是在第五页。)

He is the richest man in our town. (他是我们城内最阔的人。)

He is the only boy that solved the problem. (他是解答了那问题的唯一的学生。)

(9)在特殊的固有名词前:

(a)江河、海洋、山脉、群岛、船舰等:

The Thames, the Pacific, the Alps, the Philippines, the Queen Mary, etc.

(b)家族、国名、国民、国语等:

The Browns(布朗一家人或夫妇),the United States of America(北美合众国),the Americans(美国全体国民),the English language(英国语文),etc.

(c)书报杂志、公共建筑物、爵位等:

The Times(泰晤士报),the Year Book(年鉴),the English Fortnightly(英语半月刊),the Hotel Singapura(新加坡旅馆),the Globe Theatre(地球戏院),the University of Tokyo(东京大学),the Duke of Windsor(温莎公爵),etc.

(10)在如下的片语中:

in the morning, in the right, in the country, by the hour, by the pound, etc.

He patted me on the back. (他拍了我的背。)

The right man in the right place. (适人适任。)

Keep to the left. (行人靠左。)