一、作定语的形容词
1. 绝大部分形容词既可作定语又可作表语,但少数形容词只能作定语,放在名词前,常见的有: daily,weekly,monthly,former,latter,woolen,wooden;也有少数形容词只能作表语,置于be后,这些表语形容词一般以字母a开头。
如:
afraid alive alone alike ashamed
awake aware asleep afire
例句: This alone demonstrates that the television business is not an easy world to survive in, a fact underlined by statistics that show that out of 80 European television networks, no less than 50 took a loss in 1989. (2005年第48题)
分析: 该句是复合句,含有多个从句,a fact underlined by statistics that后接一定语从句,show后又接一宾语从句,其中no less than可译为“不少于,至少”;take a loss 译为“亏本,赔本”。
译文: 仅这一点就足以证明,要在电视行业里生存下来并非易事,统计数字尤其说明了这一事实: 在欧洲国家的80个电视网络中,多达一半的公司在1989年亏损。
2. 作定语的形容词一般用作前置修饰语,但在下列情况中,形容词作后置定语。
(1)名词词组的中心词为some,any,no等构成的合成词。
例句: Id say whenever you are going after something belonging to you, anyone who is depriving you of the right to have it is criminal. (1997年第21题)
分析: 该句是复合句,从句who is depriving you of the right to have it作anyone的定语, whenever you are going after something belonging to you作say的宾语从句中的状语。
译文: 我想说无论什么时候当你追求某种属于你的东西时,任何想剥夺你拥有它的权利的人都是在犯罪。
(2)带有不定式、介词短语等的形容词短语。
例句: Any student careful enough to take the exam is sure to succeed in the end.
分析: 该句是简单句,careful enough to take the exam 作定语修饰student。
译文: 参加考试的任何一位学生只要足够细心最终就一定会取得成功。
(3)某些形容词作后置定语。
present,available,involved,concerned,martial(军事的),general,proper等作后置定语,如:
the member present (出席的成员)
court martial (军事法庭)
Secretary General (秘书长)
例句: I was unaware of the critical points involved, so my choice was quite arbitrary. (1998年第37题)
分析: 该句是复合句。
译文: 我没有意识到问题的关键所在,因此我的抉择十分武断。
例句: There were many people present and he appeared only for a few seconds,so I only caught a glimpse of him. (1998年第22题)
分析: 该句是复合句。
译文: 来的人很多,而他只到场一会儿,所以我只见了他一眼。
3. 表度量的形容词。
例句: There is a heavilypolluted river 100 meters long in front of our small playground.
分析: 该句是简单句。
译文: 我们小操场前有一条长100米被严重污染的河。
4. 形容词并列用作定语时的位置。
限定词→数量(序数前、基数后)→形状→大小、长短、高低等度量→新旧→颜色→国籍→ 材料
例句: I have never seen these beautiful round multicolored Chinese cloisonne(景泰蓝)vases in my first three years in China.
分析: 该句是简单句。
译文: 在中国的最初三年中,我从来没有见过这些颜色各异的圆形中式景泰蓝花瓶。
二、主客观意义易混淆的形容词 主观意义,如:
contemptuous (表示轻蔑的)
desirous (渴望的)
envious (羡慕别人的)
expressive (表情丰富的)
forgetful (健忘的)
imaginative (富于想象的)
perceptive (感觉敏锐的)
persuasive (能说服的,有说服力的)
respectful (表示尊敬的)
tolerant (容忍的,容许的) 客观意义,如:
contemptible (轻视的,卑劣的)
desirable (值得要的,想要的)
enviable (令人羡慕的)
expressible (可表达出来的)
forgettable (可忘记的)
imaginable (可想象出来的)
perceptible (可感觉的)
persuasible (可说服的,听话的)
respectable (可敬的)
tolerable (可容忍的)
例句: The authors are witheringly contemptuous of the bogus equation of tidiness and morality, for example, in corporate “clean desk” policies.
分析: 该句是简单句。
译文: 作者毫不留情地批评了将整洁与道德相等同的做法,例如,公司内“清洁办公桌”的政策。
例句: We should be alert to the possibility that individuals, organizations or governments tend to pied a worthy goal in excuse of their contemptible means and selfish interests.
分析: 该句是复合句,that individuals,organizations or governments tend to...作possibility的同位语。
译文: 我们应当警惕这种可能性: 个人、组织或政府以高尚的目标作为他们采取卑鄙手段 和获取私利的借口。
三、the+形容词(分词形容词) the+形容词(分词形容词)表示一类人或一类事物,后接谓语动词复数。
如:
the poor (穷人)
the blind (盲人)
the deaf (聋子)
the few/the many (少数人/多数人)
the dying (奄奄一息的人)
the killed (死了的人)
the oppressed (被压迫的人们)
the aged,the weak,the sick and the disabled (老弱病残)
the living (活着的人)
例句: The old are cared well in a home for the poor and aged.
译文: 老人在养老院里得到了很好的照料。
例句: The poor are very happy, but the rich are sad.
译文: 穷人很快乐,富人却不快乐。
少数词接单数动词,如: the departed/the deceased (死者), the beautiful (美好的事物), the unexpected (意外情况)。
例句: The deceased has been sent to the funeral parlor.
译文: 死者已经被送往殡仪馆。
四、复合形容词 有些形容词由两部分或更多部分组成,称为复合形容词,如:
threeyearold child (三岁的孩子)
sixstoried building (六层的楼房)
oneeyed donkey (一只眼的驴)
其他如: prep. /adj. /n. /adv.+p.p.(分词)
offputting (令人讨厌的)
nitpicking (找茬的,吹毛求疵的)
freeliving (生活无拘束的)
hardwearing (耐穿的)
starcrossed (命运不佳的,倒霉的)
tenderhearted (心肠软的,慈善的)
wellintentioned (善意的,好心的)
例句: People who live in small towns often seem more friendly than those living in densely populated areas. (1999年第27题)
分析: 该句是复合句,其中those living...相当于those who live in...。
译文: 住在小镇上的人似乎往往比住在人口稠密地区的人更为友好。
例句: In this way these insects show an efficient use of their soundproducing ability, organizing two sounds delivered at a high rate as one call. (1997年第16题)
分析: 该句是简单句,organizing two sounds delivered...作伴随状语。
译文: 通过这种方式这些昆虫能展示它们高超的发音功能,在很高的频率下发出两种声波作为一次鸣叫。
五、一些本身有比较意义的形容词 英语中绝大多数形容词都可以用来表示比较意义,但有一部分形容词本身已经带有比较的含义, 因此这些词没有比较级和最高级形式,如:
only, mere, sole, extreme, supreme, perfect, single, real, utmost, eternal, principal, chief, main, empty, matchless, unique, wonderful, square等。
例句: My favorite radio song is the one I first heard on a thick 1923 Edison disc I stumbled upon at a garage sale. (2001年第22题)
分析: 该句是复合句,I first heard on a thick 1923 Edison disc与I stumbled upon at a garage sale是两个定语从句,分别修饰the one和Edison disc。
译文: 在一次现场旧货出售中我偶然碰到一张1923年的爱迪生唱片,从那张唱片上我第一次听到了我最喜欢的广播歌曲。