核心问题
She even helped me do propaganda work among the women.
有人译为:甚至她也帮助我在妇女中间做宣传工作。这样译对吗?
词典解答
even 有一个特点: 它总是放在它所修饰的词语之前:
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Even a child can understand the book. (OSD) 甚至孩子也能读懂这本书。
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This morning he had not even come to see them off. (Cronin) 今早他甚至没给他们送行。
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Even Bob was there. (CGEL) 甚至鲍勃也在那里。
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I often lend her money even now. (EED) 甚至现在我还经常借给她钱。
不难看出,你所提问的句子中的 even 是修饰动词 helped 的。因此,上面的句子应译为:她甚至帮助我在妇女中间进行宣传工作。
请注意下面两个句子意义上的差别：
(a) Even the President knelt at the memorial to the dead. (Wood) 甚至总统也在烈士纪念碑前下跪了。
(b) The President even knelt at the memorial to the dead. (Wood) 总统在烈士纪念碑前甚至下跪了。
而 alone 作修饰语时,则总是放在被修饰语之后:
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Simon alone knew the truth. (EED) 只有西蒙知道真情。
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The nobility alone possessed political power. (Hazen) 只有贵族拥有政治权力。