说明
the last ... to do
核心问题
(A)He is the last to arrive.
(B) He is the last person to tell a lie.
这两个句子是否可译为:
(A)他是最后到达的。
(B)他是最后一个说谎的人。
词典解答
句(A)的译文是对的,而句(B)的译文却是错的。要知道,last除作“最后的”解之外,还有一个常被初学者忽略的含义:“最不可能的”“最不适合的”“最不希望的”(least likely,suitable, willing, desirable)。EED 通俗地解释说: You can use last to emphasize that you do not want to do something or that something is unlikely to happen or be true. (你可以使用 last 来强调你不愿意做某事或强调某事不可能发生或不可能是真的。)
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She's the last person to trust with a secret. 她是最不可能保密的人。
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He would be the last man to say such things. 他绝不会说这种话。
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She should be the last one to blame. 她绝不应当受责备。