Some few of the survivors are still living.
[原译]少数生还者依然健在。(《远东英汉双解成语大辞典》, p. 1176, 并注明: some few = 无几; 不多)。some few 在口气上到底是“言其多”, 还是“言其少”呢?
some few(some little),如同 quite a few, a good few 一样,在口气上是“言其多”的,因此,不应译为“无几”“不多”,而应译为“相当多”“好多”(quite a lot)(some few)。请分析下面的实例:
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There are some few who can look back upon their childhood with delight. 回顾童年而能够心情愉快的人是相当不少的。
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Some few of the students are absent today. 今天有不少学生缺席。
[试译]生还者之中还有不少人依然健在。
some hopes 见 some
some students/some of the students 见 most students/most of the students
some time 见 sometime
some + 名词 or other
I've read that story before in some book or other.
句中的 some book or other 是否是指某本书或其他书?
大家知道, some 放在名词前可以表示“不确定的, 未知的”, 即说话人对所指的人或事物弄不清楚或一无所知, or other 则对 some 的此种含义加以强调, 有时含有说话人对此不感
兴趣的意思。
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He's staying with some friends or other in the country. (LDCE) 他正和某些朋友住在乡村。
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He is taking some exam or other. (PEG) 他正在参加什么考试。(说话人可能认为考试是愚蠢的。)
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Who does that enormous yellow Rolls Royce belong to?
Oh, I expect it belongs to some film star or other. (PEG)
那辆黄色的罗尔斯·罗伊斯牌大轿车是谁的?哦,我想它可能是某个电影明星的。