核心问题
《朗文英语正误词典》(安徽科技出版社版, p.118) 和《朗文常用英语正误词典》(上海译文出版社, 1994, p.101) 认为下列句子是错误的:
× As they were busy, they did not have time enough to talk to her.
而必须改为:
√ As they were busy, they did not have enough time to talk to her.
但是我认为第一个句子是可以接受的。
词典解答
我们在 条中已经说明,enough用作定语时,既可放在名词之前,也可放在名词之后,即使后面有动词不定式作定语时,也是如此,只是放在名词之前的情况更为常见一些(但是不能放在单数可数名词之前)。下面的例句完全可以证明enough time to do和time enough to do的说法都是符合英语惯用法的。
-
We have enough money to buy a car. (LDCE) 我们的钱足够买一辆汽车。
-
“I'm going to the movies.” “Do you have money enough?” (IME) “我要去看电影。”“你的钱够吗?”
-
They were not allowed time enough for sports and recreation. (Mis) 没有足够的时间让他们运动和娱乐。
-
There was to last a whole year. (CGEL) 有充分的食物, 足够吃一整年的。