问英语｜英语常见问题解答

past¹

问

… great lorries with a double deck cargo of cars for export lumber past Magdalen and the University Church. (New Concept English, Book 4, p.43)

[原译]大型卡车拖着装载出口木材的双层货架挂车,驶过马格德林和大学教堂。(上外教版)

译文把 past 译成“驶过”，是否弄错了词性？

答

译者把 past 与 passed 弄混了。past 主要用作介词,但亦可作形容词或副词,但绝对不能用作动词。passed 才是动词 pass 的过去式或过去分词(见 passed/past)。由于译者误解了 past 的词性,把它看成了句子的谓语,因而把真正的谓语动词 lumber(隆隆笨重地行驶)误解为名词“木材”了。这样一来,便把全句的语法关系完全弄颠倒了!

[试译]……分两层满载着出口小汽车的大型卡车隆隆地驶过马格德林学院和大学教堂。

练习

请做下面的英语试题：

When I heard the steps outside, I hurriedly went up to the window to see who past by.

(上海会考,93-28)

past²

问

In years past they never would have done that.

句中的 In years past 是否应改为 In past years?

答

形容词 past 作定语时,如同 desired, required, following 一样,既可以前置,也可以后置。下面列举一些 past 作前置定语和作后置定语的实例：

Industrial management is the aspect of business management that has been most prominent in the United States for the past eighty years. (TOEFL) 工业管理是过去80年里在美国显得最为突出的经济管理的分支。
I've not been feeling very well for the past few days. (LDCE) 在过去的几天里,我一直感觉不大舒服。
This had been a war zone for some time past. (LDCE) 前些时候这里曾是作战区。
in years past(CGEL) 在过去的年代里(参见 desired)

past³

问

$\frac{\text{Collecting dolls as a hobby becomes}}{\text{A}} \frac{\text{increasingly popular during the past fifty years. (TOEFL)}}{\text{B}} \frac{\text{C}}{\text{D}}$ 上道试题明明写着 during the past fifty years(在过去的50年里)，为什么还要求谓语动词使用现在完成时（has become）呢？

答

关于这个问题的详细解答，见 before(adv.)，in the past。

练习

请做下面的英语试题：

In ____, the advent of the telephone, radio, and television has made rapid long-distance communication possible. A. one hundred years later B. one hundred years ago C. the one hundred years since D. the last one hundred years (TOEFL)
Industrial management is the aspect of business management that was most prominent in the United States for the past eighty years. (TOEFL)

past⁴

in the past few years (days) 与现在完成时连用见 present perfect tense $^{7,8}$