older/elder, oldest/eldest
有些英语教辅材料(如《学生英语疑难解析词典》)上说,my older brother(我哥哥)和my oldest daughter(我的大女儿)的说法是错误的,应分别改为my elder brother和my eldest daughter。果真如此吗?
形容词 elder 和 eldest 的用法很单一: 只表示家庭成员或某个集体成员出生的顺序, 而且只能用作定语。在它们用作定语时, 是可以用 older 或 oldest 来代替的, 只是 elder 或 eldest 更正式一些。例如:
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Have you got an older/elder brother? (OGEG) 你有哥哥吗?
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The oldest/eldest daughter married a pop singer. (同上) 大女儿嫁给了一个流行歌手。
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He is my older brother. (CCEU) 他是我哥哥。
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She's the oldest student in her class. (PEU) 她是她班年纪最大的学生。
[注意] elder 还可用作名词, 作“长者”“前辈”“年长者”解。此时不能用 older 来替换:
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He is my elder by five years. 他长我五岁。
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Hans is the <adj. > elder brother (or) the <n. > elder of the two brothers. 汉斯是哥哥,或兄弟两人中年长的。
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... and knowledge, customs and memories were handed down by the elders of the race. ……他们的知识、风俗习惯以及他们所怀念的事情都是由他们种族的长辈传下来的。