#英语语法#
Ever的用法不断变化,经常有人使用,但深入研究其用法的人很少。特别是它的组合用法,以及always和before等词的用法有所不同。
一、ever 常用于疑问句和否定句
1、在疑问句中表比较,译为“在任何时候”,相当于 at any time,对应的是 always 和 never,例如:
Have you ever been to the US on holiday?
你去美国度过假吗?
解析:ever 指 at any time.
We always go to the US on holiday.
我们总是去美国度假。
解析:always 指 every time.
We never have holidays in the US.
我们从来没有在美国假期。
解析:never 指 at no time.
2、ever 译为“从来”,与 not 连用,译为“从(来)不,从(来)未”等:
Laurie doesn’t ever call me at weekends.
洛丽周末从不给我打电话。
解析:相比于 not … ever,never 更常见,例如:
Laurie never calls me at weekends.
We haven’t ever had a problem with noise in the neighbourhood before or we’ve never had a problem with noise.
我们以前从未遇到过噪音问题,也从未遇到过噪音问题。
3、ever 译为“从来”,否定句(与否定词 no one,nobody,nothing 等连用),译为“从(来)不,从(来)未”等:
No one ever told me what had happened.
从来没人告诉我发生了什么事。
Nothing ever happens here.
这儿从未发生过任何事。
二、跟在 if 后面或是中间位置(主语与实义动词之间、情态动词或第一助动词后面、be 动词之后),例如:
1、 if ever there was one 译为“确实,无可置疑”,用来强调你所说的是真的,例如:
It was a brilliant performance if ever there was one.
这确实是一场精彩的演出。
My son is a real sports fanatic if ever there was one.
我儿子是一个真正的体育狂热分子。
2、 译为“要是,如果有的话,任何时候”,例如:
If ever you move house, I’d advise you to get a good removal company.
要是你搬家,我建议你找个好的搬家公司。
If you ever go to Edinburgh, make sure to visit the Art Gallery.
如果你有去爱丁堡的话,一定要参观美术馆。
If I had ever wanted to stay in Manchester, they would have made me very welcome, I’m sure.
如果我有想留在曼彻斯特的话,我相信他们会非常欢迎我的。
三、ever so 和 ever such 用于强调,译为“很,非常”,所以为了避免模棱两可,当遇到这两个组合时,只要看后面的 so 和 such 就行了,例如:
I feel ever so cold.
我觉得很冷。
He was ever such a kind man.
他是个非常善良的人。
四、ever since 跟 ever so 或 ever such 类似,也是用来表示强调,所以也是只关注 since 就可以了,例如:
Ever since we met, we have been such great friends.
自从我们相遇以来,我们一直是很好的朋友。
Mrs Leech doesn’t go for walks on her own ever since she fell.
利奇太太摔了一跤以后就不自己出去散步了。
She had been worrying ever since the letter arrived.
自从接到那封信后她就一直焦虑不安。
五、as … as ever 用来表示某人或某物的一个永久特征,译为“还是…,一如既往的…,依然如故”等,例如:
The distance between fashion and art remains as great as ever.
时尚与艺术之间的差别之大依然如故。
They’ve built a new road around the city but traffic is as bad as ever.
他们在城市周围修了一条新路,但交通还是一如既往的糟糕。
六、用于 when、why 等之后表示惊讶,用于强调疑问词,译为“究竟,到底”,例如:
Why ever did you agree?
你究竟为什么要同意?
How ever did he manage that?
他究竟是怎么做到的?
What ever have you done to him?
你究竟对他做过什么?
七、hardly ever,译为“几乎从不”,相当于 almost never,例如:
I have hardly ever eaten Vietnamese food.
我几乎没吃过越南菜。
He hardly ever opens his mouth.
他几乎从不开口。
We ate chips every night, but hardly ever had fish.
我们每晚吃炸薯条,但几乎从不吃鱼。
八、ever 与完成时连用,用以强调
1、当与现在完成时连用时,相当于“any time up to now”,例如:
Have you ever been to Italy?
你去过意大利吗?
It's the best thing that has ever happened to me.
这是迄今(现在)我所遇到的最好的事。
2、当与过去完成时连用时,相当于“any time up to then”,例如:
Had you ever been to Italy?
你去过意大利吗?
It's the best thing that had ever happened to me.
这是迄今(说话者的时间)我所遇到的最好的事。
九、当进行比较时,ever 或 than ever 用于加强语气,通常跟在比较级或最高级后面,例如:
She looked better than ever.
她看起来比以前好多了。
Private home ownership is increasing faster than ever.
私有房产正以前所未有的速度增长。
It's my best ever score.
这是我得到过的最好分数。
十、ever 与 always
1、always 是频度副词,ever 跟 always 不一样,例如:
我将永远爱你。
正确:I will always love you.
错误:I will ever love you.
2、但有的时候 ever 可以译为“不断地;总是;始终;一直”,常用于一些复合词中,用于非常正式的场合,例如:
Their debts grew ever larger.
他们的债务不断增加。
Paul, ever the optimist, agreed to try again.
保罗这个永远的乐观主义者答应再试一次。
She married the prince and they lived happily ever after .
她与王子成了婚之后,从此过着幸福的生活。
Jones was ever available to help the family.
琼斯过去总是帮助这个家庭。
the ever-growing problem
日趋严重的问题
an ever-present danger
始终存在的危险
his ever-loving mother
他慈爱的母亲
十一、ever 与 before 有类似的意思,但本质不一样,ever 不谈及现在,而 before 谈及现在,例如:
Have you been to India before?
你以前去过印度吗?
解析:说话者可能在 India.
Have you ever been to India?
你曾经去过印度吗?
解析:说话者不在 India.
关注外语行天下,后期会更精彩。