文法淺釋系列 (5)
文法(grammar)與句型(sentence patterns)
13) a+(單數)普通名詞：
A.
通常第一次提到時，要加a或an，再次提到時，則加the：
a.
Once there was a hobo who lived in a
slum. One day, the hobo came
across a wallet in a pile of garbage. He opened the wallet, and found
in it there was a photo familiar to him….
曾經有位住在貧民窟的流浪漢。有一天他在一堆垃圾中無意撿到一只皮夾。打開皮夾發現有一張熟悉的相片….
b. 在of a/an +noun之片語中，a, an可作 the same 解
These boys are of
an age. 這些男孩年齡相同。
These hats are of
a size. 這些帽子大小相同。(現在一般運動休閑帽子多只有一個size, 叫 “One
Size Fits all”-適合所有尺寸)。
“Birds of a feather
flock together.”同類羽毛之鳥棲息在一起；喻-「物以
類聚」比較: A person
is known by the company he keeps. 觀其友而知其人
In regard to this matter they are seldom of a mind. (關於此事他們很少看法一致。)
“Two men
are seldom of a mind.” 同床異夢
B. 不必加冠詞的普通名詞：
a. 介係詞前後是相同名詞時，而構成一個作副詞用的慣用片語時，不加冠詞 (zero
article) 如：
arm in arm手挽手；hand in hand 手牽手step by step 逐步地/little by little/ hump by hump；shoulder to shoulder 肩並肩；length by length漸漸地；piece by piece 一點一滴；line by line 一行一行地；side by side並行的：
For new immigrants
there are always two different cultures existing side by side. 對新移民而言，總是有兩種不同文化並存著。month
by month論月計；year
by year論年計；case
by case 論件計算；business to business(B2B)商業對商業；PC to PC個人電腦對電腦
*person to person (長途電話指名對方)；station to station (僅撥對方碼)-
多半用在以前collect call (由對方付費) 的電話時代，隨著電訊的發達，有了iPhone, Skype等，此等service已經out of date.(過時)
b.
若字中有加一hyphen時，此片語作形容詞用：
This is a month-to-month tenancy 這是月租租約 。
neighbor-to-neighbor coverage 有關鄰里間的報導；door-to-door：The company provides
door-to-door service for
customers. 此公司提供逐户接客的服務。【比較】：
*As children grow,
pretend play continues to go hand-in-hand
with academic readiness. 隨著小孩成長，童戲繼續與學術預備齊頭並進。hand-in-hand (作副詞片語，修飾go)
*Mrs. Clinton said
they had gone toe-to-toe but
now they were working shoulder-to-shoulder. 》
柯林頓夫人說他們曾經相互競爭(與Barack Obama)，但現在並肩作戰。
l They were hand-in-hand and affectionate.
他們十分親密。(十指緊扣?)
以上這些可視為三明治式片語，因前後名詞相同
a. 前後字相同：from time to time = at times三不五時；from coast to coast 從東岸到西岸；from
place to place到處；from
bump to bump (指汽車) 從前面擋泥板到後面擋泥板-『整台車』：
The five-year
warranty of the vehicle includes service from
bumper to bumper. 本車五年的保同包括整台車。
l
from
cover to cover 整本書，但，
l
He has
encyclopedic knowledge of
the federal budget. 他十分明白聯邦預算。(encyclopedia
百科全書；encyclopedic knowledge指全盤瞭解)
b. 前後字不相同：
from a to z 徹底地；He knows the surveillance from A to Z. 他對此監聽案瞭若指掌。live from
hand to mouth 糊口
The beggars are begging from door to door, but they can just live from hand to mouth. 雖然兩位乞丐挨家挨戶行乞，但所得僅够餬口。
from head to toe 全身地
l The police searched him from
head to toe for the weapon.員警搜他全身找尋武器。
l It’s impolite to stare at a stranger from head to toe. 全身瞪著一位陌生人是不禮貌。
Justin Lai, 06/07/2013
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