Secret Lady Daily English 20060804
Posted on 七月 12, 2008
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Q：读英文报纸，见到 Indonesia has been hit by a second tsunami in as many years 一语， in as many 这说法是怎样用的？
A:查《牛津高阶英汉双解词典》，也有「 He made ten mistakes in as many lines 他在十行中就出了十个错」例句。
英文一个常用句式，是句子先说一个数字，然后用 as many 说数目上和这数字相同的事物，所以介系词（ preposition ）不一定用 in ，例如：
（1 ） Seven topics were discussed at as many （= seven ） meetings （七个会议讨论了七个题目）。
（2 ） They beat us in three football games, but on as many （= three ） occasions they were thrashed by our team （他们和我们踢足球，胜了三次，但也曾三次惨败在我们球队脚下）。
读者示下那一句，是说「印尼两年之内两度被海啸袭击」。
Q2:大学社区学院的迎新信说： Much has been achieved in our College. You will be struck to know the fine traditions we have established 。 Much 指的是什么？ Fine 假如只是「好」的意思，为什么不用具体一点的形容词？
A2:那两句英文是说：「本院成就丰硕，所建立的优良传统令人赞叹。」
Much 指的是「成就」（ achieved ）之多，文法上等于 We did not say much / Not much was said （我们没有多说话）之类句子。
至于 fine ，当然是「优秀」，意思之空洞，那位读者也看出来了。其实「成就」或 achieved 这说法也很空洞。
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