at
1.说到地方,at指较小的,in指较大的,如in China(国家),in Shanghai(大城市),at Jiangwan(江湾镇)。不过大小并没有绝对的区别,广州是大城市,但和广东省比较起来便小了,所以可以说at Guangzhou,guangdong或in guangdong, at Guangzhou。但说到省不可用at,所以江苏虽然比全中国小,却不可说at Jiangsu, China或in China, at Jiangsu,该说in Jiangsu, China。国家和大陆都该用in,不可用at。国际大都市用at和in都有,但在London前通常用in,不用at。
虽然说到很小的地方,假使那说话的人住在那里,那末也不妨把那小地方看得大些,如住在江湾镇的人可以说in Jiangwan。假定你向朋友报告你住在江湾,你说I am now living at Jiangwan,以后便可以用in。例如:I am very happy in Jiangwan.
说到某大城市的某大建筑物,往往在大城市名称的前面用at。例如:the Pantheon at Rome和the Acropolis at Athens。
说到商店、机关、学校等,假使看作一个地点(point)用at,假使看作一个场所(place)用in,如I met him at the post office和I work in the post office。但the barber's(理髮店),Green's(Green所开的店)等前面只用at,不用in。
说到门牌只用at,不用in。例如:He lives at 1184 Fuzhou Road. 路名前面该用in,不用at,如in Fuzhou Road,不可说at Fuzhou Road。但说“在…路口”便可以用at,如Fuzhou Road, at Shanxi Road和at Fuzhou Road and Shanxi Road。
2.说到时间,at (1)指时刻。例如:
- at three o'clock, at twenty (minutes) past four, at an early hour, at dawn, at daybreak, at daylight, at sunrise, at noon, at midday, at nightfall, at sunset, at dusk, at twilight, at night, at midnight, at this moment, at any time
(2)指较短的时期。例如:
- at night, at New Year, at Easter, at midsummer, at Christmas, at the beginning of the month, at the end of the week, at the weekend, at the present day, at an earlier period
下面各种表达方式现在比较少见:
at day(在破晓时),at morning(在破晓时),at evening(在薄暮)
上面(1)和(2)里都有at night。(1)里的作“在薄暮”解,(2)里的作“在夜里”解,通常指黄昏或上半夜。
3.at five years old和at five miles distant里用at,有人以为该改作at five years of age或at the age of five years和at five miles' distance,可是这种不合理的用法很普通,尽可用得。
4.在信封地址前用at有转交的意思。例如:
Mr A. C. Lee
at 1184 Fuzhou Road
Shanghai
Mr Lee经常不在福州路1184号,请那儿的人收下转交。