latest
在理论上讲last是“最后的”,latest是“截至现在(或当时)为止最后的”,就是“最近过去的”。例如:This is his latest book, I hope it is not his last. (这是他的最新著作,我希望它不是他的最后的[著作]。)但事实上并不这样简单,下面几点该注意:
(1)last是“最后的”,latest是“最晚的”,要是把The last train on Sunday leaves at 11.50里的last train改作了latest train,在事实上没有区别。
(2)上面6,7,8里所举的所有例子里的last,在理论上都该改作latest,但在事实上都不可改。
(3)下面两句里用latest好些,但也可以改用last:
- The latest news is that the floods are subsiding.
- The latest number of the magazine came out yesterday.