odd 的用法及固定搭配

of
1.可以说He is a friend of mine,不可说He is a friend of me。但a friend of my father's和a friend of my father都可以说,不过第二种形式不及第一种形式普通。在口语和非正式的文字里通常用第一种形式,在正式文字里(尤其在说起著名人物的场合)往往用第二种形式, 如an acquaintance of President Lincoln和a relative of the Premier。

2.可以说a friend of my father's, that friend of my father's, this friend of my father's和any friend of my father's,但不可说the friend of my father's。

3.that big head of yours比your big head多些情感的成分,有“你那大得可厌(或可笑)的头”的意思,that long beard of your grandfather's也比your grandfather's long beard多些情感的成分。

4.a story of Mark Twain可能是“关于马克·吐温的一个故事”,可能是“马克·吐温讲的一个故事”,a story of Mark Twain's是“马克·吐温讲的一个故事”。a portrait of the poet是“这个诗人的一幅画像”,a portrait of the poet's是“这个诗人所有的一幅画像”。an impartial estimate of the critic是“对于这个批评家作的一个公平的估价”,an impartial estimate of the critic's是“这个批评家作的一个公平的估价”。

5.注意下面每组第一句里最高级形式后面有of,第二句里最高级形式后面没有of:

  • Ba Jin is one of the greatest ofChinese authors.
    Ba Jin is one of the greatest Chinese authors I have ever read.
  • David Copperfield is one of the most famous of nineteenth-centuryEnglish novels.
    David Copperfield is one of the most famous English novels of thenineteenth century.
  • Shanghai is one of the most populous ofcities.
    Shanghai is one of the most populous cities in the world.

6.下面各句都不合习惯:

  • I will show you the books of me(该改作my books).
  • What is the name of you(该改作your name)?
  • We shall be glad to meet the teacher of him(该改作his teacher).
  • News has been received of the arrival of them(该改作their arrival).

但下面各句都合乎习惯:

  • She didn't like the look of him.
  • She hated the very sight of him.
  • She could not for the life of her recall his address.
  • Her cough proved to be the death of her.
  • She would like to meet the likes of you(像你这样的人们).

7.下面各句里的of可有可无:

  • When I was (of) your age, I was in the country.
  • I do not know (of) what colour the paper is.
  • Here is a piece of wood (of) the right size.
  • He has an album (of) the same thickness as mine.
  • I do not know (of) what shape the table is.
  • The handkerchief is (of) a very smart design.
  • The two boys are (of) exactly the same weight.
  • The autumn leaves are (of) a glorious red.

8.关于careful, idea和notion后面省去of,参见careful 2, idea和notion 2

9.注意下面两句的结构:

  • He is the best musician of any man I know.
  • He is the man of all others for the job.

这种结构是合乎习惯的。但因为它们是不合理的,有些英美人以为该避免。上面两句可以改作:

  • He is the best musician ofall men I know.
    He is a better musician than any other man I know.
  • He is the man ofall men for the job.
    He is the man for the job rather than any other.

10.(a) quarter of five, ten minutes of eight等是美国英语,相当于英国英语(a) quarter to five, ten minutes to eight等。

11.比较下面各组里的各句:

  • It is kind of you to come.
    How kind (it is) ofyou to come!
    You are kind to come.
  • It was careless ofhim to lose his way.
    How careless (it was) ofhim to lose his way!
    He was careless to lose his way.

下面的形容词都可以用在这种结构里:

absurd, bad, base, bold, brave, brutal, careful, careless, charming, civil, clever, considerate, courageous, cruel, darling, dear, decent, dreadful, eccentric, foolish, friendly, good, grand, grateful, honest, horrible, horrid, ill-natured, illogical, impertinent, impolite, impudent, inconsiderate, kind, magnanimous, marvellous, mean, naughty, nice, noble, odd, polite, presumptuous, rash, right, rude, saucy, sensible, shabby, shameful, silly, small, smart, spiteful, splendid, strange, stupid, sweet, tactful, tactless, thoughtful, thoughtless, tiresome, unfriendly, ungrateful, unkind, unreasonable, unwise, weak, wicked, wise, wonderful, wrong

12.a cup more of tea, a bundle more of letters, a couple more of glasses, a lot more of books等表达方式里的of有时被省去。

13.关于We would sit together in the park of a morning等,参见a, an 21

14.关于hard of heart等,参见a, an 18

15.关于a fool of a man, a gem of a poem等,参见a, an 22