what在英语中是个很常用的词。我们知道它(ta)能用作疑问词,引导特殊疑问句,在(zai)句中做主语﹑表语或宾(bin)语;又能用作连接代(dai)词(或复合关系代词),引导主语从句(ju)﹑表语从句或宾语从(cong)句;还能用作疑问形容词,只作定语并(bing)可表示感叹。对于这些常规的用法本(ben)文就不一一赘述,现就what在高中(zhong)英语中的某些特殊(shu)用法归纳如下:
1. what = just as,意为“恰像,犹如,好比(bi)”用作连词,引导比较状语从句(ju)。(见新编高二英语上(shang)册p.21)
⑴ 惯用(yong)句式是:A is to B what C is to D. 意为“A对B而言正如C对D一样”例(li)如:
① Air is to us What water is to fish. 空气对于我们(men)犹如水对于鱼。(介词to 表示两者的关(guan)系)
⑵ 也有(you)“A is for B what C is for D.”句式。例如:
② Poultry is for the cook what canvas is for the paint. 厨师离不了家禽正如画(hua)家离不开画布一样。(介(jie)词for表示“供…使(shi)用”)
⑶ what 引导的从句(ju)也可以放在句首,其句式是: What C is to D,that A is to B.(= A is to B what C is to D.)
在这一结(jie)构中,喻体在前,主体在后,相当于“just as…,so…”结构,意思也是“A对B而言正如C对D一样”例如:
What blood vessel is to a man's body,that railway is to transportation.(=Just as blood vessel is to a man's body ,so Railway is to transportation.)
铁路对于运(yun)输,好比血管对于人体一样。
2. what 与do with连用,意为“(怎样)处理﹑安排或对付等”。what常有较灵活的翻(fan)译,常用结构是:“what …do with sth./sb.?”或“what to do with sth./sb.” 例如:
① What will you do with the letter? 你(ni)将把那封信怎样(yang)处理?
② The kids do not know what to do with themselves on rainy days.
孩子们不知道雨天干什么好。
注意:do with 与deal with同义,但搭配不同:do with只能与what搭配,而deal with可与不同的疑问词搭配。比较:
③ How will you deal with the letter?你将那封信怎样处理?
④ You may have some idea of what the astronauts have to deal with if you try to drink a glass of water while standing on your head or while just lying down.
如果你试(shi)着倒立着或仅以躺着的姿势去喝水,就(jiu)能大致体会得到宇航员必须应付什么(me)了。
3. 问价格(ge)﹑度量﹑速度、人口﹑面积﹑门牌(pai)(汽车﹑电话等)号码等(deng)时,只能用what提问(wen),不能用how much提问。例如:
① What is the cost(price)of the gold watch?这块金表(biao)多少钱?
② What is the speed of the car?车速是多少(shao)?
③ What is the length(width﹑depth)of the lake?这湖有多(duo)长(宽、深)?
④ What is the population(area)of China?中国的人口(面积)有多少(大)?
⑤ What money(cash) have you got? 你有多少钱(现金)?
⑥ What is your telephone (car、room)number?
你的电话(汽车﹑房间)号码是多少?
4.“What is …like?”的两种含义。
⑴ 表示“情况怎样”,多指天气或气候。例如:
① What is the weather like today?今天天气怎样?
② What is the climate like there?那里的气候(hou)怎样?
⑵ 表示“像什么样,什么模样,怎样的(de)” 指人或事物。例如(ru):
③ What is the camel like ?骆驼是什么样(yang)子的?
④ — What is your teacher like?— She is very kind and beautiful.
“你老师是怎样一个(ge)人?”——“她既善良又美丽。”
⑤ What will life be like in the future ? 未来的(de)生活是什么样子呢?
注意:“What is…like?”通(tong)常用于对某人、某地和某(mou)物的实际情况提问,包括对其内在(zai)的品质或外在的(de)特征(或持久的特征)提问。而(er)“How is … like?”是就某人、某地和(he)某物的外观询问(wen)对方的看法,可以用来询问变化的(de)事物,如暂时的情(qing)况,情绪等,还常用来问候别(bie)人的健康。如:
⑥ How is your work these days? 近来你的工作情况如何?
⑦ How is he? 他近况如何? (他身体近来(lai)怎么样?)
比较:What does she look like?她是什么模样?(What… look like?只能指外表 )
5.“What do you think of…?”用(yong)于询问对方对……的看(kan)法或评价。例如:
① What do you think of the idea?你认为这个主(zhu)意怎样?
② What did you think of that film?你对那场电影评价如何?
注意(yi):“ What do you think of…?”是惯(guan)用搭配,不能改为(wei)“How do you think of…?”。但(dan)我们可以说:How do you feel about the idea(that film)?或者How do you like the idea(that film)?
com6.what 用作(zuo)复合关系代词时,既可指代(dai)人又可指代物。例如:
① China is no longer what it used to be? 中(zhong)国已不是过去的中国
② She is what you call a “bluestocking”。 她就是你说的“女才子(zi)”。
③ She is not what she was five years ago. 她不再是5年前的她了。
7. what从句(ju)可用作宾语补足语或状语(yu)。例如:
① We will make the factory twice what it is today. 我们将使工厂比现在规模增加一倍。(句中的twice what it is today是动词make的宾语(yu)the factory的补足(zu)语)
② Gravity is what makes you weigh what you weigh. 地心吸引力使人称得现有的(de)重量(句中的第一个what到句末为表语从句;句末的what you weigh 是说明前面的动词weigh,系回答how much 的问(wen)题,作状语)
8.像how和why一(yi)样,what可以用作名词。例如:
① Please explain to us how and why,since you know what. 既然你想出一个好(hao)办法,请给我们解释清楚解决(jue)这个问题的方法和理由。
② By asking why,how and what if,curious minds find new ideas and solutions.
通过刨根问底,提出假(jia)设,富有求知欲的天才人物想出了新主(zhu)意,找出了解决问题的新办法。(见新版高二英语上册p.7,what if 可译为:假(jia)设)
9.与what连用的常用句型(xing)和词组
⑴ What if…?What will or would happen if…?如果(假如)…将会怎(zen)么样?例如:
① What if it is true?如果这(zhe)是真的又怎么样?
② What if a storm should come up?万一发生暴风雨怎么办?
⑵ what with:because of ;as a result of;因为;由于……的结果;例如(ru):
③ What with overwork and (what with)so little sleep,she fell ill.
一半由(you)于工作过度的劳累,一半由于睡眠不(bu)足,她病倒了。
④ She has been depressed,what with losing her job and having to move.
她由于丢了工作还要搬家(jia)而感到沮丧。
⑶ and what not :and so on ;etc;以及各种其它东(dong)西;诸如此类;等等(deng);例如:
⑤ I bought sugar,tea,eggs,and what not. 我买了食糖、茶叶、鸡蛋之类的东西。
⑷ come what will(may)是固(gu)定搭配必须倒装,意为“不管发生什(shi)么事”“不管怎样”
⑥ Come what will (may),I will always stand by you.
不管发生什(shi)么事,我将永远支(zhi)持你。