1 language 前是否用定冠词的判断

1. Fathers also sing and smile more to their daughters, and they use language that is more "analytical" and that acknowledges their sadness far more than they do with their sons.


2. But literary fiction, and espeicially poetry, are mediums to fear. Why? They're the language of emotional exposure, purported feminine "weakness" ---- the very thing our scripting has taught them to avoid at best, suppress, at worse.      


这两个language为什么一个加the, 一个没加呢?怎么判断什么时候要加the, 什么时候不加the 呢? 
(句子来自星火阅读中的一篇文章,文章选自The New York Times)


烦请老师解答一下,谢谢您!


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最佳答案 2018-11-29 14:07

language (语言),是个“可变名词”。其表现为:

1. Language is used to express thoughts. (不可数名词,不加冠词)

2. English is a foreign language to me. (泛指一种语言,加a)

3. The language of Darwin was intelligible to experts and non-experts alike. (特定的专业语言,加the)

达尔文的语言无论对专家还是非专业人士而言都明白易懂。


关于“可变名词”的语法特征,分析如下:

有网友问:我知道英语有可数名词与不可数名词,但第一次听到有人说“可变名词”,请问:什么叫可变名词?

“可变名词”(variable noun),是当代英语词法中新兴的一个术语。尤其在《柯林斯高级英语词典》和《柯林斯高阶英汉双解学习词典》中经常见到,在名词词条下有N-VAR标识。

“可变名词”,是针对同一个名词的“可数和不可数”以及“单数和复数”的相互转化而言,但前提是,词义不发生变化。

例如,cake 一词,在词义不变的前提下,既可以是不可数名词,也可以是可数名词;既可以是单数,也可以是复数。例如:

可数用法:

Did you make these cakes yourselves? 这些蛋糕是你们亲手做的吗?

I made a cake specially for you. 我特地为你做了个蛋糕。

Lucy, would you like another cake? 露西,你还想再要一块蛋糕吗?

不可数用法:

There isn't enough cake to go round.  没有足够的蛋糕分给每人吃。

Would you care for another piece of cake?  您再来一块蛋糕好吗?

Would you like some chocolate cake? 来点巧克力蛋糕怎么样?

但是,对于一个单复数意义有变化的名词而言,则不属于此类。例如,paper 一词,其单复数词义不同,所以,它不叫可变名词。

1. He wrote his name down on a piece of paper for me. 他把他的名字写在一张纸上交给我。(不可数名词,“纸”)

2. The teacher was busy setting a paper.  老师正忙于出考题。(可数名词单数,“试题”)

3. I had to empty out the drawer to find the papers.  我不得不倒出抽屉的东西以找出那些文件。(可数名词复数,“文件”)


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其它 1 个回答

黎反修   - 英语翻译 (已退休)
擅长:数词用法,存在句,英语考试

   1. a foreign language 外国语 (外研社、建宏《英汉多功能词典》)

    2. the English language 英语(外研社、建宏《英汉多功能词典》)(在“某国的 + language ”前面要用 the)

    3. the language of diplomacy 外交用语 (外研社、建宏《英汉多功能词典》) (在language of 的前面要用 the)

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  • Leiabmt 提出于 2018-11-21 23:37

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