when one turns the age of their birth date
【分析】这个句子不完整,只是一个时间状语从句。
这句话的字面意思是:“当一个人到了出生日期的年龄时”。
the age 是“年龄”, of their birth date 是 the age 的定语。真正意思是:“一个人到了生日的时候”。完整的句子可能要表达:人的生日每年都要经历一次。过生日了,亲朋好友准备赠送的礼物,当事人准备举行个生日 party 等。
现在,分析 turn 的用法。在本句用作系动词,它后面的宾语可以是“年龄、时刻”,例如:age,time以及具体的年龄数字。这时,turn 表示“达到或超过”,意思等于reach 或pass。
She turns 21 in June. 她到六月份就满21岁了。
It's turned midnight. 已过了午夜。
V-T When someone turns a particular age, they pass that age. When it turns a particular time, it passes that time. 达到 (一定的年龄或时间)
It was his ambition to accumulate a million dollars before he turned thirty.
他的雄心是在30岁以前积攒100万美元。
由此看出,网友的问题 turn sth of sth 是什么意思,turn 跟 of sth 没有关系。
目前,我在翻译“高中英语必修与选修课本”(外语教学与研究出版社出版,两年后全国铺开使用)时,碰巧有这篇课文:The Age of Majority(法定成年年龄),里面有很多类似的句子。我摘录几句:
In most countries,turning 18 marks the start of adulthood.
在大多数国家,年满18岁标志着成年的开始。
and in fact I will be taking my driving test on the very day I turn 18.
事实上,我将在我年满18岁的那一天参加驾驶考试。
Turning 18 also changed the way that society viewed me.
年满18岁也改变了社会对我的看法。
I assumed I’d already have a well-paid job and that I’d be moving into a rented apartment as soon as I turned 18.
我以为我已经有了一份高薪的工作,而且我一满18岁就会搬进租来的公寓。
When Jerry’s grandchildren turned 13, his present to each of them was three jars.
杰里的孙子孙女满13岁时,他给他们每人的礼物是三个罐子。