to the east 还是 in the east?

英文说方向是in the direction of, 又可说in the south 等；还有to和towards 也是指方向的，如He went to the south.说“柔佛在新加坡之北”，应译Johore is in the north of Singapore. 还是Johore is to the north of Singapore 请问何者为对；理由为何？

【解答】应说Johore is to the north of Singapore 才对。

因为在某一地域的领土内的方向使用 in，在某一地城以外的方

向就用to，柔佛不在新加坡的领域内，故不能用in，而要用to。

Johore is in the south of Malaysia. (柔佛在马来西亚的南部。)

Johore is to the south of Kuala Lumpur. (柔佛在吉隆坡的南边。)

把上面二个例子比较一下，对此二介词的用法，当无疑义。总之，to是表“方向”的，而in是指的“内部”。in 指“方向”时，原为“在其中”之意，如 in the distance (在远方）范围之内，in the east (在东方）范围之内，in a western direction (向西方）范围之内。由此扩大而用于in one's sight (视界之内），in my opinion (据我的意见），the latest thing in cars (最新型的汽车）等的，也都是指范国或领域说的。有时可将to the 略去，单说 east of 即可。

Japan lies (to the east of China. (日本在中国之东。）

Tainan is about 500 miles (to the) south of Taibei. (台南在台北的五百英里之南。）

In a little district west of Washington Square the streets have run crazy.--0.Heary (在华盛顿广场之西的那一带地方，街路给乱破裂。）在west 前省略了to the 二字。最简单的只用东西南北一个字，意思也是一样，为加强意思（可用towards 或 in the direction of，如：

He went east. -- He went to the east. -- He went towards the east.-- He went in the direction of the east.(他到东方去了.)

Barking is seven miles to the east of London. (巴金在伦敦之东七英里。) to the east of = in an eastward direction from.

在 to the east of (向东方)之外，还有at the east of (在东边)，in the east of (的东部）及 on the east of (的东端）三种说法，应加辨别。on 有接触的意思。

Japan s in the east of Asia. (日本在亚洲的东部）

There was a big battle at the north of the Liaodong Peninsula. (在辽东半岛的北边曾有一场大战。）

Russia is in the north of Europe. (俄国在欧洲的北部）

Ceylon is an island at the south of India. (锡兰是在印度南边的一个岛。）

It is bounded on the south by France. (它南边与法国接壤。）

It is a famous street in the south of London. (那是伦敦南部一条有名的街。）

China faces the Pacific on the east. (中国东临太平神），

The country is bounded on the west by a sea.(那个国家西方与海按界。）

On the north of Singapore lies Malaysia. (新加坡之北是马来西亚。)