north of their shared border = to the north of their shared border

 【问题探讨】

The coast north of Vancouver has some of the oldest and most beautiful forests in the world. 温哥华北面的海岸上有着世界上最古老和最美丽的森林。对north of Vancouver 这个短语，有3个问题需要讨论：

1.“north of +地点名词”是个什么词组？

2.“north of +地点名词”在句子中能做什么成分？

3. north of Vancouver 表示in the north of Vancouver，还是to the north of Vancouver？

第1个问题：“north of +地点名词”实际是一个of 介词短语，又在of 前加了方位副词north，构成了一个含有副词修饰的介词短语，表示方位。例如：a railway north of the city 城北的一条铁路。类似的词组还有：

“south of +地点名词”

“east of +地点名词”

“west of +地点名词”

“northeast of +地点名词”

“northwest of +地点名词”

“southeast of +地点名词”

“southwest of +地点名词”

第2个问题：“north of +地点名词”，在句中可以作定语、表语和地点状语。例如：

【作定语】

The coast north of Vancouver has some of the oldest and most beautiful forests in the world. 温哥华北面的海岸上有着世界上最古老和最美丽的森林。

They lived in a village north of London. 他们住在伦敦北部的一个村庄里。

All the states east of the Mississippi were connected during this decade. 在这十年中，密西西比河以东的所有各州都连上了铁路。

The little plane came down at the old airport south of the town. 小飞机在城南的飞机场降落了。

He and Mrs. Kessler live in a big house west of here. 他和克斯勒太太住在西边的一栋大房子里。

【作表语】

The United States is north of the equator. 美国位于赤道以北。

The lake is due north of the village. 这个湖位于村庄的正北方。

Canada is north of the United States. 加拿大在美国的北面。

The Olympic Stadium is north of the city centre. 奥林匹克体育场在市中心的北部。

Behai Park is just north of the Forbidden City. 北海公园就在故宫的北侧。

【作地点状语】

The two roads meet just north of the city. 两条马路就在城市的北面汇合。

I live north of Seattle and work around that area quite a bit. 我住在西雅图北部，相当多的时间在那一带工作。

Edinburgh is a long way north of London. 爱丁堡在伦敦北面很远的地方。

Lying north of the church is a girls' senior high school. 位于这座教堂以北的是一所女子高中。

I do not know the address, but it's two blocks north of the hotel.  我不知道地址，但地点是离酒店北边两条街的地方。

North of the equator nights are longer than days. 赤道以北地区，黑夜比白天长。

It is just 137 kilometres north of the equator. 它位于赤道以北仅137公里。

The airport, he informed me, was half a mile north of the town. 他告诉我飞机场在城区以北半英里处。

The park is about two miles north (south, east, west) of our school. 公园在我校以北（以南、以东、以西）约两英里处。

North of the equater about 61 percent of the surface is covered by water. 北半球大约有百分之六十一的表面为水所覆盖。

North of the city lies a railway. 城市北边有一条铁路。

Just north of Germany lies the Baltic Sea. 波罗的海位于德国正北面。

The hotel is situated two miles north of downtown. 那家旅馆位于闹市区以北两英里处。

第3个问题：north of Vancouver表示in the north of Vancouver，还是to the north of Vancouver? 根据句子意思，应该是to the north of Vancouver，因为海岸是“在温哥华市区外的北部”，而in the north of Vancouver 则是“在温哥华市区内的北部”。此外，方位词前有了介词还需要加定冠词the。一般来说，“north (south, east, west) of +地点名词”表示“在该地点名词的外部”，等于“to the north (south, east, west) of +地点名词”。