【问】在“The whole nation was in deep sorrow at the news, for people had to come to love him as an inspiring leader and a wise, warm-hearted, honest man.”句中的warm-hearted 这个词是不是可以省略连字符?在什么情况下使用连字符呢?
【答】warm-hearted这个词中的连字符是不能省略的。连字符的最大用处就是用来组合两个或两个以上的单词构成的词汇。举几个例子:
Tom is an eight-year-old boy. (eight-year-old, 八岁的)
They had a face-to-face talk last night. (face-to-face, 面对面的)
It is a fifteen-minute walk from my home to the school. (fifteen-minute, 十五分钟的)
在英语中,这样形成的单词一般作定语。如果不是作定语,则不能这样组合,并要注意单词的形式。对照看下面的一组句子。
Tom is eight years old.
They talked face to face last night.
有时,虽然作定语,但没有使用连字符,其单词的形式也要注意。象“It is a fifteen-minute walk from my home to the school”又可以这样表达:
It is fifteen minutes’ walk from my home to the school.
当然,一些意义固定的常用词,如果加上连字符就显得画蛇添足了。如:
Our classroom is on the third floor. (classroom中是不用连字符的)
We have only two classes on Friday afternoon. (classroom中是不用连字符的)
除了上述情况外,连字符还用在下列情形中:
1.在英语的数字中,十位和个位之间要使用连字符;100以上的复合序数词中and以后的部分,分数的分子和分母之间也要用连字符。如:
332 three hundred and thirty-two
17165 seventeen thousand one hundred and sixty-five
第152 one hundred and fifty-second (152nd)
1/4 one-fourth/a quarter, 也可不用连字符表达为:one fourth
3/4 three-fourths/three quarters,也可不用连字符表达为:three fourths
2/3 two-thirds,也可不用连字符表达为:two thirds
2.有些由若干个单词组合成的名词,也常用连字符。如:
comrade-in-arms 战友 (复数形式为comrades-in-arms)
runner-up 亚军 (复数形式为runners-up)
forget-me-not 勿忘草 (复数形式为forget-me-nots)
go-between 中间人 (复数形式为go-betweens)
tooth-brush 牙刷 (复数形式为tooth-brushes)
3.某些前缀和词根有时用连字符隔开,便于朗读。如:
semi-independent 半独立的
semi-conductor 半导体
4.在进行英文写作时,连字符可用于将一个词的一部分进行换行,可根据音节把单词劈开。例如:re-marry, hap-py等。这样运用连字符时,连字符要置于上一行的末尾;如果是一篇文章的最后一个字,通常是不用连字符的。
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