为什么学好英语那么难? 介词与动词短语的使用
Date: 03 Dec. 2017
本期问题：Preposition & Phrasal verbs
1. 引言
不会正确的使用介词和动词短语里的介词，是中国人英语学习的一层天然障碍 ，详见文章英语的介词应该如何使用。我非常同意此文作者说的”介词是英语的魂”， “介词使用水平往往决定了你的整体英语水平“的观点。而介词既是英语中使用最频繁的词，却也是对于我们中国人来说最难的知识点。汉语喜欢用动词。比如，那这句来说 （此例源自原文作者）：住在楼上的人需要提着桶子到楼下去打水。直译如下：
Those who live (住) upstairs have to carry (提) buckets and go (到) downstairs to the tap to get (打水) water.
语法没有错误，但却非常啰嗦，不符合英语表达习惯，更地道的表达如下：
Those upstairs have to carry buckets to the tap downstairs for water.
英文减少了动词的使用，转而用副词和介词替代。在本例中，upstairs 在这里是副词起到动词的作用，表示住在楼上的人。同样，后面的介词 to 和 for 也都替代了汉语中的动词。这就是【思考习惯的差异】，为什么我建议大家去看英英字典或者读英文原著？就是为了培养这种英式的思考习惯，而不要在说话前，把要说的话写成中文，然后再翻译成英文说出来。
另外，关于downstairs和upstairs请注意以下的用法：
downstairs adv.在楼下
"The downstairs people are from New York." would be idiomatic. But "The people downstairs are ..." wouldn't be idiomatic. In reverse, "The upstairs people are..." wouldn't be idiomatic, but "The people upstairs are..." idiomatic.
In other words, downstairs is used as a premodifier (前置修饰词) but upstairs does not work as a premodifier. For instance，"The people downstairs are OK as neighbours, but the upstairs crowd/people are...." . Retrieved from https://forum.wordreference.com/threads/downstairs-people-people-upstairs.2074162/.
2. 介词 Preposition
介词在这里并不是虚词，而是有自己的实际意义。 如果使用不同的介词，意思会有微妙的差别，像throw at/to，shout at/shout to等。
-throw at/ throw to： 这里的at是aim at 的意思，也就是说瞄准某人，有故意的意思。“To throw at" has the meaning of throwing something with the intention of hitting something.
He threw the ball at me (= he tried to hit me)
He threw the ball to me (= it was for me to catch it)
-shout at/shout to：
He shouted at me (with anger)
He shouted to me (he was trying to communicate)
2.1 介词 on （此例源自原文作者）
“在。。之上”， A 在B 之上：1）B为A提供支撑， 2）A与B是接触的不接触，就不能用on。支撑还有一个引申义，就是给以压力。shame on you！ 用on，有杀伤力。当用shame in you，语气则弱很多。
A: You just talk with me about what's on your mind.
B: You just talk with me about what's in your mind.
用 on 意指有什么东西压着我，让我无法思考，类似心事，“你好好跟我聊聊最近让你无法思考的心事”。用in 则把脑子当做容器，“你和我聊聊你脑海中的想法”。
2.2 介词over
0)adj，我们最熟悉的形容词用法，game over。介词的用法是，1)在……上方；2)在(从……)上面；3)为……，对……；4)在……(时期)中；5)多于，不止(表示数量)；6)比……高(增长)；7）表示分数词：四分之七（即7/4），因为这里七在四的上面。例句具体见此链接。
总结非常全的over的用法，此文有详细的介绍，这里不再赘述。
3. 动词短语 Phrasal Verbs
很多”动词+介词“，实际意思与原来的动词的意思相差甚远。因为它常常出自于人们日常生活的语言习惯（idiomatic）。在不了解说英语国家的人们的生活习惯时，我们学习他们就更难了。在日常生活中使用频率特别高，随便拿出一篇英文文章，每两三句至少有一个动词短语的用法。所以，学好动词短语并能在英语学习中（特别是口语中）熟练运用，那么你的英语将会有一个质的飞跃，投入产出比非常高。
-结构：【弱单词（generic vebrs）+ 介词】
-Generic Verbs：get 。。。make 。。。take 。。。put。。。turn。。。等。
-使用原因：1）不及物动词+介词 2）日常习惯用语
4. How to study
建立场景，在语境中学习。先搞清楚介词用法，在不同的语境中细细体会，各个介词使用的不同。这就是为什么我在“怎样学好英语？英语学习资源分享及建议” 里面提到要多看英文书籍的原因。拿一首经典的英文儿歌“London bridge is falling down”为例. 里面用到的动词短语有：fall down，build up，wash away。
fall down 跌倒，摔倒；失败；倒塌
-Same as fall：-Some students who fell down during adolescence can never stand up again. 有些同學如果在青春期中跌倒，便不能夠翻身。-I fell down and hurt my knee.
-If something such as an argument or system falls down, it fails because aparticular part of it is weak or not correct：
fall down on: Their argument falls down on several important points.
-[ALWAYS PROGRESSIVE] If a building isfalling down, it is in very bad condition.
build up 建立，逐步建立；增进，加强
-The build-up of the international monitoring system把国际监测系统建立起来
The Americans spent billions try to build upthe Iraqi army美国花费数十亿美元，希望能建设伊拉克部队。
-Other longer-term disasters such as fish disease outbreaks can build up over time and significantly affect production.其他更长期的灾害，如鱼病爆发，可随时间推移而累积并严重影响生产.
wash away 冲走, 清洗,洗脱;消除
-When it rained, the soil was washed away down the hills and into the rivers.当下雨时，山上的泥土被冲到河里去了。
-To wash away the sin that has been visited on his family.要洗清他家族的罪孽
歌词如下：
London Bridge is falling down,
Falling down, falling down
London Bridge is falling down,
My fair lady...
Built it up with wood and clay,
Wood and clay, wood and clay
Built it up with wood and clay,
My fair lady...
Wood and clay will wash away
Wash away, wash away
Wood and clay will wash away
My fair lady...
Built it up with bricks and stones,
Bricks and stones, bricks and stones
Built it up with bricks and stones,
My fair lady...
Bricks and stones will not stay,
Will not stay, will not stay
Bricks and stones will not stay,
My fair lady...
Built it up with iron and steel,
Iron and steel, iron and steel
Built it up with iron and steel,
My fair lady...
Iron and steel will rust and bend,
Rust and bend, rust and bend,
Iron and steel will rust and bend,
My fair lady...
Built it up with silver and gold,
Silver and gold, silver and gold,
Built it up with silver and gold,
My fair lady...
London Bridge didn’t fall down,
Didn’t fall down, didn’t fall down,
London Bridge didn’t fall down,
My fair lady...
