Very 的另一个意思
Question
While reading novels and fairy tales, sometimes the sentence goes like this: "That's not the very way…" or "the very thing". I want to ask about you this usage. Is it spoken English? I also want to know about when we can speak like this: "That's not the veriest…" Thanks a lot!Li: 我想每个学习英语的人恐怕都知道very 是个副词,用来修饰形容词或者另一个副词,表示程度。非常怎么样,极其如何等等。不过Emma 想知道的是very 的另一个用法… the very way, the very thing. 再有就是如何使用the veriest. 下面我们先来听几个例句,注意听very 后面跟着的是什么词?
Examples
That's the very thing I need!This is the very place where we first met.
Li: 听出来了吗?在以上例句里very 后面的跟着的是名词very thing, very place, 这很有意思是吧? 修饰名词,那very 就一定是一个形容词喽?
没错,very 在此处的意思是exact 正是,就是。
Examples
The very thing.The very place.
Li: 这正是我需要的东西:
Example
That's the very thing I need!Li: 如果用另一个词来代替very 那就是…
Example
That's the exact thing I need!
Li: “这正是我需要的东西”。下面这句话又是什么意思?
Example
This is the very place where we first met.
Li: 听出来了吗?这句话的意思是“这正是我们初次见面的地方”。好,接下来请大家做个练习,听几个句子看看你能不能把very 这个词加进去,用来强调“就是”“正是”什么。
Example
That's the cake I bought last week.
Li: Very 应该放在哪里呢?恐怕是cake 吧。
Example
That's the very cake I bought last week.
Li: One more.
Example
She's the person you need to speak to.
Li: I think I know where to put the very.
Example
She's the very person you need to speak to.
Li: 很好。下面我们来转看Emma 提出的第二个问题,very 作为形容词的最高级形式出现veriest. 请听例句。
Examples
This is the veriest stupidity…
He is the veriest idiot…
Li: 这里 very 是作为形容词的最高级出现,意思是顶级的、最怎么样的。
Example
This is the veriest stupidity…
Li: 这是最大的愚蠢。还有…
Example
He is the veriest idiot…
Li: 他是最大的白痴! 不过,我想提醒大家注意的是这种用法已经是老古董了。Emma 在电子邮件里也说,她是在民间故事中看到这个词的the veriest. 这个罕见的用法。因为现代人不会使用这个词了。或许读莎士比亚的时候会你偶尔碰到!
Example
Now, in good sadness, son Petruchio, I think thou hast the veriest shrew of all.
Li: 太优美的声音了!你听不懂没关系,因为毕竟这是古文嘛。不过这种悦耳的声音真是另人享受啊。
以上段落选自莎士比亚的《驯悍记》。不过这次的《你问我答》节目呢, 我想说we've reached the very end of the programme 到了节目的最末尾了– very “最”- 这种用法非常普遍经常听到比如– the very end of the programme, the very top of the mountain, the very beginning of the day.