和其他合成词一样,合成形容词(compound adjectives)也是由两个或两个以上的字合组而成的。由于现代英语结构尽量从繁入简,合成词,特别是合成形容词的运用,就越来越普遍,报章杂志更是如此。
合成形容词的构成方法,主要有下列 6 种:
①名词+形容词,如:
oil-rich, duty-free, praiseworthy, life-long, carefree, worldwide, skin-deep, sea-sick, cock-sure, word-perfect 等。
②形容词+形容词,如:
bitter-sweet, red-hot, Afro-Asian, socio-political, dead-alive, blue-black 等。
③名词+现在分词,如:
peace-loving, labour-saving, law-abiding, time-consuming, painstaking, trouble-shooting 等。
④名词+过去分词,如:
examination-oriented, man-made, poverty-stricken, bed-ridden, wind-blown, weather-beaten, heart-broken 等。
⑤形容词+现在分词,如:
good-looking, easy-going, eager-seeming, direct-acting 等。
⑥形容词+过去分词,如:
kind-hearted, narrow-minded, single-handed, new-born, soft-spoken, strong-headed, many-sided 等。
在这六类合成形容词中,①、③和④的生产率最高。
此外,合成形容词还可以从其他词类或结构转化而来,气象万千,韵味十足:
⑴从副词短语转化而来,如:
all-round protection, off-the-cuff opinion, round-the-clock investigation, the ahead-of-schedule general election, a once-a-week discussion 等。
⑵从片语动词转化而成,如:
a back-up generator, the break-in time, a catch-up programme, a see-through shirt, a stand-up collar 等。
⑶从不带to的不定式动词转化而成,如:
take-home pay, a keep-fit class, a get-acquainted party, a cross-border raid, a grow-slow policy 等。
⑷由介词短语转化后移至名词前,如:
discussions on foreign policyforeign-policy discussions; the relationship between teachers and students the teacher-student relationship; a proposal for the withdrawal of troopsa troop-withdrawal proposal 等。
⑸由形容词分句转化后移至名词前,如:
a machine that is difficult to operatea difficult-to-operate machine; magazines which are hard to get athard-to-get-at magazines; a politician who is not so stronga not-so-strong politician 等。
⑹由成语或惯用语转化后移至名词前,如:
a step-by-step procedure, an on-the-job training, a dog-in-the-manger attitude, a live-and-let-live policy 等。
前面6种构成法约定俗成,一切中规中矩,后面6种涵盖面大,极为灵活。光是通过成语转化的形容词合成词,数目都在不断扩大中,非常受欢迎。如 an out-of-the-way village(遥远的),a get-rich-quick mentality(快速致富的)。
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