（30）介詞的用法

介詞通常是置于名詞或代詞前的，所以又稱為前置詞。其形態不一，大多數是單詞，但很多卻是短語構成的，如 as for，as to，because of，by means of，in front of，in spite of，instead of，on account of，out of，owing to，up to，but for，for the benefit of，in honor of 等，另外又有雙重的介詞（Double Preposition），即并列的兩個介詞共著一個賓語時，就可省去一個賓語，如 on the ground 和 to the ground 就可并成 on to the ground，其他例如：

We stayed there till after sunset.

He picks the reticule from off Jack’s shirt-front.——Galsworthy，Silver Boz

The old citizen first emerged his round red face from out of the door.——Irving. Rural England

She loved to see every one gay and happy round about her.——Thackeray，Vanity Fair

介詞有時可以略去，如

He walks at the rate of two miles（in）an hour.

He writes home two times（in）a month.

You may come to see me（at）any time between 4 and 5.

It will have been raining（for）a whole week（by）tomorrow.

He left here（on）this morning 或（on）last Sunday.

茲將主要介詞的用法及意義，舉例說明如下：

1. about

①附近：He lives somewhere about Yun Chiau.

②到處：They wander about the world.

③從事：What are you about？

④關于：Please tell me about yourself.

2. above

①在上：The sun was seen above the horizon.

②優越：There is no riches above a sound body.

③超脫：He is above such mean actions.

④Phrase：Above all，beware of illness.

3. after

①后（時間）：After dark，we went back to out home.

②后（順序）：After a storm comes a calm.

③追求：He thirsts after knowledge.

④模仿：The son takes after the father more than the mother.

⑤不顧：He failed after all his labours.

⑥Phrases：One after another all my plans have failed.

He is a man after all.

Please look after my little boy in my absence.

4. against

①反對：I am against the plan.

②相靠：He stood leaning against the wall.

③沖突：He ran his boat against the bank.

④對照：The number of applicants this year is fifty against thirty last year.

⑤準備：We should always lay up against a rainy day.

5. across

①橫斷：He made several journeys across the continent.

②那邊：He lives across the river.

6. at

①小地方：At the edge of a forest there grew a great oak.

②短時間：We generally dine at eight.

③接近：The servant is now at the well.

（注）自愿的接近用 at，偶然的接近用 by，如 There is a willow tree by the well.

④比率：I walk at the rate of four miles an hour.

⑤代價：At what price did you buy that hat？

⑥從事：He was busily at work all day.

⑦狀態：Please call on me tomorrow if you are at leisure.

⑧目標：The hunter fired at a fox.

⑨看到：I am surprised at the sight.

⑩聽到：He was frightened at the news.

?限度：The examination is at an end.

?Phrases：He was at a loss for a suitable reply.

She was not ignorant at any rate.

He did it at the expense of his character.

The ship was at the mercy of wind and waves.

I tried to save him at the risk of my own life.

7. before

①前（時間）：Call on me again before the day of your departure.

②前（地點）：Don’t stand before me.

③選擇：Death before dishonour.

④Phrase：The rainy season will set in before long.

8. behind

①后面：My box is behind your chair.

②背后：Do not speak ill of a man behind his back.

③遺下：He has left a great fortune behind him.

④遲延：I was a little behind time today.

9. below

①在下：There is a pool below the bridge.

②劣于：His scholarship is below his cousin’s.

③以下：He cannot be below thirty.

10. beneath

①底下：Many heroes sleep beneath those tombstones.

②下位：Do not associate with them:it is beneath you.

11. beside，besides

①并行：There is a path beside the river.

②比較：This is a poor work beside yours.

③Phrase：He was beside himself with anger.

④之外：We nearly all take German besides English.

12. beyond

①那邊：There is a tea-house beyond the hill.

②不能：It was dreadful beyond description.

13. but

①除開：You may take anything but this.

②Phrases：He has nothing but a few French books.

He is anything but a wild man.

14. by

①旁邊：We rested at a tea-house by the wayside.

②創作者：Moving pictures were invented by Edison.

③手段：Are you going by train or by steamer？

④標準：Time is measured by the hour.

⑤相差：He is my senior by two years.

⑥計算：In America they board by the week.

⑦為止：He will certainly come by four o’clock.

⑧累加：They came in one by one.

⑨發誓：By Heavens.

⑩Phrases：Let’s go on，by all means.

I will by no means consent.

By the way I have something to tell you.

I am going to Europe by way of America.

He has succeeded by dint of perseverance.

It looks as if it would clear up by and by.

I work by day，not by night.

He is not the man to do things by halves.

15. for

①去處：He left Keelung for Japan.

②目的：Never study only for wealth.

③交換：I bought it for ten dollars.

④原因：Jan angry with you for doing such a thing.

⑤期間：I have not seen you for a long time.

⑥比較：He knows a good deal for a lad of ten.

⑦不顧：For all his wealth，he is discontented.

⑧贊成：I am for the bill，but he is against it.

⑨同情：I am sorry for you.

⑩找尋：He is looking for some good excuse to give up school.

?Phrases：The life of man in this world is，for the most part，a life of work.

I took him for a poet.

Please send for the doctor.

As for fame，it is but little matter.

That ship is bound for San Francisco.

16. from

①地點：How far is it from here to the airfield？

②時間：I have known him from the child.

③推想：Judging from reports，he seems to be rich.

④分離：He has recovered from his illness.

⑤區別：It is hard to know flatterers from friends.

⑥材料：Gas is made from coal.

⑦起源：He comes from Ireland.

⑧妨害：His illness prevented him from working.

⑨禁止：I have been ordered by the doctor to abstain from wine.

⑩保護：Let us take shelter from the rain.

?原因：I often suffer from a severe headache.

?Phrases：He lives from hand to mouth.

He was trembling from head to feet.

17. in

①長時間：Nightingale was born in 1820.

②大地方：When in Rome，do as the Romans do.

③狀態：We should keep our body in good health.

④方式：Please send a telegram in haste.

⑤目的：The Greeks held games in honor of the Olympian gods.

⑥同一：I have found a good friend in Mr. A.

⑦程度：This seems to have lightened the load in some measure.

⑧實際：In fact，there is not much chance for the man whose courage fails.

⑨在某點上：He is the first in arithmetic.

⑩衣服：The gentleman in a morning coat is Dr. B.

?Phrases：Let one of us go in your stead.

Still，in the main，choice of companions can be made and must be made.

Real ability will win in the long run.

In short，I want some money.

Apply in person.

I was in season for the fair.

I was just in time for the express.

The boy will become a useful man in time.

18. into

①從外入內：He plunged into the water.

②變化：Water changes into ice at 32°by Fahrenheit.

③制作：Bamboo is made into various kinds of things.

④研究：Look into your dictionary.

19. off

①港外：The steamer is at anchor off Keelung.

②脫離：The wind blew a tile off the roof.

20. of

①所有關系：The cover of this book is yellow.

②同格：Newton was born at the small village of Woolsthorpe.

③形容詞句：Nothing of importance resulted from the movement.

④部分：Some of the boys returned by train.

⑤內容：He takes a glass of wine every evening.

⑥材料：Formerly all ships were made of wood.

⑦起源：Your illness comes of eating too much.

⑧關于：What became of your servant？

Does your father know of this？

⑨原因：He died of consumption.

⑩剝奪：Ill temper will rob you of peace and happiness.

?Phrases：The weather has been very changeable of late.

I am of opinion that the step is wrong.

His horse sprang forward all of a sudden.

21. on，upon

①在某日：A poster exhibition was held on the 10th of this month.

②定時：On the morning of the 15th inst.，there was a slight earthquake in this city.

③表面接觸：There hangs a map on the wall.

④題目：Mr. Lee wrote an essay on electricity.

⑤實際狀態：The house was on fire. He is on duty.

⑥為著某事：Sometimes I run to the town on errands.

⑦基礎：You must act on this theory.

⑧理由：He resigned on account of his poor health.

⑨依賴：Your success or failure depends on your exertion.

⑩界線接觸：Chicago is on Lake Michigan.

?支持：He wished only to have enough to live on.

?奏樂：Can you play on the piano？

?隨即：On arriving there，we drove to the restaurant.

?Phrases：He left Taipei for America on board the steamer Gordon.

It takes 20 minutes from here to the station on foot.

On an average，ten vessels enter the port every day.

He was killed on the spot.

My opinion is on the whole the same as yours.

The young man who expects to get on must work very hard.

He carries on a retail trade.

22. out of

①in 的反對：He is a fish out of water.

②into 的反對：Many people were so frightened that they ran out of their house.

③動機：I saved him out of pity for his family.

④部分：This is only one instance out of many.

⑤材料：We make many things out of paper.

⑥Phrases：Out of sight，out of mind.

His hat is out of fashion.

I am quite out of breath.

23. over

①懸在上面：We have a roof over us.

②支配：He had no control over his appetites.

③超過：He seems to be over fifty.

④同時發生：He went to sleep over his work.

⑤原因：I wept over his death.

⑥覆蓋：Please spread the blanket over the grass.

⑦跳過：The bad boy climbed over the hedge and went into the garden.

⑧反復：We talked over it till midnight.

24. through

①貫通：The train has passed through a tunnel.

②媒介：They speak through an interpreter.

③原因：He lost his position through neglect of his duty.

④繼續：He slept through the lesson.

25. to

①時間：He remembered it to his dying day.（與 till 同）

②方向：Anping is situated to the northwest of Tainan.

③附加：Add three to four.

④程度：Snow fell to the depth of 2 feet.

⑤結果：The building was burnt to ashes.

⑥比例：Ten to one he will fail in the new enterprise.

⑦比較：Man’s life is often compared to a candle.

⑧適合：This work was not to his taste.

⑨關系：He is the heir to that property.

⑩Phrases：Let us be up and doing to the purpose.

He used his talent to the best advantage.

26. toward （ s ）

①向著：I saw the boys run towards the river.

②時近：Towards evening，the wind abated a little.

③對于：We must fulfill our duty towards our community.

27. under

①正下面：There is a cat under the table.

②部下：Under him were three petty officials.

③在……中：The new machine is under examination.

④負擔：The old man bent under the load.

⑤不到：He must be under 30 years of age.

⑥假裝：He cheated me under the mask of friendship.

⑦口實：He did not come under the excuse of illness.

⑧境遇：It is impossible under such circumstances.

28. with

①所有：I have no money with me today.

②工具：We see with our eyes，and hear with our ears.

③原因：Hearing the news，she is mad with joy.

④同時：I rise with the lark，go with the lark to bed.

⑤比較：Few writers can compare with Scott as creators of romance.

⑥一致：He acted in accordance with rule.

⑦同居：I lived with my uncle for many years.

⑧邊說邊做：With this he left the room.

⑨反抗：I have to contend with difficulties.

⑩密切關系：I am very intimate with him.

?Phrases：I accept your help with all my heart.

He worked with a will.

Study with all your might and main.

Deal honestly with all men.

29. within

①時間內：I will come back within an hour.

②地區內：My house stands within a mile of the school.

30. without

①with 的反對：He went without his dinner.

②代 if...not：Without air，we cannot live.

③Phrases：If I cannot get what I want，I will do without it.

Nobody can see the scenery without admiring it.

You must pay your debt without delay.