reference. 第四章 常被误用的词与短语（G–O）[eos-0006]

Get。口语体的have got用来代替have，不应用于写作。分词更可取的形式是got，不是gotten。

• 误：He has not got any sense.
• 正：He has no sense.

• 误：They returned without having gotten any.
• 正：They returned without having got any.

Gratuitous。意为"unearned"（不应得的）或"unwarranted"（无正当理由的）。

The insult seemed gratuitous. (undeserved)

He is a man who。一种常见的冗余表达；见规则17。

• 误：He is a man who is very ambitious.
• 正：He is very ambitious.

• 误：Vermont is a state that attracts visitors because of its winter sports.
• 正：Vermont attracts visitors because of its winter sports.

Hopefully。这个一度有用的副词，意为"with hope"（怀着希望），如今已被扭曲，广泛用来表示"I hope"（我希望）或"it is to be hoped"（但愿）。这种用法不仅错误，而且愚蠢。说"Hopefully I'll leave on the noon plane"是无意义的。你的意思是你会怀着希望的心情乘中午的飞机离开？还是你希望自己乘中午的飞机离开？无论你指哪一种，你都没有把它说清楚。尽管这个词在它新的、飘忽不定的用法中可能令许多人感到愉快甚至有用，但它却冒犯了另外许多人的耳朵，他们不愿看到词被钝化或侵蚀，尤其当这种侵蚀导致歧义、软弱或荒谬时。

However。当意思是"nevertheless"（然而）时，避免用它来开头一句。这个词在不出现在句首时通常更合适。

• 误：The roads were almost impassable. However, we at last succeeded in reaching camp.
• 正：The roads were almost impassable. At last, however, we succeeded in reaching camp.

当however位于句首时，意为"in whatever way"（无论以何种方式）或"to whatever extent"（无论到什么程度）。

However you advise him, he will probably do as he thinks best. However discouraging the prospect, they never lost heart.

Illusion。见allusion。

Imply、Infer。二者不可互换。implied（被暗示的）是被提示或指出、但未明说的东西。inferred（被推断的）是从手头证据中推导出来的东西。

Farming implies early rising. Since she was a farmer, we inferred that she got up early.

Importantly。通过改写来避免使用。

• 误：More importantly, he paid for the damages.
• 正：What's more, he paid for the damages.

• 误：With the breeze freshening, he altered course to pass inside the island. More importantly, as things turned out, he tucked in a reef.
• 正：With the breeze freshening, he altered course to pass inside the island. More important, as things turned out, he tucked in a reef.

In regard to。常被错误地写成in regards to。但as regards是正确的，意思相同。

In the last analysis。一个毫无价值的表达。

Inside of、Inside。inside后面的of，在副词义"in less than"（不到、少于）中是正确的。在其他含义中，of是多余的。

Inside of five minutes I'll be inside the bank.

Insightful。这个词是对"perceptive"（有洞察力的）的一种可疑的夸大说法。如果要用，也应当用于洞察力非凡的情形。通常，它冒出来只是为了给平庸的话添彩。

• 误：That was an insightful remark you made.
• 正：That was a perceptive remark you made.

In terms of。一种填充语，通常最好删去。

• 误：The job was unattractive in terms of salary.
• 正：The salary made the job unattractive.

Interesting。一个没有说服力的词；避免用它来开头引入。与其宣布你即将讲的东西有趣，不如让它变得有趣。

• 误：An interesting story is told of
• 正：(Tell the story without preamble.)

• 误：In connection with the forthcoming visit of Mr. B. to America, it is interesting to recall that he
• 正：Mr. B., who will soon visit America

同样要避免在开头引入时使用funny一词。贴上标签并不会让任何东西变得有趣。

Irregardless。应为regardless。这个错误源于没有看出-less中的否定含义，以及想把否定作为前缀嵌入的愿望——这种愿望由irregular、irresponsible，也许尤其是irrespective这类词所暗示。

-ize。不要通过添加这个诱人的后缀来生造动词。许多好的、有用的动词确实以-ize结尾：summarize、fraternize、harmonize、fertilize。但可恶的词也越来越多：仅举三例，containerize、prioritize、finalize。对-ize要存疑；让你的耳朵和眼睛来引导你。绝不要把-ize缀到名词上造动词。通常你会发现一个有用的动词已经存在。既然有简单、朴实的use，为什么还要说"utilize"呢？

Kind of。除在随便的文体中外，不用作rather或something like的替代。把它限制在字面意义上："Amber is a kind of fossil resin"；"I dislike that kind of publicity." sort of同样如此。

Lay。一个及物动词。除俚语中（"Let it lay"）外，不要把它误用作不及物动词lie。母鸡，或者戏剧，lays一个蛋；美洲驼lies down（躺下）。剧作家回家后lay down（躺下）。

lie, lay, lain, lying lay, laid, laid, laying

Leave。不要误用作let。

• 误：Leave it stand the way it is.
• 正：Let it stand the way it is.

• 误：Leave go of that rope!
• 正：Let go of that rope!

Less。不应误用作fewer。

• 误：They had less workers than in the previous campaign.
• 正：They had fewer workers than in the previous campaign.

less指数量（quantity），fewer指数目（number）。"His troubles are less than mine"意为"His troubles are not so great as mine"。"His troubles are fewer than mine"意为"His troubles are not so numerous as mine"。

Like。不要用来代替连词as。like后接名词和代词；在短语和子句之前，对应的词是as。

• 误：We spent the evening like in the old days.
• 正：We spent the evening as in the old days.

• 误：Chloe smells good, like a baby should.
• 正：Chloe smells good, as a baby should.

用like代替as有其捍卫者；他们辩称，任何获得通用的用法都会自动变得有效。他们说，语言就是这样形成的。是，也不是。一个表达有时只是一时风靡，就像一件衣服一样。like长期以来被未受教育的人广泛误用；近来它又被内行和见多识广的人捡了起来，他们觉得它时髦，或者说解放，用它时仿佛是在体验底层生活。如果每一个获得通用的词或手法都仅凭流行就立即被认可，语言就会像一个没有边线的球赛一样混乱。对学生来说，关于like也许最有用的一点是：大多数经过仔细编辑的出版物都将其用在短语和子句之前视为纯粹的错误。

Line、Along these lines。line在"course of procedure, conduct, thought"（行事、行为、思想的路线、方针）这一意义上是可用的，但它被用得太滥，尤其是along these lines这一短语，因此追求新鲜或独创的作者最好完全弃用。

• 误：Mr. B. also spoke along the same lines.
• 正：Mr. B. also spoke to the same effect.

• 误：She is studying along the line of French literature.
• 正：She is studying French literature.

Literal、Literally。常被错误地用来支持夸张或激烈的比喻。

• 误：a literal flood of abuse
• 正：a flood of abuse

• 误：literally dead with fatigue
• 正：almost dead with fatigue

Loan。一个名词。作为动词，宁用lend。

Lend me your ears, the loan of your ears

Meaningful。一个毫无价值的形容词。换一个词，或改写。

• 误：His was a meaningful contribution.
• 正：His contribution counted heavily.

• 误：We are instituting many meaningful changes in the curriculum.
• 正：We are improving the curriculum in many ways.

Memento。常被错误地写成momento。

Most。在正式写作中不要用来代替almost。

• 误：most everybody
• 正：almost everybody
• 误：most all the time
• 正：almost all the time

Nature。常纯属多余，用法与character类似。

• 误：acts of a hostile nature
• 正：hostile acts

在"a lover of nature"、"poems about nature"这类含糊表达中应避免nature。除非后面有更具体的说明，读者无从判断这些诗是关于自然景色、乡间生活、日落、人迹未至的荒野，还是松鼠的习性。

Nauseous、Nauseated。第一个意为"sickening to contemplate"（令人作呕）；第二个意为"sick at the stomach"（胃里难受）。因此，不要说"I feel nauseous"，除非你确信自己对别人有那种令人作呕的效果。

Nice。一个毛茸茸的、万能的词，在正式写作中要少用。"I had a nice time." "It was nice weather." "She was so nice to her mother." 这些意思都含糊不清。nice在"precise"（精确）或"delicate"（微妙）的意义上最有用："a nice distinction."。

Nor。在否定表达之后常被误用为or。

• 误：He cannot eat nor sleep.
• 正：He cannot eat or sleep.

He can neither eat nor sleep. He cannot eat nor can he sleep.

Noun used as verb。许多名词近来被拿来当动词用。并非全都糟糕，但全都可疑。

• 误：Be prepared for kisses when you gift your girlfriend with this merry scent.
• 正：Be prepared for kisses when you give your girlfriend this merry scent.

• 误：The candidate hosted a dinner for fifty of her workers.
• 正：The candidate gave a dinner for fifty of her workers.

• 误：The meeting was chaired by Mr. Oglethorp.
• 正：Mr. Oglethorp was chair of the meeting.

• 误：She headquarters in Newark.
• 正：She has headquarters in Newark.

• 误：The theater troupe debuted last fall.
• 正：The theatre troupe made its debut last fall.

Offputting、Ongoing。新造的形容词，应予避免，因为它们不精确且笨拙。ongoing是"continuing"和"active"的杂糅，通常是多余的。

• 误：He devoted all his spare time to the ongoing program for aid to the elderly.
• 正：He devoted all his spare time to the program for aid to the elderly.

offputting可能意为"objectionable"（令人反感的）、"disconcerting"（令人不安的）、"distasteful"（令人厌恶的）。改选一个意思明确的词。有个简单的检验方法：把这些分词还原为动词。让某物upset是可能的。但tooffput呢？toongo呢？

One。在"a person"（一个人）的意义上，后面不能接his或her。

• 误：One must watch his step.
• 正：One must watch one's step. (You must watch your step.)

One of the most。避免这个软弱的套话。"One of the most exciting developments of modern science is…"；"Switzerland is one of the most beautiful countries of Europe." 语法上并没有错；只是这个套话被用滥了。

-oriented。一个笨拙、装腔作势的手法，非常流行。另找一个更好的方式来表示取向、立场或方向。

• 误：It was a manufacturing-oriented company.
• 正：It was a company chiefly concerned with manufacturing.

• 误：Many of the skits are situation-oriented.
• 正：Many of the skits rely on situation.