对我们来说,副词too是一个司空见惯的词,然而,对它进行总结和分析,就会发现其非常有价值的用法。
1由 too构成的短语
too所构成的短语,常用的有如下一些:
1)all too实在太(很),all too soon /quickly太早(太快)。例如:
The holidays ended all too soon.假期结束得太早了。
2)none too一点也不。例如:
We were none too early for the train.我们刚好赶上火车。
3)only too极其,非常。例如:
We shall be only too pleased to hear from you further.我们非常欢迎你再来信。(注意这里不是too...to...结构)
The news was only too true.这消息是千真万确的。
4)quite too简直太……。例如:
It's quite too surprising!这简直太让人吃惊了!
5)rather too稍微……了一点。例如:
The soup is rather too salty.汤稍微咸了一点。
6)too...to...太……以至不能……。例如:
The boy is too weak to lift the heavy box.这男孩太虚弱,举不起那个重箱子。
当too...to...跟少数形容词(如ready, glad,pleased,apt,willing,inclined,eager, easy,satisfied等)搭配时,不定式无否定意义。例如:
He is too ready to promise.他轻于许诺。
Beginners are too apt to make mistakes.初学者极易出错。
He is too much inclined to give himself airs.他太喜欢装模作样了。
需要注意的是,too...to...的否定形式nottoo...to...的意思是"不是太……而不能"。 例如:
He is not too young to dress himself.他不是小得连衣服都不会穿。
It is never too late to learn.活到老,学到老。
在写作时灵活运用这些短语,会使文章简洁,含义清楚。这里要指出的是,在以上的这些短语中,too的含义是以"太,非常"为主。too还因此形成一类特殊而重要的用法,具体如下:
2cannot(或can never)...too...表示"怎么……也不会过分"、"越……越好"的含义。如:
1)One can never be too careful in one's work.工作越细越好。
2)One cannot be too careful in making the decision as it was such a critical case.因为这是一个如此重要的问题,所以在做出决定时无论怎样谨慎都不过分。
3)You cannot praise the play too highly.这出戏你无论怎样称赞都不会过分。