answer的用法与搭配归纳
1. 用作动词,除表示“回答”“答复”外,还可表示“接(电话)”或对门铃等声响作出反应等(常与call, bell, telephone, door, door-bell等连用)。如:
I can’t answer the telephone. I am having a bath. 我不能接电话,我正在洗澡。
Nobody answered my call for help. 没有人理会我的呼救。
Don’t expect her to answer the doorbell at eight o’clock on Sunday morning. She won’t be up. 星期日早上8点钟时,别指望她听见门铃响会来开门。她那时还没有起床呢。
2. 注意以下两个有用短语的用法:
(1) answer to的用法:
① 对……负责,向某人解释。如:
Who do you answer to in your new job? 你做的新工作要向谁负责?
② 对……有反应,顺从。如:
The dog answers to his name. 这狗听到自己的名字就有反应。
③ 由……控制:The plane answered smoothly to the controls. 这架飞机操纵自如。
(2) answer for 的用法:
① 对……负责。如:
You’ll have to answer for your carelessness. 你得对你的疏忽负责任。
② 对……受责,承担……的后果。如:
All these things are to be answered for. 所有这一切都是要偿还的。
③ 代表某人或支持某事物而讲话。如:
I agree but I can’t answer for my friends. 我同意,但我不能代表我的朋友也同意。
Knowing her well I can certainly answer for her honesty. 我很了解她,当然能担保她诚实。
其后可接名词或代词,一般不接 that 从句,若要接这类从句,通常应先接形式宾语 it。如:
I can’t answer for his honesty.= I can’t answer for it that he is honest. 我不能保证他是诚实的。
3. 用作名词,表示“回答”“答复”“答案”“回应”等,注意以下各例中 answer 后接的介词是 to 而不是 of:
He got the answer to the riddle as quick as a flash. 他一下子就猜中了谜底。
I wish I knew the answer to your question. 我但愿知道你的问题的答案。
My answer to his threat was to hit him on the nose. 我对他的威胁的回答是照他的鼻子打去。
4. 用于短语 in answer to(作为回应)。如:
He came at once in answer to my phone call. 他一接到我的电话就来了。
In answer to your recent inquiry, the book you mention is not in stock. 您近日询问的书暂时无货,谨此奉复。
5. 比较answer与reply:两者均可表示“回答”,但answer 属常用词,多用于一般性应答,而reply则较正式,多指经过考虑而作出答复,若不细分,两者可换用。但是,answer可自由地用作及物或不及物动词,而reply除后接that从句或引出直接引语是及物动词外,一般只用作不及物动词,其后若接名词或代词作宾语,应借助介词to:answer [reply to] a question 回答问题。