前面几位老师对网友的问题从不同角度进行了分析,都很好。下面是我个人的看法,仅供参考。网友对将 long hours 翻译成“长时间”不理解,因为一个 hour 就是 60 个 minutes,不应该说 long hours,应该改用 many hours, a long time。其实,你查一下词典就知道,long 有“长时间的”这个意思。事实上 long 不仅可以修饰 hours,还可以修饰 day(s), night(s), week(s), month(s), year(s), century(-ies) 等,表示强调:
如果所谓的“长时间”你潜意识里想着的是N个“小时”,你就说 long hours;
如果所谓的“长时间”你潜意识里想着的是N个“天”,你就说 long days;
如果所谓的“长时间”你潜意识里想着的是N个“星期”,你就说 long weeks;
如果所谓的“长时间”你潜意识里想着的是N个“月”,你就说 long months;
如果所谓的“长时间”你潜意识里想着的是N个“年”,你就说 long years;
如果所谓的“长时间”你潜意识里是想着的是N个“百年”,你就说 long centuries;
……
例句如:
Doctors work long hours. 医生的工作时间很长。
The soldiers were suffering from exhaustion after long days and nights of marching. 不分昼夜的行军让士兵精疲力竭。
The labourers work long days and live in wretched conditions. 工人们长时间工作,生活条件恶劣。
Farm workers often have to work very long days. 农场工人常常不得不每天工作很长时间。
She temporarily lost her balance during the long months of solitude. 在与外界隔绝的漫长岁月中,她一度失去心态的平衡。
It was her faith in God that helped her survive the long years in prison. 是她对上帝的信仰帮助她熬过了漫长的牢狱生涯。
这样用的 long 也常常用于具体数字后(包括不定冠词之后)表示强调。如:
After 10 long weeks, his patience was rewarded. 经过漫长的10周之后,他的耐心得到了回报。
They journeyed for seven long months. 他们作了长达七个月的旅行。
The six long years in prison had coarsened him. 六年漫长的监狱生活使他变得粗鲁无礼。
They were married for ten long years. 他们结婚有十年之久了。
She returned to her home base after a long month of traveling. 长达一个月的旅行后,她回到了家。
比较:
He worked long hours.(指“一个小时接一个小时”的长时间)
He worked long days.(指“日复一日”的长时间)
He worked long weeks.(指“月复一月”的长时间)
He worked long years.(指“年复一年”的长时间)