徐曦
时刻,即时间点。那么,在英语中如何准确表达时刻呢?对此,笔者归纳了如下两种表达法,以期对同学们有所帮助。
一、直接表达法
直接表达法,即直接按照时刻的先后顺序进行表达。一般而言,先是小时,后是分钟,均用基数词。这种表达法中间不需要添加介词。如:6:05,可以直接表达为:six five;7:58,可以直接表达为:seven fifty-eight;10:30可以直接表达成:ten thirty。倘若时刻在句子中用作时间状语,则需要在时刻前面使用介词“at”。例如:
They arrived at two twenty-five.
他们2点25到达。
The meeting will be held at eight fifty.
会议将在8点50分钟举行。
When we got home, it was already ten thirty-five.
当我们回到家时,已经是10点35分了。
We must leave now, for the film begins a eleven thirty.
我们得走了,因为这部电影是11点半开始放映。
需要注意的是,(1)如果表示的是“几点整”时,可以在基数词后面直接加上“oclock”oclock有时可以省略。比如:
He gets up at six every morning.
他每天早晨6点起床。
At eight oclock, we start the morning reading.
在8點钟,我们开始晨读。
倘若表示的是上午或下午的“几点整”,应在数字或基数词后面直接添加“a.m(上午)”或“p.m(下午)”,但不可以再加上“:00”,也不可以与“oclock”“in the morning/afternoon/ evening”连用。例如:
We work at 9:00 a.m. = We work at nine oclock in the morning.
我们早上9点上班。
Their school closes at five p. m. =Their school closes at five oclock in the afternoon.
他们下午5点放学。
二、间接表达法
间接表达法,即根据“先分钟,后小时,中间加介词”的方法进行表达。具体方法如下:
(1)若分钟数等于或小于30分钟,则中间需用使用介词“past”进行连接,即“分钟+pass+小时”,意为“几点过几分”。例如:
The flight leaves at five past nine.
= The flight leaves at nine five.
航班9点过5分起飞。
We stop working to have lunch at twentyfive past twelve.
= We stop working to have lunch at twelve twenty-five.
我们在12点25分停止工作来吃午饭。
需要注意的是,当分钟数为15或30分钟时,除了使用基数词“fifteen”“thirty”外,还可以借助“quarter”或“half”进行表达。如:2:15可以表达为:fifteen past two=a quarter past two= two fifteen;6:30可以表达为:half past six=six thirty。例如:
下一班火车会在凌晨两点过15分离开。
The next train leaves at a quarter past two in the morning.
=The next train leaves at fifteen past two in the morning
=The next train leaves at two fifteen in the morning.
我3点半有一个重要的会议。
I have an important meeting at half past three.
=Ihaveanimportantmeetingatthreethirty.
(2)若分钟数大于30分钟,通常需要使用介词“to”以连接,即“用60分钟减去该分钟数+ to+下一个时刻的小时”,可以意为“几点差几分”。如:9:55,即“10点差5分”,故可以表达为:five to ten= nine fifty-five。当分钟数为45分钟时,还可以用“quarter”替换“fifteen”。例如:
这名男子十一点差五分(10点55分)时离开汽车进入大楼。
The man left his car and entered the building at five to eleven.
= The man left his car and entered the building at ten fifty-five.
我们8点差10分(7点50)吃早饭。
We have breakfast at ten to eight.
= We have breakfast at seven fifty.
在12点差2分(11点58)时,大钟突然停止不动。
At two to twelve, the clock suddenly stopped.
=At eleven fifty-eight, the clock suddenly stopped.
他们通常5点45分放学。
They usually finish school at quarter to six.
=Theyusuallyfinishschoolatfifteentosix.
= They usually finish school at five fortyfive.