以a-开头的形容词用法新探 • aghast

一、aghast 的用法

基本义：惊奇的；惊恐的 (filled with horror or amazement)

■作表语

1. aghast at sth。例如：

Scarlett was aghast at such words coming from Melly of all people. 思嘉想不到媚兰竟说出这样的话来，觉得太可怕了。

2. aghast to do sth。例如：

As I lay in that dark hour, I was aghast to realise that something was within me. 当我在黑夜里躺着的时候，吃惊地体会到我心里有某种东西。

■作宾语补足语

The door of the room was thrown open, and Julia appearing at it, with a face aghast, exclaimed," My father is come!" 门霍地开了，朱丽叶站在门口，大惊失色地叫道：“我父亲回来了！”

■作状语

And you married a Christian minister to a heathen?" Abner asked, aghast. “你把一个基督牧师同野蛮人结成了夫妇？”艾布纳骇然问道。

■(有时)作前置定语

She passes an aghast English-speaking European tourist, ...她从一个惊恐的、讲英语的欧洲游客身边经过……

二、aghast 的搭配

1. a little [a bit, equally, properly，quite, slightly, truly，totally]aghast。例如：

I was quite aghast when I read some of the questions. 当读到一些问题时，我相当惊恐。

注：杨发河著《英语形容词句型活用指南》(江西高校出版社1992年12月第1版)p14：aghast前不用very，如不说very aghast，而说much[very much] aghast。

然而，在BNC(http://www.natcorp.ox.ac.uk)和BUY-BNC BRTISH NATIONAL CORPUS (UK,1980s-1993) (Mark Davies, Brigham Young University ) http://corpus.byu.edu/bnc/ 上共有152例包含aghast 的例句，竟无1例much[very much] aghast；

在BYU: THE OXFORD ENGLISH DICTIONARY(http://corpus.byu/oed/)上共有49例包含aghast 的例句，竟无1例much[very much] aghast；

在TIME CORPUS OF AMERICAN ENGLISH (1923-2006) (Mark Davies, Brigham Young University ) (http://corpus.byu.edu/time) 上共有273例包含aghast 的例句，竟无1例much[very much] aghast；

在BUY CORPUS OF AMERICAN ENGLISH (1990-2008) (Mark Davies, Brigham Young University) http://www.americancorpus.org/上共有489例包含aghast 的例句，竟无1例much[very much] aghast。

由此看来，尽管语法专家根据语法理论认为much或very much可以修饰aghast，但实际上，无论英国英语还是美国英语都不用much或very much修饰aghast，而是通常用all 来修饰aghast。

2. be [feel, look, seem, sound, stand]aghast。例如：

“Ten days? ” She was aghast. “十天？”她很惊奇。

I still feel slightly aghast at the idea of her leaving him there.一想到她把他留在那里，我仍然感到有点吃惊。

She looked almost aghast under the new idea she was receiving. 她听到这件从未想到过的事情后，几乎吓呆了。

Co-workers had seemed aghast, and wanted to comfort them. 同事们似乎很吃惊，想安慰他们。

“A space station?”“George sounded aghast. “太空站？”乔治听上去很吃惊。

The neighbours all stood aghast, and dared not move. 邻居们都目瞪口呆, 再不敢动。

3. aghast at sth.。例如：

I was aghast at the incomprehension of our leadership.我对于我们领导不理解形势的情况也大感吃惊。

He stood aghast at the terrible sight. 他被那可怕的景象吓呆了。