6 成语介词in accordance with及in the vicinity of等的用法辨析

问：我是在校生，复习时做过这样一道选择题：（1）The tenant must be prepared to decorate the house the terms of the contract.

A. in the vicinity of

B. in quest of

C. in accordance with

D. in collaboration with

所给参考答案是C，但我不太清楚这道题是要考查什么，我们应该如何理解？

答：虽然英语约有100个介词，无法与英语里的名词、形容词和动词等在数量上相比，但在搭配能力、使用频率方面却远远超过上述其他词类。介词是最活跃的词类之一，同时也是最难掌握的词类。英语界老前辈许孟雄教授曾不止一次地说过：“没有介词就没有英语……英语是介词的语言。”我们应该重视介词的学习。本题考查的是短语介词（phrasal preposition），也可称为成语介词的辨析。在短语介词中有一种构成形式是：“简单介词+（带冠词的）名词+简单介词”，本题的四个选择项就是这样的介词。

答案C.in accordance with意为“按照……，依据……，与……一致”（in a way that fulfils or agrees with），后接名词或代词，例如：

（2）The goods will be sent in accordance with your instructions.

（3）Both companies have insisted that they were acting in accordance with the law.

答案Ain the vicinity of意为“大约……；在……附近”（about；in the area near a place）；意为“大约”是夸张说法；意为“附近”是正式用法，例如：

（4）His income is in the vicinity of 15,000 a year.

（5）A number of buildings in the vicinity of the fire were damaged.

答案Bin quest of意为“寻求”（long searching for something，attempting to find something）。例如：

The hunter stayed in the woods all day in quest of game.还有，in quest of与in quest for同义。

答案D.in collaboration with意为“与……合作；与……勾结”（working together or with someone else，esp．for a special purpose），后接名词或代词等。例如：

（6）She wrote the book in collaboration with her sister.

（7）The two companies are working in collaboration with each other.

可见，只有答案C. in accordance with符合题意。本句可译为：“房屋承租者必须按照合同协议来装饰房屋。”这种成语介词的辨析题在中级水平的考试，如大学英语四、六级统考、研究生入学考试等中时有出现，例如：

（8）He always did well at school having to do part-time jobs every now and then.

A. in case of

B. in spite of

C. regardless of

D. on account of（CET-4, 2001.1）

（9）The younger person’s attraction to stereos cannot be explained only familiarity with technology.

A. in quest of

B. by means of

C. in terms of

D. by virtue of（CET-6,1999.6）

（10）Christmas is a Christian holy day usually celebrated on December 25 the birth of Jesus Christ.

A. in accordance with

B. in terms of

C. in favor of

D. in honor of（1996年研究生入学试题）

（11）Computers were thought of like people, generations, with the distance between generations much smaller.

A. by means of

B. in terms of

C. with regard to

D. in line with（2002年研究生入学试题）

在大学基础阶段的学习中，应该掌握的这类短语介词还有：as a result of“作为……的结果”，at the cost of“以……为代价”，at the expense of“由……付费”，at the mercy of“完全受……支配”，at the risk of“冒着……的危险”，by means of“用……，依靠……”，by reason of“由于，因为”，by（in）virtue of“借助；由于”，by way of“经由……”，in accord with“同……一致”，in addition to“除……之外（还）”，in answer to“作为对……的回答”，in case of“假使，以防”，in charge of“在……掌管之下”，in conjunction with“与……共同”，in connection with“与……有关”，in consequence of“由于……的缘故”，in consideration of“考虑到”，in contrast to（with）“与……形成对比”，in control of“控制着……”，in default of“因没有……”，in defiance of“无视，不顾”，in excess of“超过”，in favour of“赞同，支持”，in front of“在……前面”，in harmony with“与……协调”，in honour of“为向……表示敬意”，in league with“与……联合”，in line with“跟……一致”，in memory of“纪念……”，in order to“为了……”，in place of“代替；交换”，in proportion to“与……成比例”，in（with）relation to“关于，有关”，in response to“作为对……的回答”，in return for“作为……的交换”，in search of“寻找”，in spite of“不管，不顾”，in terms of“根据”，in the course of“在……的过程中”，in the face of“面对，不顾”，in the middle of“在……当中”，in the midst of“在……之中”，in the name of“以……的名义”，in the neighborhood of“在……附近”，in view of“鉴于；由于”，on account of“因为”，on the grounds of“以……为理由”，on（upon）the point of“就要……之时”，on the strength of“依据，凭借”，on（in）behalf of“代表；为了”，to the tune of“达……之多”，with a view to“关于；考虑到”，with（in）reference to“根据……而论”，with（in）regard to（of）“关于”等。