tu学习形容词的比较级，了解英国特别之处 Comparative Adjectiveseget（学习形容词的比较级，了解英国特别之处 Comparative Adjectives）

Hi, I'm Vicki and I'm British. And I'm Jay and I'm American.

大家好，我是薇姬，我是英国人。我是杰，我是美国人。

We live in Philadelphia in the US and we're just back from a holiday in England. England is a strange country and I'm going to show you some of the surprising things I saw.

我们住在美国费城，我们刚从英国度假回来。英国是个奇怪的国家，我将向你们讲述一些我所看到的令人惊讶的事情。

And you'll learn how we both use comparative adjectives along the way, and some common mistakes to avoid. So what surprises you about England?

而且你还会在听的过程中学到我们如何使用形容词的比较级，以及一些需要避免的常见错误。那么英国有什么让你惊讶的呢？

Well, first, the size of things. A lot of things are smaller.

首先，物体的大小。很多东西都比较小。

The cars, the refrigerators, the food packages in the supermarket… It's a smaller country than the US.

汽车、冰箱、超市里的食品包装……这是个比美国更小的国家。

We have less space so we're more crowded. The streets are narrower and I had to be more careful when I was crossing the street because you drive on the wrong side.

我们的空间更小，所以我们更拥挤。街道比较窄，我过马路的时候必须更加小心，因为你们在错误的方向开车。

Not the wrong side. We just drive on the left-hand side of the road.

不是错误的方向。我们只是在马路的左手边开车。

So the cars are coming from the right. And if you look left before crossing a street, you could get hurt.

所以汽车是从右边来的。而如果你在过马路前向左看，你可能会受伤。

I had to make Jay hold my hand like a child to get him across the road. It's dangerous!

我得让杰像个孩子一样握住我的手才能让他过马路。太危险了！

OK. What else surprised you?

好吧。还有什么让你惊讶的？

The age of some of the buildings. We stayed in a hotel that dated back to the 16th century — that's older than anywhere I've stayed before.

一些建筑的年代。我们住在一家可以追溯到16世纪的酒店——比我以前住过的任何酒店都要古老。

It was an old coaching inn, so in the past, coaches with horses stopped there to rest. But these days it's a pub.

这是一间古老的马车旅馆，所以在过去，由马拉着的马车会停在那里休息。但如今它是一家酒吧。

And it's also a hotel but it's not like the Holiday Inn or a Hilton. It didn't even have a front desk.

它也是一家酒店，但和假日酒店或希尔顿酒店不一样。它甚至没有前台。

When we arrived we just went to the bar to say 'hey, we're here' and it was nice because they gave me a big glass of wine. That was because they were looking for our reservation.

当我们到达时，我们只是去酒吧说‘嘿，我们来了’，感觉很好，因为他们给了我一大杯葡萄酒。那是因为他们在找我们的预订。

They didn't seem to know who we were. And that was after I'd made the reservation twice!

他们似乎不知道我们是谁。而且那是在我预订了两次之后！

I think they lost it the first time. But our room was very pretty.

我想他们第一次是弄丢了。但是我们的房间很漂亮。

It was more chaotic than a Holiday Inn — less organized. But it was more fun than a Holiday Inn.

这里比假日酒店还要杂乱无序——没有什么条理。但它比假日酒店更有乐趣。

The people were very nice. The service was great — polite but very personal and friendly.

那里的人都很好。这里的服务很好——有礼貌，但很人性化，也很友好。

Would you stay there again? Oh yeah, I loved it.

你还会住在那里吗？哦，是的，我喜欢。

OK, let's look at some grammar. We use comparative adjectives to compare two things and we form them in two different ways.

好的，让我们来看看语法。我们用形容词的比较级来比较两个事物，我们用两种不同的方式来构成形容词的比较级。

With one syllable adjectives we normally add -er. So small becomes smaller.

对于单音节形容词，我们通常加-er。所以小就变成更小。

Old becomes older and so on. An exception is the word fun.

老就变成更老，以此类推。乐趣这个词是个例外。

When we use 'fun' as an adjective we say 'more fun. ' With adjectives with three syllables or more, we make comparatives differently.

当我们用 fun 作为形容词时，我们说“更有趣”。对于三个音节或三个音节以上的形容词，我们用不同的方式来表示比较级。

We don't add -er. We put 'more' in front instead.

我们不加-er。我们把 more 放在形容词前面。

So chaotic becomes 'more chaotic'. Notice we can also use the word 'less' in a similar way.

所以混乱变成了“更混乱”。注意，我们也可以用类似的方式使用 less 这个词。

It means the opposite of 'more'. So one syllable adjectives — add -er, and three syllable adjectives use 'more' or 'less'.

它的意思与 more 相反。单音节的形容词加-er，三个音节的形容词用 more 或 less。

But what about two syllable adjectives? That's more complicated.

但是两个音节的形容词呢？那就比较复杂了。

With a lot of two syllable adjectives we use 'more'. So careful, more careful, crowded, more crowded.

在很多双音节形容词中，我们使用 more。所以是小心，更小心，拥挤，更拥挤。

But there are some two syllable adjectives where we normally add -er. For example, narrow.

但是有些双音节形容词，我们通常会加-er。例如，狭窄的。

We say narrower. And with many two syllable adjectives we can use '-er' OR 'more'.

我们说更窄的。对于很多双音节形容词，我们既可以加 -er 也可以用 more。

You'll hear us say both forms. Friendlier or more friendly.

你会听到我们说两种形式。更友好的。

Both forms work. Here's another funny thing about the UK.

两种形式都可以。关于英国还有一件好玩的事。

Every home has an electric kettle. Of course!

每个家庭都有电水壶。当然了！

One of the first things I bought when I moved to the US was an electric kettle, but it was a mistake because it takes ages to boil the water here. Electric kettles are really slow in the US.

我搬到美国后买的第一件东西就是电水壶，但这是个错误，因为在这里烧开水要花很长时间。在美国，电热水壶真的很慢。

Well, our electricity is 120 volts. It's 240 volts in the UK so it's quicker.

我们的电流是120伏。在英国是240伏，所以速度更快。

But you have a strange relationship with electricity in England. When you go into a bathroom, there's no light switch.

但在英国，你们处理电的方式很奇怪。当你走进浴室时，那里没有电灯开关。

There is a switch but it's outside the room, or the switch hangs from the ceiling and you pull a cord to turn the light on. So you have to grope around in the dark to find the switch.

有一个开关，但它在房间外面，或者开关挂在天花板上，你拉一根绳就能打开灯。所以你必须在黑暗中摸索着寻找电灯开关。

But it's safer because you could have wet hands. And you don't want to mix water with electricity.

但这样更安全，因为你可能会弄湿手。而且你可不想把水和电混到一起。

And there are no electric sockets in the bathroom so you have to go to a different room to use your hair drier. It's safer that way!

而且浴室里没有电源插座，所以你必须去另一个房间用吹风机。这样更安全！

Also, English sockets have switches on them. So you plug something into an outlet and it doesn't work and then you discover you need to turn the switch on.

此外，英国的插座上有开关。所以你把什么东西插到插座上，它不供电，然后你发现你需要打开开关。

I think our plugs are better than American ones. They're bigger and they always have three pins.

我认为我们的插头比美国的好。它们更大，而且总是有三个插针。

Our pins are thinner and sometimes there are just two. And sometimes your pins bend.

我们的插针更细，有时只有两个。有时你们的插针会弯曲。

English plugs are sturdier. OK, but what is it with English faucets?

英国插头更结实。好吧，但是英国的水龙头是怎么回事？

You mean our taps. They have two controls.

你是说我们的水龙头。它们有两个控件。

Yeah, one for hot water and one for cold. So you can't just turn one handle.

是的，一个放热水，一个放冷水。所以你不能只转动一个把手。

You have to turn two. American faucets are easier to operate.

你必须转两个。美国的水龙头更容易操作。

I think there's a good reason for that, but I don't know what it is. Maybe one of you can tell me.

我认为这是有原因的，但我不知道是什么原因。也许你们谁能告诉我。

There was something I really liked though. What was that?

不过有一点我很喜欢。那是什么？

The heated towel rail. They're lovely.

加热毛巾架。它们可真好用。

They're electric and they dry the towels, heat the bathroom and it's nicer to dry yourself with a warm towel. I agree.

它们是插电的，它们可以晾干毛巾，加热浴室，而且用热毛巾擦干身体感觉更好。我同意。

There are some spelling rules for comparative adjectives that you need to know. If a one syllable adjective ends in e, we just add r.

你需要知道一些形容词比较级的拼写规则。如果一个单音节形容词以 e 结尾，我们只加 r 就可以了。

So not -er, just r. Also there are some one syllable adjectives that end with one vowel and one consonant.

所以不是加-er，只是 r。还有一些单音节形容词以一个元音和一个辅音结尾。

With those you have to double the consonant. So for example, it doesn't happen in the words sweeter or longer.

对于这些形容词，辅音字母就得双写。看示例单词，但对于“更甜”或“更长”这两个单词例外。

Another one. With two syllable adjectives that end in the letter -y, we always add -er.

另一个。对于以字母 y 结尾的双音节形容词，我们总是要加上-er。

But we change the y to an i. And one more thing that's very important.

但是我们得把 y 变成 i。还有一点很重要。

There are some irregular adjectives. The most common ones are good and bad.

有一些不规则形容词。最常见的是“好的”和“坏的”。

For good we say better. So it's not gooder. It's better.

对于“好的”，我们说更好。更好不是 gooder，而是 better。

And for bad, it's not badder. We say worse. Far is another one.

对于“坏的”，更坏不是 badder，我们说 worse。“远”是另一个特例。

We say farther or further. Another thing that was very interesting was the elevators.

我们说更远用 farther 或 further 都行。另一件很有趣的事情是电梯。

So the confusing thing is I want to go to the first floor, but there's also a ground floor, and that doesn't exist in America. This should be two, right?

令人摸不着头脑的是，我想去一楼，但这里还有个“底层”，美国没有这个。这应该是二楼，对吧？

We have a different system for numbering the floors in a building. It should be very easy.

我们有一套不同的大楼楼层编号系统。本应该很简单的。

The ground floor is the first floor and the next floor is the second floor. But for us, the next floor can be the first floor.

“底层”就是一楼，那么下一层就是二楼。但对我们来说，下一层可以是一楼啊。

We're much more logical in the US. We're logical too, but the ground floor can be zero.

我们美国的用法更符合逻辑。我们也很符合逻辑，但是底层可以是零层啊。

It's a different logic. And speaking of elevators, which you call lifts… ?

逻辑不同罢了。说到电梯，你们管电梯叫升降机？

Yeah, lifts or elevators. Another thing that surprised me was elevators in the London subways.

对，升降机还是电梯。另一件让我吃惊的事情是伦敦地铁里的电梯。

He means the Underground — or Tube. The Tube was like the New York or Philadelphia subway, but a lot cleaner and quieter, and the escalators were really long.

他指的是地下铁。地铁就像纽约或费城的地铁，但要干净得多，安静得多，而且自动扶梯也很长。

The trains are far deeper underground than in the States. Way deeper.

这里的地铁比美国的要深得多。深得多得多。

When we were at Covent Garden, we had a choice, the stairs or the elevator. But then we heard there were 193 steps.

当我们在考文特花园时，我们面临一个选择，走楼梯还是坐电梯。但后来我们听说有193级台阶。

That's about 16 stories! We chose the elevator!

那就差不多是16层楼！我们选择了电梯！

Sometimes you'll want to add emphasis when you're making comparisons. With a normal adjective you could say 'very' — very easy, very interesting.

有时在做比较的时候，你会想要强调一下。用一个普通的形容词你可以说“非常”——非常简单，非常有趣。

But with comparative adjectives it's different. We use the word much, so much easier, much more interesting.

但是形容词的比较级就不一样了。我们使用 much 这个词，简单得多，有趣得多。

We can also say 'far', ' a lot', and if you're speaking informally, 'way'. And if you want to minimize the difference, you can say 'a little'.

我们还可以用 far，a lot，如果你是在非正式场合说，还可以用 way。如果你想把区别降到最低，你可以说“一点点”。

I love the signs in England. It's funny to see signs saying 'toilets' everywhere.

我喜欢英国的标志牌。看到到处都有写着“厕所”的牌子很有意思。

So if you wanted to find a toilet what would you say? 'Where's the restroom? ' or 'Where's the men's room? '

如果你想找厕所，你会说什么？“洗手间在哪里？”或者“男盥洗室在哪里？”

I'd say 'Where's the toilet'? You're more direct than me.

我会说‘厕所在哪儿’？你比我更直接。

It's just what we say. And we went to the theater and our seats were in the 'stalls'.

我们就是这么说的。我们去剧院，我们的座位在“正厅前座”。

Yeah, we sat downstairs in front of the stage — the stalls. We call that part of the theater the orchestra.

是的，我们坐在舞台前面的下方——正厅前排。我们把剧院的那个部分叫做管弦乐队演奏处。

We have an orchestra pit in English theatres. But it's literally where the orchestra sits.

在英国，剧院里会有乐队席。但那个地方实际上就是管弦乐队演奏的地方。

The audience sits in front in the stalls. For me, stalls are the partitions in a restroom that separate the toilets.

观众坐在正厅前排。对我来说，“隔间”这个单词就是洗手间里分隔厕所的隔板区。

Stalls has that meaning for us too. But now you've learnt a new meaning of the word.

stalls 对我们来说也有这样的意思。但是现在你已经学会了这个单词的新意思。

My English is getting better and better. But stalls don't sound like good theatre seats to me.

我的英语越来越好了。但是对我来说，正厅前座听起来不像剧院里的好座位。 ~eudic

Your favourite sign was at Heathrow Airport. Oh yeah.

你最喜欢的标志是在希思罗机场。噢，是的。

If your flight is departing from B or C gates, please board the next available train from either platform. The first stop will be for all B gates and the second stop will be for all C gates.

如果您的航班在 B 或 C 登机口起飞，请在任意站台搭乘下一班列车。第一站为所有 B 登机口的乘客，第二站为所有 C 登机口的乘客。

The tech is getting more and more advanced. Her eyes seemed to follow me as I moved around.

技术越来越先进了。她的眼睛似乎会跟着我移动。

But the funniest signs were in the subways — the exit signs that tell you how to get out. You loved them.

但最有意思的标志在地铁里——出口指示牌会告诉你怎么出去。你很喜欢这些指示。

Yeah. They made me think of hippies in the 1960s.

是的。它们让我想起了上世纪六十年代的嬉皮士。

When something was cool they'd say it was 'far out' or 'way out'. It's far out man!

当什么东西很酷的时候，他们会说它“真特别”或者“真不一般”。太帅了吧，朋友！

Way out there! Here's a cool structure you can use to make comparisons.

无敌了！这个结构很好用，你可以用它来进行比较。

You double up and use two comparatives in one sentence. We often do this to say things are changing.

在一个句子中使用两个比较级。我们经常这样用，以表示事情正在发生变化。

Let's finish with the most common mistakes students make with comparatives. We use the word 'than' after the comparative adjective when we want to show what we're comparing something with.

最后让我们来看看学生们在使用比较词时最常犯的错误。当我们想要表示我们在比较某物时，我们在形容词的比较级后面使用 than。

Sometimes students say 'as' here. But that's wrong.

有时学生在这里会说 as。但这是错的。

Also, notice the word 'me' in this sentence. We don't say I.

还有，注意这个句子中的单词“me”。我们不用 I。

We use the object form of the personal pronoun so — than me, than him, than her, than us, than them. And the other common mistake is to use -er when you should say more and vice versa.

我们用人称代词的宾语形式所以是——比我，比他，比她，比我们，比他们。、另一个常见的错误是当你应该说 more 时却加了-er，反之亦然。

Remember short adjectives: add -er. Long ones: use more.

记住，简短的形容词：加-er。长的形容词：用more。 ~eudic

And finally, sometimes students use both -er and more and that doesn't work either. And that's it for comparatives!

最后，有时学生们会同时使用加 -er 和 more，这也不对。好了，比较级就讲到这里！

I just have one final question. Did you like England, Jay?

我还有最后一个问题。你喜欢英国吗，杰？

Oh yeah, the more I go there, the more I like it. We also went to Spain on holiday and we're going to make another video about that.

哦，喜欢，我去的次数越多，我就越喜欢那里。我们还去了西班牙度假，我们将制作另一期关于西班牙的视频。

So make sure you subscribe to our channel and click the notification bell so you don't miss it. Bye-bye everyone.

所以一定要订阅我们的频道，点击通知铃，这样你就不会错过更新了。大家再见。

Bye.

拜拜。