王　丹

一、介詞but的常見用法

介詞but表示“除……外”，與except，other than或not including的意思相近。主要出現(xiàn)在以下場合：

① 與no，no one，none，nobody，nothing，nowhere等詞連用。例如：

No one can do it but him. 只有他才能擔(dān)當(dāng)此任。

None but him knows this plant. 只有他認(rèn)識這種植物。

I heard nothing but the wind. 除了風(fēng)聲，我什么也沒聽到。

② 與all，anything，anywhere，every，everybody，everyone等詞連用。例如：

We were all here but Tom. 除湯姆以外，我們來了。

Everybody arrived on time but yourself. 大家都按時到達(dá)，就是你自己沒有。

Have you ever been to anywhere else but Beijing？除了北京之外你還去過別的什么地方嗎？

③ 與who，what，where及形容詞最高級等連用。例如：

Who but a fool would do such a thing？除傻瓜外，誰還會干這樣的事情？

What is she but my wife？她不是我的妻子還會是別的什么人？

He is the thinnest man in our school but Mr He. 除何先生外，他是我們學(xué)校里最瘦的人。

④ but后面常跟名詞、代詞、數(shù)詞、形容詞、副詞、介詞短語或名詞性從句作賓語。例如：

None but his dog saved him. 除了他的狗以外，誰也救不了他。

I have written all my letters but one. 我只差一封信就寫完了。

He felt all but dead with fatigue. 他感到累得要死。

She was anything but mad. 她一點也不瘋。

I remember I put it nowhere but in desk. 我記得我只是把它放在書桌里了。

I believe all but what he said. 我根本不相信他說的話。

⑤ but后面常跟帶to的動詞不定式作賓語。例如：

She had no choice but to wait. 除了等待，她別無選擇。

⑥ but前的謂語動詞是do時，其后跟省略“to”的動詞不定式作賓語。例如：

He did nothing but read a novel yesterday. 除了看小說，他昨天什么也沒干。

What can you do but take back what you said. 除了收回你的話外，你還能做什么呢？

⑦ but前面的非謂語動詞是to do或doing時，but后面動詞不定式的符號“to”可以省略也可以不省略。例如：

I had nothing to do but (to) watch TV yesterday evening. 除了看電視，昨晚我無事可做。

There was nothing left to do but (to) take a rest. 沒有什么事情要做，只好休息了。

⑧ but前面的謂語動詞或短語動詞后要求接動名詞時，在but后面應(yīng)接動名詞。例如：

He thinks of nothing but making money. 除了賺錢，他什么也不想。

That official was afraid of nothing but eating pork. 那位官員只是怕吃豬肉。

He could bear anything but hearing such bad news. 他聽到這樣的壞消息確實會忍受不了的。

⑨ but不能置于句首，也不能與other連用。例如：

Everyone but me was tired. (= Except for me，everyone was tired.) 除了我，大家都累了。

Mr An has no girl-friends but her. (= Mr An has no other girl-friend besides/except her.) 除了她外，安先生沒有別的女朋友。

⑩ but后面的代詞，可用主格也可用賓格；但處于主語位置時，用主格代詞顯得更自然，謂語動詞的形式應(yīng)與but前面的主語在人稱和數(shù)上保持一致。例如：

No one but we (us) is able to do it. 只有我們能當(dāng)此任。

Nobody but we (us) knows of it. 除了我們外，沒有人知道這件事。

You are all wrong but I (me). 除我以外，你們都錯了。

I told her that I had never loved anyone but her. 我告訴她，除她以外我沒有愛過任何人。

二、含介詞but的常見短語

1. all but除……外全都；幾乎

All but mother in my family can speak English. 除母親外，我一家人都會說英語。

They have all but finished the task. 他們幾乎完成了任務(wù)。

You are all but a doctor. 你簡直是個博士。

His theory is all but correct. 他的理論幾乎是正確的。

2. anything but不見得；決不

He is anything but a good headmaster. 他不見得是個好校長。

His composition is anything but correct. 他的作文錯誤百出。

I was anything but angry. 我一點也不生氣。

This car is anything but beautiful. 這小汽車根本不漂亮。

3. but for除……外；要不是

The purse is empty but for a few coins. 除了幾枚硬幣外，錢包里面是空空的。

She could have remarried but for her little daughter. 要不是因為她的小女兒，她早就再婚了。

4. but now剛剛，適才

I saw him in the office but now. 我剛剛看見他在辦公室里。

I heard the commander talk about you but now. 適才我聽得司令講到您。

5. but that要不是，若非

But that I saw it，I could not have believed it. 要不是我親眼所見，我決不會相信這件事。

But that you helped us，we could not have been rich. 要不是你的幫助，我們不會富裕起來。

6. can (or could) but只能，只好

His father can but know a few letters. 他的父親只能認(rèn)識幾個字母。

The old lady could but walk slowly with a stick. 那位老太太只能拄著拐杖慢慢地走。

7. can (or could) not but不得不，忍不住

I could not but tell him about it. 我不得不告訴他這件事。

She could not help but leave there. 她只好離開那里。

Seeing her husbands funny face，she could not but laugh. 看見丈夫的滑稽面孔，她忍不住笑了。

8. cannot (or could) choose but不得不，必須

They could not choose but obey. 他們除了服從外別無選擇。

9. cannot (or couldnt) help but不能不，不得不

I cannot help but be sorry. 我不能不感到遺憾。

10. first but one (two ...) 順數(shù)第二 (三……)

In the brothers Mr Kong was the first but one. 孔先生在眾弟兄中排行老二。

11. last but one (two ...) 倒數(shù)第二(三……)

We sat in the last row but four. 我們坐在倒數(shù)第五排。

12. never ... but每當(dāng)……就……

He never sees Miss Wo but he thinks of his friend，Xiao Ya. 每當(dāng)見到沃女士時，他就想起他的朋友小雅來。

Her brother never comes，but he asks her for money. 她兄弟來時，總是向她要錢。

13. next but one再下一個

They used to live in the next house but one to me. 他們住在我隔壁的隔壁。

14. no one but除了……外，誰也不

No one but a bedlamite would say such words. 除了瘋子，誰也不會說這樣的話。

15. not ... but不(是)……而(是)……

They were not the bones of an animal，but of a human being！ 他們不是動物的骨頭，而是人的骨頭。

We do not study Russian but English. 我們不學(xué)俄語，而學(xué)英語。

16. not (no such a) so ... but不是如此……以至于不……

There is no such a fool but he can see it. 沒有愚蠢到連這都看不懂的人。

His English is not so bad but he can make himself understood. 他的英語還不至于差到不能把自己的意思講清楚的地步。

17. nothing but只不過，僅僅(不以為然，厭煩之語氣)

She is nothing but a housewife. 她只不過是個家庭主婦。

There is nothing but water in the bottle. 那瓶子里只有水。

His theory is nothing but correct. 他的理論只是不錯而已。

18. nothing ... but除非

Nothing would do but that he should be here. 一切都無用，除非他來了。