1. 用作名词,表示“脸”,注意其前连用介词的大致情形:
(1) 表示打在脸上,其前通常用介词 in。如:
His wife slapped him in the face. 他妻子打他耳光。
The brick hit John in the face. 砖头打在约翰的脸上。
The branch sprang back and hit me in the face. 树枝弹回来打在我脸上
但是,有时也可能用介词 on, 如下面两句均摘自权威英美词典:
He was struck on the face. 他被打了一记耳光。
She hit [struck] him hard on the face. 她用力地打他耳光。
注:这个时候face前用the,而不是用物主代词或所有格形式。
(2) 表示在脸的表面,其前通常用介词on。如:
She was badly burned on the face and body. 她面部和身上严重烧伤。
(3) 表示面部表情等,其前通常用介词 on。如:
He had a surprised expression on his face. 他脸上露出了惊讶的表情。
You should have seen the look on her face when I told her!
我告诉她的时候你真该看看她的脸色!
The expression on his face never changed.
他的面部表情总是一成不变。
He came with a smile on his face. 他微笑着走来。
比较:He came with a smiling face. 他微笑着走来。
a pretty/round/freckled face
漂亮的 / 圆的 / 有雀斑的面孔
a sad/happy/smiling face
悲哀 / 幸福的面容;笑脸
(4) 表示直视某人的脸,其前通常用介词 in。如:
He looked her in the face. 他直视她的脸。
注:直视自然相当于“打脸”这个时候face前用the,而不是用物主代词或所有格形式。
(5) 表示当着某人的面,通常用介词 in, to, before 等。如:
He slammed the door in my face. 他当着我的面把门砰地关上了。
He wouldn’t be so rude to her face. 他不会当着她的面显得那样粗鲁。
2. 与汉语一致的习惯表达,如face to face (with) (与……)面对面,面临,have the face to do sth(居然有脸做某事),save face(顾全面子),lose one’s face(丢脸)、show one’s face露面;公开见人
等。如:
She came face to face with poverty for the first time. 她第一次面对贫困。
She kept silent about that in order to save face. 为了保全面子,她对那事只字未提。
He was afraid of failure because he didn’t want to lose face with his colleagues. 他害怕失败,因为他不想在同事面前丢脸。
有些表达与汉语意思相差较大,如make faces [a face] at [to] sb(对某人做鬼脸或做苦相),pull [wear, put on] a long face(板着脸,哭丧着脸),have two faces(口是心非,耍两面手法),in (the) face of(在……面前;即使面对(问题、困难等) ;由于;因为 ),face the music(为自己的行为承担后果)等。如:
The children sat at the window making faces at the passersby. 孩子们坐在窗旁,对走过的行人做鬼脸。
I don’t know what’s the matter with her, but she’s been pulling a long face for two days. 我不知道她出了什么事,这两天她一直拉长着脸。
In the face of great hardship, she managed to keep her sense of humor. 面对极大的困苦,她仍设法保持幽默感。
She showed great courage in the face of danger.
面对危险她表现出了巨大的勇气。
He was unable to deny the charges in the face of new evidence.
面对新的证据,他无法否认被控告的罪。
You’ve been caught cheating—now you must face the music. 你的骗局被戳穿了,现在你得自食其果了。
The others all ran off, leaving me to face the music.
其他人都跑掉了,留下我来挨罚。
put on a brave face
put a brave face on sth
强装自信快乐;佯装满不在乎
3. 用作动词,用于本义,表示“朝向”,可用作及物或不及物动词。如:
Turn round and face me. 转过身来面对着我。
The house faces south. 那栋房子朝南。
The window faces (on) the street. 窗户对着街道。
用作引申义,表示“面临”“正视”等,通常只用作及物动词。如:
Face the facts! 面对事实吧!
He was prepared to face the consequences. 他准备面对一切后果。
4. 注意短语be faced with(面对,面临)和face up to(勇敢地对付或接受)。如:
They are all faced with the same problem. 他们都面临同样的问题。
She’s finding it difficult to face up to the possibility of an early death. 她面临可能早逝而手足无措。
5. face后通常不能直接跟that从 句,遇此情况,可用face the fact that。如:
We must face the fact that we might lose our deposit. 我们必须正视我们可能失去存款这一事实。
同样地,face up to后也不能直接跟that从句,遇此情况,也用face up to the fact that。如:
He must face up to the fact that he is no longer young. 他应该勇于正视自己不再年轻这一事实。
也可以指物体的表面:
How many faces does a cube have?
立方体有几个面?
put one’s face on= put on make-up 化妆
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