PETS－2语法讲解(140)

　　You're head and shoulders above the others .
　　对话
　　Walter: That's the fifth race in a row that you've won. You're by far our best driver.
　　Ryan: Well I think my results are a bit flattering because I've had quite a lot of luck and our car is always so reliable.
　　Walter: Nonsense, you're head and shoulders above the others in your division.
　　Ryan: Do you really think so?
　　Walter: Absolutely. So much so that we're thinking of entering you in the next division for the new season.
　　Ryan: That means a more powerful car and longer races. It'll be a lot tougher.
　　华尔特：这是你连续第五次赛车获胜。你绝对是我们最出色的赛车手。
　　赖安：我想，我的成绩还不错是因为运气实在很好，而且我们的车子也十分可靠。
　　华尔特：当然不是。你根本远远胜过其它同级的赛车手。
　　赖安：你真的这么想？
　　华尔特：一点也没错，所以我们准备下个赛车季推举你参加高一级的比赛。
　　赖安：那么，就要有一辆更强力的车子，赛程也会远一些。夺冠也会困难得多。
　　华尔特称赞赖安：You're by far our best driver。又说：You're head and shoulders above the others。这两句用了两个成语。By far是加强语气用语，有‘远远超过’的意思，而既说‘超过’，自然有比较含义，所以，习惯用来修饰比较级(comparative)或级(superlative)词语，例如：(1) Compared with WM Thackeray, Charles Dickens was by far the more prolific writer（和撒克里比较，狄更斯无疑是个多产的作家）。(2) She was by far the most beautiful girl the prince had ever seen（她比王子过去见过的女郎还美丽得多）。此外还有far and away－词，和by far同义，例如以上两句都可改用far and away。Be/Stand head and shoulders above somebody/something 取‘别人都不及你肩膀’含义，引申解作‘远远胜过其它人/物’，例如：His performance is head and shoulders above（或head and shoulders better than) that of his colleagues（他的工作表现，远远胜过他的同事）。最后要说华尔特So much so that we're thinking of entering you in the next division这一句。So much so that是常用语，有‘（上述事情）程度之高，以至..........’含义，例如：She enjoyed herself heartily at the party, so much so that she forgot her promise to get home by 11:00pm（她在派对上玩得十分开心，连‘晚上十一点前回家’的都忘记了）。华尔特那一句，是说对赖安期许甚高，高得有意要他参加高一级的比赛。