Diet varies _______ different countries in the world.
A. between B. among
请问如何选择?同时请老师具体谈谈它们的用法。
陈老师:
你的句子填 between, among 都不算错。
vary 后接介词 between 或 among 的具体用法大致如下:
1. 如果vary后面接的是 A and B, A, B and C 之类含有连词 and 的词组,原则上应用 between。如:
Class numbers vary between 25 and 30. 班级的数目从 25 到 30 不等。
Her feelings varied between joy and fear as she watched him fight. 当她现看他拳击的时候,时而喜悦,时而担心。
The origin of the calendar is inaccurate to begin with, and our “year” is not strictly astronomically accurate but varies between 365 and 366 days. 历法的来源本来就不精确,何况我们的“一年”在天文学上又不是严格算准而是介乎365与366天之间。
2. 如果vary后面接的是一个复数名词,按理说应该用 among,但事实上也经常用介词 between(表示“每两者之间”)。如:
Salary scales vary between states / from state to state / according to state / with each state. 工资高低各州 / 一个州与另一州 / 视所在的州 / 各个州不同。(《《剑桥国际英语词典》》)
Services offered vary among the main high street banks. 各大商业银行提供的服务不尽相同。(《牛津英语搭配词典》)
陈老师:
Diet varies (among) different countries in the world.
世界上不同的国家其饮食是不同的。
介词among 与between的区别如下:
1. among 一般用于三者或三者以上的“在……中间”,其宾语通常是一个表示笼统数量或具有复数(或集合)意义的名词或代词。如:
They hid themselves among the trees. 他们躲在树林中。
I found it among a pile of old books. 我在一堆旧书中找到了它。
注:among 还用于下列情况:
(1) 用来引出最高级的比较范围。如:
The book is the best among the modern novels. 在现代小说中这本是最好的。
(2) 表示“是……当中的一个”(相当于 one of)。如:
I was among the first to come. 我是来得最早的一个。
Paris is among the largest cities in the world. 巴黎是世界上最大的城市之一。
2. between 一般指两者之间,其宾语往往是表示两者的名词或代词,或者是由 and 连接的两个人或物。如:
There was a fight between the two boys. 这两个孩子打过一次架。
The baby crawled between his father’s legs. 婴儿在他父亲的双腿中间爬。
I’m usually free between Tuesday and Thursday. 我通常在星期二与星期四之间有空。
注:在下列情况,between 可用于三者:
(1) 两个以上的人或物用 and 连接时。如:
between A, B and C 在 A、B、C 之间
(2) 涉及事物之间的区别或各国之间的关系时。如:
the difference between the three of them 他们三者之间的区别
the relations between various countries 各国之间的关系
(3) 表示“由于……合作的结果”时。如:
Between them they landed the fish. 他们协力把鱼拖上了岸。
(4) 在 divide, share 等表示“分享”之类的动词之后,若接一个表示三者或三者以上的复数名词时,用 among 和 between 均可。如:
He divided his money among [between] his five sons. 他把钱分给了 5 个儿子。
黎老师:
Diet varies _______ different countries in the world.
A. between B. among
答案应该是 A. between 。例如:
Attitudes vary between individuals, societies, and cultures. 各个人、各个社会和各种文化之间的态度都不一样。(摘自《麦克米伦高阶英汉双解词典》)