besides, but, except 的用法辨析
1. 基本区别
三者都可表示;除外;,但 besides 表示一种累加关系,意指;除了什么之外,还有;;;;而 except 或 but 则表示一种排除关系,意指;除了什么之外,不再有;;;。如:
Besides his wife,his daughter also went to see him. 除他妻子外,他女儿也去看过他即妻子女儿都去看过他)。
Nobody went to see him except [but] his wife. 除他妻子外,没有一个人看过他即只有他妻子去看过他)。
注:在否定句中,besides 也表示;除;;之外不再有;; ;,与but, except 同义。如:
No one passed the exam besides [except] Jim. 除吉姆外,没一个人通过考试。
2. 关于 but 与 except
1) 两者都可表示;除;;外不再有;;;,但含义上略有差别:but侧重指意义的几乎完整性,而 except 则侧重指后面除去的部分。比较:
All are here but one. 除一个人都到了。
All are here except one. 还有一个人没到。
2) 在现代英语中,but 的介词用法十分有限,一般说来,它只能用在下列词语之后:
① no, no one, nobody, nothing, nowhere 等
② any, anyone, anybody, anything, anywhere 等
③ every, everyone, everybody, everything, everywhere 等
④ all, none 等
⑤ who, what, where 等
Everyone knows it but you. 除你之外大家都知道。
I haven't told anybody but you. 除你之外,我没告诉任何人。
No one but he [him] showed much interest in it. 除他之外没有一个人对此有很大兴趣。
一般说来,若没有出现上述词汇,就不宜使用介词 but, 否则可能造成错句。但是 except 却没有以上限制。比较:
正:The window is never opened except in summer. 除夏天外,这扇窗户从不打开。
误:The window is never opened but in summer.