only

1.许多语法书和修辞学书里有一条规则说only（副词）必须贴近它所修饰的词，否则意思便不明白，如I want only two apples和He died only a week ago两句很明白，I only want two apples和He only died a week ago便不明白。但事实上英美人经常用I only want two apples和He only died a week ago这类的句子，而且意思也并不含糊。汉语里也有不少这类句子，如说“我只要两个苹果”和“他只在一星期前死去”，不说“我要只两个苹果”和“他在只一星期前死去”。文言里也是这样，如说“仅存十之六”，不说“存仅十之六”或“存十之仅六”。

上面所举的I only want two apples和He only died a week ago不及I want only two apples和He died only a week ago“合理”。I had only to look out of my window to see it和It was only later that we found out the truth两句里的only都贴近它所修饰的词。但假使在一个句子里，死守那规则语气便不自然，不守那规则语气便自然，而且意思并不含糊，那末还是不守规则的好。

2.注意下面两句里用have they和can we，不用they have和we can：

• Only once before have they called on us.
• Only by this means can we hope to succeed.

偶尔也有Only then he realized his mistake等句，但总不及Only then did he realize his mistake等句正常。

3.下面每句里的that可有可无：

• I would do it with pleasure, only (that) I am too busy.
• He would have come yesterday, only (that) pressure of work did not allow him to come.

用了that意思重在那主要的从句，不用that意思重在那附属的从句，如I would do it with pleasure, only that I am too busy是“假使我不太忙，我将乐于做这个”。I would do it with pleasure, only I am too busy是“我将乐于做这个，可是我太忙了”。下面两句里不可加上that：

• He is very careful, only he sometimes makes mistakes.（他很小心，可是他偶尔还会犯错误。）
• You may come at any time, only you had better let me know beforehand.（你可以随时来，可是你最好预先通知我。）

4.only往往有“出人意料”或“反而”的意思。例如：

• I went to see him, only to learn that he had left the city the night before.（我去看他，不料听人家说他已经在前夜离开了这个城市。）
• Failure only strengthened our determination.（失败［不但不使我们失望］反而加强了我们的决心。）
• The money Pual got only served to make him want more.（他所得到的钱，反而使他要更多的钱［保罗因为得到了钱，反而愈加要钱了］。）

5.only too glad, only too pleased, only too willing, only too thankful, only too good, only too true等表达方式里的only too的意思是“并不是不…而的确是…”，就是“竟然…”或“却很…”，如She was only too glad to help you是“她并不是不乐于帮助你，而的确是乐于帮助你”。

6.He is too lazy to do it等句子里不可在too前面加上only。注意He is only too glad to do it里用only不错，这句里的to do it修饰glad，不修饰too。

7.one and only是only的强势式。例如：This is your one and only chance.