有人问到这样一句话:
(1)The Golden Gate Bridge is one of the world's greatest suspension bridges and acclaimed as the world's most beautiful bridge.
但根据《实用英语语法》1995年修订本(张道真编著)第67页最后一行说,Golden Gate Bridge属专有名词前不加冠词,而上述句(1)却用了定冠词the,不知何故?
桥梁,作为专有名词,除去一些比较固定的如London Bridge, Westminster Bridge等一般不用定冠词the外,皆可以用the,亦可不用the。用the的情况除上述句(1)外,再如:
(2)Joseph B. Strauss was the builder of the Golden Gate Bridge . (引自《不列颠百科全书》)
(3)The weather's pretty good, so I'm planning on shooting the Cedar Bridge . (引自《廊桥遗梦》)
不用the的情况有如:
(4)Golden Gate Bridge , suspension bridge spanning the Golden Gate, in California, U.S. (引自《不列颠百科全书》,系简约文体)
(5)Cedar Bridge sat fifty yards upstream from and parallel to the new road and its concrete bridge. (引自《廊桥遗梦》)
那么,上述用the与不用the二者有何不同呢? 从语法上讲,用了the说明该桥梁有区别于其他桥梁的含义;如不用the,那就意味着该桥梁就是一个十足的独立的专有名词了。
