有读者问： 现行研究生精读课本中有这样一个例子：
(1)The witness he had brought there cut any ice with the prosecution.
此句中的any起什么作用？其含义如何？
不定代词any在肯定结构中，可有褒义，如“大、多”等，例：
(2)I have any amount of letters for you.
（any意味着“多”）
(3)There are accessible to you, in liberaries, any number of books and treatises about different kinds of woods. （any意味着“数目大”）
也可有贬义，如“小、少”等，例：
(4)I am glad you take any pleasure in my poor poem.
（any意味着“尽管很小”）
(5)Maria's elder brother had been at first quite willing that his sister should marry with any bridegroom who presented himself.
（any意味着“即使不足道的”）
据此，上述句（1）中的any似乎意为“很大的”。这样，cut any ice with即意为“对……起了很大的作用”或“对……产生了很大影响”。
