英语讲义(51)合成形容词

和其他合成词一样，合成形容词（compound adjectives）也是由两个或两个以上的字合组而成的。由于现代英语结构尽量从繁入简，合成词，特别是合成形容词的运用，就越来越普遍，报章杂志更是如此。

合成形容词的构成方法，主要有下列 6 种：

①名词 形容词，如：
oil-rich, duty-free, praiseworthy, life-long, carefree, worldwide, skin-deep, sea-sick, cock-sure, word-perfect 等。

②形容词 形容词，如：
bitter-sweet, red-hot, Afro-Asian, socio-political, dead-alive, blue-black 等。

③名词 现在分词，如：
peace-loving, labour-saving, law-abiding, time-consuming, painstaking, trouble-shooting 等。

④名词 过去分词，如：
examination-oriented, man-made, poverty-stricken, bed-ridden, wind-blown, weather-beaten, heart-broken 等。

⑤形容词 现在分词，如：
good-looking, easy-going, eager-seeming, direct-acting 等。

⑥形容词 过去分词，如：
kind-hearted, narrow-minded, single-handed, new-born, soft-spoken, strong-headed, many-sided 等。

在这六类合成形容词中，①、③和④的生产率最高。

此外，合成形容词还可以从其他词类或结构转化而来，气象万千，韵味十足：

⑴从副词短语转化而来，如：
all-round protection, off-the-cuff opinion, round-the-clock investigation, the ahead-of-schedule general election, a once-a-week discussion 等。

⑵从片语动词转化而成，如：
a back-up generator, the break-in time, a catch-up programme, a see-through shirt, a stand-up collar 等。

⑶从不带“to”的不定式动词转化而成，如：
take-home pay, a keep-fit class, a get-acquainted party, a cross-border raid, a grow-slow policy 等。

⑷由介词短语转化后移至名词前，如：
discussions on foreign policy→foreign-policy discussions; the relationship between teachers and students →the teacher-student relationship; a proposal for the withdrawal of troops→a troop-withdrawal proposal 等。

⑸由形容词分句转化后移至名词前，如：
a machine that is difficult to operate→a difficult-to-operate machine; magazines which are hard to get at→hard-to-get-at magazines; a politician who is not so strong→a not-so-strong politician 等。

⑹由成语或惯用语转化后移至名词前，如：
a step-by-step procedure, an on-the-job training, a dog-in-the-manger attitude, a live-and-let-live policy 等。

前面6种构成法约定俗成，一切中规中矩，后面6种涵盖面大，极为灵活。光是通过成语转化的形容词合成词，数目都在不断扩大中，非常受欢迎。如 an out-of-the-way village（遥远的），a get-rich-quick mentality（快速致富的）。