◆但失败并没有使他绝望。
误:But failure didn’t drive him to despairs.
正:But failure didn’t drive him to despair.
析:despair(失望,绝望)是不可数名词。
◆他使许多别的钢琴家望尘莫及。
误:He is a despair for many other pianists.
正:He is the despair of many other pianists.
析:the despair of sb 是一固定结构,意为“令某人毫无办法” 或“令某人望尘莫及”。又如:This boy is the despair of all his teachers.(这个男孩使他所有的老师感到束手无策)。
◆他们不抱比赛获胜的希望。
误:They were despaired of winning the game.
正:They despaired of winning the game.
析:despair 用作动词,是不及物的,其意为“失望”、“绝望” 等,而不是“使失望”、“使绝望”,所以不用于被动语态。要表示“对...感到绝望或丧失信心”,其后通常用介词 of,又如:Never despair of success.(千成不要丧失获得成功的信心)。