one after another
one after the other
這兩個(gè)詞組的詞義有差異.
On after another的意思是“先后”或“相繼”,相當(dāng)于in succession 或one by one.例：
Our factory has concluded with many counterparts in the United States,one after another,agreements of cooperation
我們的工廠先后與許多美國(guó)工廠訂立了合作協(xié)約.
Many candidates of the New Territories,one after another,stood up and expressed their opinions．
許多新界的候選人一個(gè)接一個(gè)地站起來(lái)發(fā)表意見.
One after the other的意思是“交替地”,相當(dāng)于alternately.例：
The college students,one after the other,expressed their opinions in the debate lessons
大學(xué)生在辯論課上輪流發(fā)表意見.
有些英美語(yǔ)法書說(shuō)：one after another用于三者或三者以上的場(chǎng)合,而one after the other只能用于兩者的場(chǎng)合.其實(shí),實(shí)際情況并非如此.例如,在下例中：A dozen cars came out of the gate,one after another．
十多輛汽車一輛接一輛地駛出閘門.
有不少英美人士,在這種情況下,也用one after the other來(lái)表達(dá).因?yàn)橛胦ne after the other表達(dá)時(shí),說(shuō)話人是把這些小汽車分為每“兩輛”作為一組看待,兩輛兩輛輪流交替.用one after another時(shí),說(shuō)話人是把十幾輛小汽車看作“一個(gè)連續(xù)不斷的整體”,而不是以“二”作為一個(gè)單位看待.因此,one after the other也可用于指兩者以上事物的場(chǎng)合.
應(yīng)當(dāng)在此補(bǔ)充一句,one another和each other也存在著類似的區(qū)別,但each other也可以用于三者或三者以上的場(chǎng)合,正如between和among一樣,between亦可用于三者或三者以上的場(chǎng)合.