這兩句話的含義並不相同。She is home.的意思是:“她到家了”;She is at home.的意思是:“她在家裏”,有時尚可表示“準備接待客人”之意。因此,When is she at home?的含義是:“她何時在家?”(以便我們來訪)。就詞性而言,在第一句中,home是副詞,作表語;在第二句中,home是名詞,作介詞at的賓語。
同樣,Is she home yet?和Is she at home?的意義也不相同,前者是“她已到家了嗎?”;後者是“她在家裏嗎?”值得注意的是,短語at home在不同的場合下可以表示不同之義。例如:
Plea make yourlf at home.
請不要客氣。
I feel mylf at home.
我覺得很舒服。
He is quite at home in English.
他精通英語。
It is made at home.
這是國產貨。
Today he is not at home to anyone except you.
除你之外,他今天不會客。
Strao say, neers both at home and abroad ighis i.
說來奇怪,國內外的報紙對此事件竟會漠然視之。
請注意,“這個星期天我在家裏”既可譯作:“I''llstay at home this ing Sunday.”也可譯作:“I''llstay home this ing Sunday.”前者是英國英語;後者是美國英語。“他每天回家吃中飯”的正確譯文是“He is home for lunch every day.”不能說:“He is at home for lunch every day.”
下列的習慣用法也值得注意:
We go (e,arrive et)home.
We take (nd )someone(something)home.
We live(work or stay)at home.