“keep from”是英语中常用的动词短语,核心含义围绕“阻止、避免、克制”展开,具体意思和用法需结合语境判断。以下是详细解析:
“keep from”主要表达“阻止(某人/某事发生)”“避免(做某事)”“克制(不做某事)”,强调“使…不发生”或“自我控制不做某事”。
“keep from”的用法核心是后接“动名词(doing)”,或带宾语(sb./sth.)后接“from doing”,具体分为3类:
表示“阻止/妨碍某人实施某个动作”,相当于“prevent sb. from doing”或“stop sb. from doing”(三者可互换,“keep from”更强调“持续阻止”)。
The teacher kept the students from talking in class.(老师阻止学生在课堂上说话。)
The bad weather kept us from going on a picnic.(坏天气让我们没能去野餐。)
主语主动“克制、避免”做某事,常隐含“努力控制”的意味;否定形式“can’t keep from doing”表示“忍不住/无法克制做某事”(= can’t help doing)。
I must keep from eating too much sugar.(我必须避免吃太多糖。)
She could hardly keep from laughing at his funny face.(看到他滑稽的脸,她差点忍不住笑。)
I can’t keep from thinking about the exam results.(我忍不住想考试结果。)
表示主语“被外界因素阻止”做某事。
He was kept from attending the meeting because of illness.(他因病未能参加会议。)
The secret was kept from the public for years.(这个秘密被隐瞒了公众多年。)
from不可省略:与“keep sb. doing”(让某人一直做某事)不同,“keep sb. from doing”中的“from”是关键,省略后意思完全相反!
错:Keep the dog barking.(让狗一直叫)→ 对:Keep the dog from barking.(阻止狗叫)
后接动名词:“from”是介词,后面必须接动名词(doing),不能接动词原形。
错:Keep from eat junk food. → 对:Keep from eating junk food.
口语常用“can’t keep from doing”:表达“忍不住”,是非常自然的口语表达,比“can’t help doing”更强调“克制的努力失败”。
keep from vs. prevent from vs. stop from:
三者都表示“阻止”,但“keep from”更强调“持续阻止”或“自我克制”;“prevent/stop from”更强调“一次性阻止动作”(如“prevent a fire”= 阻止火灾发生,“keep from starting a fire”= 克制自己不去生火)。
“keep from”的核心是“使…不发生”,无论是“阻止他人”“自我克制”还是“被阻止”,都围绕这一逻辑。记住结构“keep (sb.) from doing”,并结合语境判断具体含义,就能灵活使用啦!