“介词+反身代词”的重要搭配

搭配五  in itself

该搭配的意思是“本质上”“实质上”“本身”。如：

He is not bad in himself. 他本质不坏。

The idea is not bad in itself. 这主意本身不错。

Threading a needle is an art in itself. 穿针引线本身就是一种技巧。

You’ve managed to complete the course—that in itself is an achievement. 你设法修完了课程——这本身就是成绩。

搭配六  to oneself

该搭配的基本意思是“独自地”“单独地”“给自己用”，通常与某些动词配合使用，其含义也往往受所搭配动词意思的影响。如：

1. cry to oneself 哭着对自己说

Oh Ned, Nancy cried to herself, why did you have to leave me? 哦，内德，南希还哭着对自己说，你为什么一定得离开我呢？

2. have something to oneself 独自享用某物

I have the whole day to myself. 今天整天都是属于我自己的。

With my parents away I’ve got the house to myself. 由于我父母不在，我可以独自使用这所房子。

3. keep (oneself) to oneself 不与人交往

Nobody knows much about him; he keeps himself very much to himself. 谁都不太了解他，因为他很少与人来往。

4. say to oneself 心里想(www.hxen.com)

So I said to myself, “It’s time I left.” 所以我想：“我该走了。”

I woke up early and said to myself, “Shall I get up?” 我很早就醒来了，心里想：“要不要起床呢？”

注意：say to oneself与speak to oneself大致同义，主要指“说给自己听”“在心里想着”，其“自言自语”的成分比较少。若要表示“自言自语”（强调出声），可用talk to oneself。如：

He was probably talking to himself, which he often did now. 他也许在自言自语，他现在常常如此。

When she was old, she would sit in the corner talking to herself for hours. 在她年老时，她老坐在角落里自言自语，一说就是几个小时