as well as不完全等同于and

很多译友在翻译的时候，喜欢拿as well as去替换and，以此避免译文词汇的贫乏。在翻译as well as的时候，也习惯直接处理成“和”，似乎as well as两头是完全平行并列的选项。

这是一个误区。

前两天，英语共学社的练习中，出现了这样一句话：

The chain’s backers include investment funds who seek social as well as financial returns.

官方译文是：

这家连锁酒店的投资方包括寻求社会和财务回报的投资基金。

这位译者将as well as直接处理成了“和”，这样是否准确呢？

as well as作连词的时候，连接两个名词代词或形容词的时候，并不是and的功能，而是有侧重。A as well as B，侧重点在A，相当于not only B but also A。比如：

It has symbolic as well as social significance. （侧重点在symbolic）

Women, as well as men, have a fundamental right to work. （侧重点在women）

因此开头那句话，真正的意思应该是：

The chain’s backers include investment funds who seek not only financial but also social returns.

除了信息平行这一个误区，as well as还有哪些用法是我们需要关注的呢？

当as well as作为连词的时候，后面跟分句的时候必须连着动词ing形式，不跟动词原形、不定式或句子。比如：

Smoking is dangerous, as well as to make you smell bad. 错

Smoking is dangerous, as well as making you smell bad. 对

He broke the window as well as destroyed the wall. 错

He broke the window as well as destroying the wall. 对

但要注意区分以下这种情况：

She draws as well as designing clothes.

她不但会设计衣服，还会画画呢。

She draws as well as she designs clothes.

她的绘画技术和服装设计的能力一样好。此处的well 是修饰draw的副词。

还有，as well as连接主语时，谓语动词的单复数必须与前面那个保持一致。比如：

John, as well as Mary, come to the party. 错

John, as well as Mary, comes to the party. 对

以上三点就是大家普遍存在的对as well as的误区，综合起来就三点：

as well as的侧重点在前面；

as well as后面不跟动词原形不定式或句子，可跟动名词；

as well as不会因为跟在单数主语后面就把谓语动词变成了复数。

如果觉得这个as well as很有意思，推荐大家去翻翻朗文啊柯林斯啊还有其他语法书上对这个词组的详细阐述。但我想最重要的那三点，我刚才已经说得差不多了呢。

晚安，周末愉快。

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