學習 the 之用法；use of the definite article “the” has declined “radically”

It might appear to be one of the more useful words in the English language, but according to research by a linguistics professor, use of the definite article “the” has declined “radically” over the last century

Use of definite article shows ‘radical decline’ in last century, research shows

Academic’s analysis of American English usage shows striking fall,...

THEGUARDIAN.COM|由 ALISON FLOOD 上傳

 我的父親，一個陌生人
原文: My Father, The Stranger
 http://cn.nytimes.com/slideshow/20130622/c22father-ss/zh-hant/#page1
所以紐約時報誤譯


我建議用字典學習 the 之用法。一般漢英辭典都隨便、不完整。我整理（剪輯）劍橋大學、yahoo ！等等辭典：

 這三年大舉增加研發經費、資本支出的台積電，才正要收割技術領先帶來的果實。「最好的時候，才正要開始（The best is yet to come.），」張忠謀說。

the art. ( 冠詞 article)
, 弱 〈子音の前〉, 〈母音の前〉(TH ē before a vowel; THə before a consonant )
1. 這( 個), 那( 個) ；這些, 那些

Do you know the man talking to the boss?

你認識那個在跟老板說話的男人嗎?

Have you got the letters I sent you?

我寄給你的那幾封信收到了嗎?

ad. ( 副詞 adverb)

1. ( 用於形容詞, 副詞比較級前) 越... 越...

The sooner, the better.

越快越好。

The older he gets, the more active he becomes.

他越老越活躍。

2. ( 用於比較級前) 更加

If you put in a good word for him, he's all the more likely to get the job.

要是你替他說句好話, 他就更有可能得到這份工作了。

（這可以用來判斷「說主」之英文程度。譬如說，我們直覺為 out of crisis，不過Out of the Crisis 是Deming 所取的書名）。

以我推薦的分類最簡化的 Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary， the 有四類，其中最常用的 the (PARTICULAR) 也有16 項/ 例。

determiner
1 used before nouns to refer to things or people when a listener or reader knows which particular things or people are being referred to, especially because they have already been mentioned or because what is happening makes it clear: I just bought a new shirt and some new shoes. The shirt was quite expensive, but the shoes weren't.
Please would you pass the salt.
I'll pick you up at the station.
2 used before some nouns that refer to place when you want to mention that type of place, without showing exactly which example of the place you mean: We spent all day at the beach.
Shall we go to the movies this evening?
I must go to the bank and change some money. 3 used before noun phrases in which the range of meaning of the noun is limited in some way: I really enjoyed the book I've just finished reading.
Do you like the other students in your class?4 used to refer to things or people when only one exists at any one time: What will happen in the future?
After I leave college, I want to travel round the world.
They live in the north of Spain.
Ed Koch was for many years the mayor of New York.
When we went to Paris, we went up the Eiffel Tower. as of a monument or ship: the Alamo; the Titanic

Used to indicate uniqueness: the Prince of Wales; the moon.
5 used before superlatives and other words, such as 'first' or 'only' or numbers showing something's position in a list, which refer to only one thing or person: That was one of the best films I've ever seen.
What's the highest mountain in Europe?
I shall never forget the first time we met.
You're the fifth person to ask me that question.6 used to say that the particular person or thing being mentioned is the best, most famous, etc. In this use, 'the' is usually given strong pronunciation: Harry's Bar is the place to go.
You don't mean you met the Richard Gere, do you?7 used before some adjectives to turn the adjectives into nouns which refer to one particular person or thing described by the adjective: It seems that the deceased (= this particular dead person) had no living relatives.
I suppose we'll just have to wait for the inevitable (= the particular thing that is certain to happen) .8 used before some adjectives to turn the adjectives into nouns which refer to people or things in general that can be described by the adjective: She lives in a special home for the elderly.
The French were defeated at Waterloo in 1815. 9 used before a singular noun to refer to all the things or people represented by that noun: The panda is becoming an increasingly rare animal.
The car is responsible for causing a lot of damage to our environment.10 used before a family name to refer to two people who are married or to a whole family: The Jacksons are coming to lunch on Saturday.11 used before some nouns referring to musical instruments or dances to mean the type of instrument or dance in general: Nico is learning to play the piano.
Can you do the waltz? 12 used before a noun to represent the activity connected with that noun: I've got to go under the surgeon's knife (= have a medical operation) next week.
It's not a good idea to spend more than three hours at the wheel (= driving a vehicle) without a break.13 used before numbers that refer to periods of ten years: the sixtiesrural life in the Thirties
14 used before each of two comparative adjectives or adverbs when you want to show how one amount gets bigger or smaller in relation to the other: The sooner I get this piece of work finished, the sooner I can go home.---

Used before a noun specifying a field of endeavor: the law; the film industry; the stage.

---
15 used before comparative adjectives or adverbs when you want to show that someone or something has become more or less of a particular state: She doesn't seem to be any the worse for her bad experience.16 used for emphasis when you are expressing a strong opinion about someone or something:André's got a new job, the lucky devil.

---- the (ENOUGH)
determinerenough: I'd like to go out this evening, but I don't think I've got the energy.[+ to infinitive] I haven't got the time to talk to you now.''

The can also mean "sufficient", as in "lacked the gumption to make his move".

---

the (YOUR) determinerused instead of a possessive adjective such as your, her or my: He held his daughter by the arm.
I can't remember where I parked the (= my) car.

Used as the equivalent of a possessive adjective before names of some parts of the body: grab him by the neck; an infection of the hand.

----

the (EACH) determiner. Used before a noun with the force of per:
each; every: It does 30 miles to the gallon.

cherries at $1.50 the box.

(from Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary)

━━ def.art . その, あの, 例の.
━━ ad. それだけ; ますます.
The sooner the better. 　早ければ早いほどよい.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

A word placed before nouns to limit or individualize their

meaning.

Note: The was originally a demonstrative pronoun, being a

weakened form of that. When placed before adjectives

and participles, it converts them into abstract nouns;

as, the sublime and the beautiful. --Burke. The is used

regularly before many proper names, as of rivers,

oceans, ships, etc.; as, the Nile, the Atlantic, the

Great Eastern, the West Indies, The Hague. The with an

epithet or ordinal number often follows a proper name;

as, Alexander the Great; Napoleon the Third.

The may be employed to individualize a particular kind or species;

as, the grasshopper shall be a burden. --Eccl. xii. 5.

思高聖經 訓道篇 Ecclesiastes 共 12 章

怕上高處，行路危險，杏子被棄，蚱蜢被嫌，續隨子失去效力，因為人要回永久的家鄉，哀悼的人徘徊街頭；

--

傳 道 書 Ecclesiastes12:5

[hb5] 人怕高處、路上有驚慌、杏樹開花、蚱蜢成為重擔、人所願的也都廢掉、因為人歸他永遠的家、弔喪的在街上往來、

[kjv] Also when they shall be afraid of that which is high, and fears shall be in the way, and the almond tree shall flourish, and the grasshopper shall be a burden, and desire shall fail: because man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets:

[bbe] And he is in fear of that which is high, and danger is in the road, and the tree is white with flower, and the least thing is a weight, and desire is at an end, because man goes to his last resting-place, and those who are sorrowing are in the streets;

\The\, adv

By that; by how much; by so much; on that account;

1. Because of that. Used before a comparative: thinks the worse of you after this mistake. ***-- usedbefore comparatives; as, the longer we continue in sin, the more difficult it is to reform. ``Yet not the more cease I.''--Milton.

So much the rather thou, Celestial Light, Shine inward,

and the mind through all her powers Irradiate. –Milton

2. To that extent; by that much: the sooner the better.

3. Beyond any other: enjoyed reading the most.