from…to…类介词结构用法归纳
一、from…to…类结构的用法
1. 主要意思
(1) 表示“从……至……”“从……到……”。如：
How far is it from your office to the bank? 从你办公室到银行有多远?
We are removing from London to the country. 我们正从伦敦迁往乡下。
I want a rope that will go from the top window to the ground. 我要一条绳，其长度能自最上一扇窗户垂到地面。
(2) 表示“由……变成……”“将……改为……”。如：
He has moved from acting to film production. 他由演员变成了制片人。
She’s been downgraded from principal to deputy. 她已从校长降为副校长。
He swings from wild optimism to total despair. 他由极其乐观一变而为完全绝望。
The room was converted from a kitchen to a lavatory. 这房间由厨房改成了厕所。
(3) 表示“从一个……到另一个……”“一个……一个地”“逐个……”“挨个……”。如：
These people go from house to house selling goods. 这些人挨家挨户兜售货物。
The ape swung along from branch to branch. 那只猿猴从一根树枝汤到另一根树枝上。
He went from village to village, seeking for work. 他从一个村子到另一个村子，找寻工作。
I like to hop from channel to channel when I watch TV. 我看电视时喜欢不断地换频道。
Migrant workers move from country to country in search of work. 流动工人从一国迁到另一国找寻工作。
The smaller animals can easily leap from tree to tree. 身体较小的动物可以在树丛间轻巧地跳来跳去。
Computer viruses replicate themselves and are passed along from user to user. 计算机病毒可以自我复制，然后由用户传给用户。
2. 主要句法功能
(1) 用作表语
Lunch is from eleven to two. 从十一点到两点开午饭。
Office hours are from 9 am to 5 pm. 办公时间从上午9点到下午5点。
The price range is from $100 to $500. 价格在100美元至500美元之间不等。
In Britain the long vacation is from June to October. 在英国，长的假期是从六月到十月。
The annual range of temperature is from –10℃ to 40℃. 全年的温度较差为零下10度至40度。
(2) 用作状语
She went straight from school to university. 她中学一毕业就马上进了大学。
Salaries are from 10% to 50% higher than in Britain. 薪金比在英国高10%到15%。
The World Cup Final was beamed live from Britain to Japan. 世界杯决赛从英国向日本作了实况转播。
I work from Tuesday to Saturday, and Sunday and Monday are my days off. 我从星期二到星期六工作，星期日和星期一休息。
(3) 用作定语
通常用于名词后作定语。如：
The transition from boyhood to manhood can be a confusing period. 从少年时期向成年时期的转变常是令人困惑的时期。
但有时from…to…结构用于名词前起修饰作用，此时通常可视为from…后（也就介词to之前）省略了一个名词。如：
Norway jumped from ninth to third place. 挪威从第9位跃升至第3位。（可视为ninth的后面省略了place）
Water passes from a liquid to a solid state when it freezes. 水结冰是由液态变为固态。（可视为liquid的后面省略了state）
Could you cut your essay from 10,000 to 5,000 words? 请把你的那篇文章从10,000字删减到5,000字行吗?（可视为10,000的后面省略了words）
3. 连用名词时是否用冠词
当from…to…用于连接两个名词时，有时名词前需带有冠词，有时不用，情形比较复杂，大致遵循的原则如下：
(1) 若所搭配的名词意思比较具体，是在谈论特定场合的具体人或事物，则通常要用冠词。如：
The book fell from the table to the floor. 书从桌上掉到地板上。
The scene cuts from the shop to the street. 镜头从商店转换到街道。
A bus transported us from the airport to the city. 一辆公共汽车把我们从机场送到市区。
(2) 若所搭配的名词意思比较抽象，只是在谈论一般概念或一般规律等，则不用冠词。比较：
This skill wasn’t handed down from the father to the son. 这项技术并没有从父亲传给儿子。
These skills used to be handed down from father to son. 这些技术以往都是父子相传。
It is not far from the house he lived in to the house I lived in. 从他居住的房子到我居住的房子并不远。
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child. 她一家家去问是否有人见过这个小孩子。
(3) 但有时用不用冠词，与说话人的侧重点有关。比较并体会：
Then we transferredfrom a bus to a tram. 然后我们从公共汽车换成电车。
This is where we change from car to bus. 这就是我们从小汽车换乘公共汽车的地方。
(4) 在由from…to…构成的习语中，名词前通常是不用冠词的（见后面有关习语的用法归纳）。如：
He works from dawn till dusk. 他从天亮工作到天黑。
From time to time I still think of her. 我仍然不时地想起她。
He knows the subject from beginning to end. 这个专题他了如指掌。
The children were covered in mud from head to toe. 孩子们全身沾满了污泥。
She went from house to house asking if anyone had seen the child. 她一家家去问是否有人见过这个小孩子。
但也有些习语，用不用冠词均可以，如from (the) cradle to (the) grave（一辈子，从生到死）。如：
From (the) cradle to (the) grave, the car marks every rite of American passage. 在美国人的一生中，每一个重要阶段都有汽车的影子。
4. 关于与动名词的搭配
from…to…结构除通常与名词、代词、数词等搭配外，有时还可与动名词搭配。如：
He made a switch from publishing to teaching. 他由出版工作改做教学工作。
We are trying to shift the emphasis from curing illness to preventing it. 我们正在努力把工作重点从治疗疾病转为预防疾病。
He’s changed from being cynical about politics to being very interested in it. 他改变了对政治怀悲观的态度，而对其颇感兴趣。
注意，以下句子中的from…to…结构中，to为不定式符号，用于构成不定式表示结果或目的等。如：
She rose from her seat to protest. 她从座位上站起来提出抗议。
He rose from the ranks to become an officer. 他由士兵升为军官。
He dived from the bridge to rescue the drowning child. 他从桥上跳入水中去抢救那溺水儿童。
People came from far and near to hear the famous violinist. 人们从四面八方赶来听这位著名小提琴家的演奏。
5. 与动词vary, range等搭配
from…to…还经常与range, vary等表示“变化”“变动”的动词搭配使用，表示变化或变动的范围。如：
Dress sizes range from petite to extra large. 服装尺码从特小号到特大号不等。
His interests ranged from chess to canoeing. 他的爱好从下国际象棋到划独木舟，范围很广。
These fish vary in weight from 3 lb to 5 lb. 这些鱼的重量从3磅到5磅不等。
The heights of the plants vary from 8 cm to 20 cm. 这些植物的高度从8厘米到20厘米不等。
Her mood varied from optimism to extreme depression. 她的情绪由乐观一变而为极度消沉。
值得一提的是，from…to…与动词vary搭配使用时，其中的from…to…还经常用于连接两个相同的名词，强调变化或差异。如：
The weather varies from day to day. 天气一天天变化。
Test scores vary from school to school. 测试成绩各校不同。
Prices vary widely from shop to shop. 价格各个商店大不一样。
The treatment will vary from patient to patient. 治疗方法因人而异。
Levels of unemployment vary from region to region. 失业情形各地不同。
Social customs vary greatly from country to country. 社会习俗各国差别很大。
Medical treatment varies greatly from state to state. 医疗制度各州大不同一样。
The symptoms she suffered varied from month to month. 她的症状每个月都不同。
Office hours vary from company to company and country to country. 因公司、国家不同，办公时间也有所不同。
【注】lurch from one crisis / extreme etc to another: also lurch from crisis to crisis
比较以下相似表达：
Salary scales vary between states. 工资高低各州不同。
Salary scales vary from state to state. 工资高低一个州与另一州不同。
Salary scales vary according to state. 工资高低视所在的州有报不同。
Salary scales vary with each state. 工资高低各个州不同。
6. 用于 from one…to…结构
from one…to another
主要用于谈论三者或三者以上的情况，大意为“从一个……到另一个……”，具体翻译时需视句子语境而定。如：
She skipped from one subject to another. 她讲得没有条理，东拉西扯。
She spends the day rushing from one meeting to another. 她成天在会场之间奔波。
There are no mechanisms for transferring funds from one department to another. 基金无法从一部门转移至另一部门。
【注】该结构有时也可用于指谈论两者的情况，如下面一句摘自《朗文当代高级英语辞典》第4版的shift词条：
Joe listened, shifting uncomfortably from one foot to another. 乔听着，不安地把重心从一只脚转移到另一只脚。
from one…to the other
主要用于谈论两者的情况，意思是“从（两者中的）一个……到另一个……”。如：
The two cultures were so utterly disparate that she found it hard to adapt from one to the other. 两种文化迥然不同，她发现很难用一种去适应另一种。
from one…to the next
与from one…to another用法相惟，也主要用于谈论三者或三者以上的情况，表示“从一个……到下一个……”，具体翻译时需视句子语境而定。如：
His moods swung wildly from one day to the next. 他的情绪天天起伏很大。
You don’t know what his mood will be from one day to the next. 真说不上他的情绪今天怎样明天又怎样。
I couldn’t understand his lecture because he kept jumping from one topic to the next. 我听不懂他的演讲，他总是从一项内容跳到另一项内容。
Statistical anomalies can make it difficult to compare economic data from one year to the next. 统计数字的不规则，会使某一年的经济资料很难与下一年相比较。
7. 用于某些习惯搭配
from beginning to end 从头到尾
I’ve read the book from beginning to end. 我把这本书从头到尾看完了。
The argument was shallow from beginning to end. 那次辩论从头到尾都很肤浅。
from bad to worse 越来越糟
Things are going from bad to worse. 事态越来越糟了。
His business is going from bad to worse. 他的生意每况愈下。
from cover to cover 从头至尾地
主要指文章及书报杂志等，通常与动词read连用。如：
When I was young, I read every one of his books from cover to cover. 我年轻的时候，他的每一本书我都从头到尾读过。
from crisis to crisis 一次又一次的危机
主要与动词 lurch 连用。如：
We seem to lurch from crisis to crisis. 我们似乎要经历一次又一次的危机。
The government is weak and the country lurches form crisis to crisis. 政府软弱无能，以致国家经历了一次又一次的危机。
from dawn to dusk [dark] 从早到晚
其中的介词 to 通常与可换成 till。如：
During harvest they work from dawn to dusk. 在收获季节，他们从早忙到晚。
There’s traffic in the streets from dawn till dusk. 从黎明到黄昏街上车辆川流不息。
from day to day 天天，每天，一天天地，一天又一天，日复一日地
(1) 强调经常有变化。如：
My health is improving from day to day. 我的健康在一天天见好。
A baby’s need for food can vary from day to day. 婴儿对食物的需要天天都在变化。
(2) 强调时间持续很久。如：
I put off writing from day to day. 我日复一日地推迟写它。
I never know from day to day what I’m going to be doing. 每天我都不知道要干什么。
(3) 若与动词 live 连用，构成live from day to day，则表示“过一天算一天”。如：
We struggle on, living from day to day. 我们生活得很艰难，过一天算一天。
They live from day to day, looking after their sick daughter. 他们过一天算一天，日复一日地照顾着生病的女儿。
from door to door
(1) 表示“挨家挨户”。如：
He went from door to door, selling encyclopedias. 他逐门逐户去推销百科全书。
The old man went from door to door begging for food. 那个老人挨家挨户地讨饭。
(2) 表示“从一家到另一家”。如：
The journey takes about an hour, door to door. 从这家到那家的路程要用一个小时。
Door to door, it’s exactly 100 miles to his house. 从我家到他家直接距离正好是100英里。
from ear to ear
通常与表示“笑”的动词连用，表示“咧着嘴笑”。如：
I saw him grinning from ear to ear. 我看见他咧着大嘴笑。
Standing there listening to the song, he caught himself smiling from ear to ear. 她站在那里听那首歌，忽然发觉自己咧着嘴笑。
from end to end 从一端到另一端
They arranged the tables end to end. 他们将桌子排成一行。
The channel measures 20 feet from end to end. 这条管道全长20英尺
We walked along the whole promenade, from end to end. 我们步行从大道的一端到另一端。
from father to son 父子相传，代代相传
These skills used to be handed down from father to son. 这些技术以往往都是父子相传。
The farm has been handed down from father to son since 1800. 该农场自1800年起一直代代相传。
from foot to foot 双脚换来换去
He was hopping from foot to foot. 他双脚换来换去地跳着。
They looked unsure and shifted uneasily from foot to foot. 他们看上去没有把握，双脚在那儿不安地换来换去。
from generation to generation 一代一代地
His is a family trade, passed down from generation to generation. 他的生意是家族似的，是一代一代传下来的。
These jewels have been passed down in our family from generation to generation for hundreds of years. 这些珠宝在我们家代代相传已有好几百年的历史了。
from hand to hand 从一个人传给另一个人，用手传递
Buckets of water were passed from hand to hand to put the fire out. 人们一桶又一桶传递着水以便把火扑灭。
(live) from hand to mouth 勉强糊口，刚够解决温饱
They can only live from hand to mouth. 他们的日子是只能糊口。
We lived from hand to mouth, never knowing where the next meal was coming from. 我们日子过得紧紧巴巴的，从来是吃了上顿没下顿。
有时可省略 from。如：
We’ve been living hand to mouth ever since I lost my job. 自从我没了工作以后，我们的生活仅够糊口。
from head to foot [toe] 从头到脚，浑身
He was shaking from head to foot. 他浑身上下都在发抖。
We were covered from head to foot in mud. 我们从头到脚都沾满了烂泥。
from house to house 挨家挨户，逐座房子
The soldiers fought from house to house. 士兵们逐屋争夺进行着巷战。
She went from house to house collecting signatures for her campaign. 她挨家挨户为自己投身的运动征集签名。
from morning to night 从早到晚
He works from morning to night. 他从早到晚工作。
She works hard from morning to night. 她从早到晚辛勤工作。
from mouth to mouth 口口相传，人传人地
The news spread rapidly from mouth to mouth. 消息很快就传开了。
The news spread rapidly from mouth to mouth. 这条消息很快就传开了。
from pillar to post 到处奔走；(尤指)到处碰壁（通常与driven, pushed连用）
The poor kid has been pushed from pillar to post. 这个可怜的孩子走投无路。
She was driven from pillar to post and each person she spoke to was more unhelpful than the last. 她被迫四处奔走求救于人，但愿意帮她的人一个不如一个。
from place to place 处处；挨处；到各地
The people here paddled from place to place in canoes. 这里的人用独木舟从一个地方划到另一个地方。
The core business of airlines is flying people and cargo from place to place. 航空公司的核心业务是运送乘客和货物到各地。
from side to side 左右地
The cow’s tail flicked from side to side. 牛尾巴轻轻地左右摇摆。
Look from side to side before you cross the road. 过马路前要往两边看看。
from start to finish 从头到尾，自始至终
She was in the lead from start to finish. 从头到尾都是她领先。
She read the letter from start to finish without looking up. 她头也不抬地把信从头到尾看完。
go from strength to strength 日益变强，越来越好
For several years the business went from strength to strength. 几年来该企业日益壮大。
The firm’s gone from strength to strength since the new factory was built. 自从新工厂建成后，这家公司蒸蒸日上。
from time to time 不时地
He likes to have a good gripe from time to time. 他时常爱发上一通牢骚。
The house has been added to from time to time. 这所房子不时进行扩建。
from top to toe 从头到脚，全身
A woman came into the room dressed in red from top to toe. 一名女子走进屋子，从头到脚一身红色。
She surveyed Sophie from top to toe in a disarmingly frank way. 她以让人放心的坦率目光把索菲从头到脚打量了一番。
from top to bottom 从上到下，完全地，全部地，整个地，彻底地
We searched the house from top to bottom. 我们把那所房子彻底搜寻了一遍。
The whole house needs cleaning from top to bottom. 整座房子需要彻底打扫。
from year to year 每年，年年
Insect populations fluctuate wildly from year to year. 昆虫的数量每年变化很大。