英语 （出自新概念英语第三册课后练习第三课）

这句话应翻译为：这座城市曾经的繁荣家喻户晓.“繁荣”这个词是属于抽象名词,如money这个单词一样,是抽象的,是钱的总称,而不是具体的RMB或者dollar（美元）,看不见抓不着；同时这也不是前面有所提到的事物,所以不需要加the.而a表示某一或单数等概念.具体定冠词与不定冠词的用法楼主可详见以下用法.
1.不定冠词的用法 (1) a用在子音前; an用在母音前.An hour (2) 表同种类的全体,此时a带有any的意味.A dog is a faithful animal.(=Dogs are faithful animals.) (3) 等于one.I have a sister and two brothers.(4) 等于the same.Birds of a feather flock together.(5) 等于per“每一.”.We work eight hours a day.Ninety miles an hour.(6) a = a certain,表说话者不认识此人.Do you know a Mr.Smith?(7) 物质名词或抽象名词加a (an)即成普通名词,Asparagus is a grass.(a = a kind of).This is a good cloth for summer.(8) “have (or take) a 抽象名词”,与抽象名词的动词形同义.Let us take am.= Let usm.2.定冠词的用法(1) 由于上下文的关系,某名词所指的东西已非常明显,或已有一定的范围,该名词应加the.Shut the door.Please pass me the caster.(2) 表该名词的总称.The cow is a useful animal.(= Cows are useful animals.) (3) 前面已提过的名词,再度提到时前面加the.Once upon a time there was a little boy who lived in a cottage.The cottage was in the country,and the boy lived there all his life.(4) 用于为片语或子句所修饰的名词之前.This is the book that I promised to lend you.(5) 用在宇宙（独一无二）的天体名词之前.The sun; the moon; the sky; the earth.(6) 用在方位,方向等名词之前.The sun rises in the east and set in the west.(7) 乐器的名称前要加the.To play the piano (violin,guitar,flute,etc.) (8) 表示单位的名词前要加the.Gasoline is sold by the gallon.Meat is sold by the catty.(9) 在*的形容词或序数(the first...)之前要加the.* is the best place to live in.(10)专有名词在下列情况可加the.(A) 海、河、运河的名称：The Thames; the Bahamas;(B) 复数形的专有名词:The West Indies; the Bahamas; (C) 船泊的名称:The Queen Mary; the Flying Scotsman; the Comet; (D) 书报、杂志、经典的名称：the Times; the Central Daily News; the Koran; (E) 公共建筑、机关的名称:The Ritz Hotel; the Ministry of Education; (F) 国民的总称:the French; the Japanese; the Chinese; (G) 用在姓氏的复数前指其全家人:The Chens will move to the country.