在中文里,詞序非常重要；兩個(gè)字的秩序不同，意思也不同。例如“東西”和“西東”，前者是“things”，后者是“everywhere” ——“各奔西東”。再如“女兒”和“兒女”，前者是“ daughter(s)”，后者是“children”。
英語的詞序雖不像中文那樣富有語義上的變化，但也很重要，絕對(duì)不容忽視。有時(shí)，一字一詞方位的改變，全句的意思可能“牽一發(fā)動(dòng)全身”，跟著受影響。
下面便是些好例子：
① Even the government officers admitted that some tax measures were unfair.
② The government officers admitted that even some tax measures were unfair.
第一句的意思是：每個(gè)人，包括政府官員，都承認(rèn)有些稅務(wù)措施不公平。第二句的意思是：政府官員承認(rèn)，許多事情，連稅務(wù)措施在內(nèi)，都不公平。前者焦點(diǎn)在“人”；后者則在“事”。
③ The couple don‘t have much money to spend on their foreign trip.
④ The couple don‘t have to spend much money on their foreign trip.
第三句說“錢不夠用”；第四句卻說“不必多用錢”?！皼]有錢可花”和“有錢不必多花”，呈強(qiáng)烈對(duì)照，詞序的影響，由此可見一斑！
⑤ The committee as a whole pointed out that the world economic situation had improved.
⑥ The committee pointed out that the world economic situation as a whole had improved.
第五句指的是“全部的委員”；第六句卻影射“整體的經(jīng)濟(jì)局勢”。同樣一個(gè)片語，
所指有所不同。
⑦ In vain did David try to prevent the job from being done.
⑧ David tried to prevent the job from being done in vain.
⑦里的“in vain”（無結(jié)果）指的是大衛(wèi)的行動(dòng)；⑧里的不是指人的行動(dòng)，而是指“在進(jìn)行中的工作”。
⑨ Approaching the shop, Helen noticed two strangers.
⑩ Helen noticed two strangers approaching the shop.
⑨里講的是“海倫走向銀行時(shí)，注意到兩個(gè)陌生人”；⑩里指的是“兩個(gè)陌生人走向銀行時(shí)，引起海倫的注意”。
(11) I may visit a sometime lecturer of English language.
(12) I may visit a lecturer of English language sometime.
(11)里的“sometime”是形容詞，意思是“以前的”；(12)里的“ sometime”是時(shí)間副詞，意思是“某時(shí)候”。前者可以改成“former ”或“previous”；后者就要變?yōu)椤癮t a certain time”了。
最后，請問下列二詞，哪個(gè)是“防暴警察”？哪個(gè)是“警察*”？
A: RIOT POLICE
B: POLICE RIOT
Answer: A 防暴警察