英语词汇构词法（Word Formation）——转类法之形容词转动词

  形容词转换成动词不如名词转换成动词多。由形容词转换而来的动词在语义上较为简单，也就是说，他们既可以作及物动词，意为“使成为......",也可作不及物动词，意为”使得......",如：

  He walked carefully so as not to wet his shoes.

  他走路很小心，为了不把鞋子弄湿了。

  The photograph yellowed with age.

  时间长了，照片发黄了。

  在第一个句子中，wet用作“使变为......湿的”的及物动词，因为该句能被释义为He walked carefully so as not to make his shoes wet.第二个句子中yellow未带宾语，显然是用作不及物动词，意为“变得发黄”，因而此句可被释义为The photograph became yellow with age.大多数形容词转变过来的动词兼有及物和不及两种功能，如：

Two men carrying a wooden keg emptied its contents into the opening.

两个人抬着一只木桶，把里面东西倒入洞里。

The play was over and the auditorium began to empty.

剧演完了，礼堂的人开始散去。

类似的动词还有：dim, dirty, warm, cool,show, dear, dry, narrow等。

只作及物动词的有：still, forward, free, bare, blind等。只作不及物动词的到目前只有几个，如sour，slim等。