本课您将学到：prefer A to B, of句型+抽象名词的常见类型

　　In France, daily social relations are always dominated（支配、统治） by family ties（纽带）. The family has been the focus of the individual（个体）'s loyalty（忠诚、忠心） and affection（影响）, of his economic interest, and even of his legal（法律上的） duty. Many an old Frenchman spent his youth（青春时代） in a world where he was expected to regard his cousin, uncle, and grandmother as more important to him than his friends of his own age.

　　French family needs and demands were put before those of local（当地的） community or even those of the state（国家的）: "I can't pay my taxes because I have a duty to support my uncle." has been a common French attitude（态度）.

　　The main change since the war is that the focus of loyalty has been steadily（平稳地） narrowed（收缩） from "extended family" to the "nuclear family". Many younger couples today prefer pleasure traveling with couples of friends to reunite（团聚） with big families at weekends or in August.

　　【世博读书笔记】

　　在法国的日常生活中，家庭纽带（family ties）主宰着社会关系。家庭不仅是一个人忠诚和情感的中心，（the focus of the individual's loyalty and affection）而且也是经济利益（of his economic interest）和法律义务的集中点（even of his legal duty）。许多年长的法国人是在这样一个环境下长大的：别人要求他们把尊老爱幼放在一个重要的位置，（where he was expected to regard his cousin, uncle, and grandmother as more important to him）甚过对待他们同龄的朋友。（than his friends of his own age）

　　不知大家注意到没有，这段的最后一句话，把many和a连在一起使用了。这是什么道理呢？

　　其实，这也是表达"很多"的一种方式，用法是：many a 后接单数名词，在句中作主语时，谓语动词用单数形式。比如：

　　We've been here many a time.

　　我们这儿已来过多次。

　　Many a great idea is brought forward in the meeting about the 2008 Olympic games.

　　在商议2008年奥运会的会议上，新点子层出不穷。