1. 用作名词,表示“脸”,注意其前连用介词的大致情形:
(1) 表示打在脸上,通常用介词 in。如:
He hit me in the face. 他打了我的耳光。
His wife slapped him in the face. 他妻子打他耳光。
【注】有时也可能用介词 on, 如下面两句均摘自权威英美词典:
He was struck on the face. 他被打了一记耳光。
She hit [struck] him hard on the face. 她用力地打他耳光。
(2) 表示面部表情等,通常用介词 on。如:
He had a surprised expression on his face. 他脸上露出了惊讶的表情。
He came with a smile on his face. 他微笑着走来。
比较:He came with a smiling face. 他微笑着走来。
(3) 表示直视某人的脸,通常用介词 in。如:
He looked her in the face. 他直视她的脸。
【注】这里的不及物动词 look 后不用介词 at。
(4) 表示当着某人的面,通常用介词 in, to, before 等。如:
He slammed the door in my face. 他当着我的面把门砰地关上了。
He wouldn’t say rude things about her to her face. 他不会当着她的面说她的粗鲁话。
2. 与汉语一致的习惯表达:face to face (with) (与……) 面对面,面临,have the face to do sth(居然有脸做某事),save face(顾全面子),lose one’s face(丢脸)等。
有些表达与汉语意思相差较大:make faces [a face] at [to] sb(对某人做鬼脸或做苦相),pull [wear, put on] a long face(板着脸,哭丧着脸),have two faces(口是心非,耍两面手法),in (the) face of(在……面前)等(from www.yywords.com)。
2. 用作动词,用于本义,表示“朝向”,可用作及物或不及物动词。如:
Turn round and face me. 转过身来面对着我。
The window faces (on) the street. 窗户对着街道。
The building faces (toward the) north. 建筑物座南朝北。
【注】用作引申义,表示“面临”“正视”等,通常只用作及物动词。如:
He faced the danger bravely. 他勇敢地面对困难。
有时用于 be faced with, 表示“面临”等。如:
They are all faced with the same problem. 他们都面临同样的问题。