浅析the first place和in the first place的用法
1. the first place第一名，冠军；第一个（位置）
She took the first place in the beauty contest.
她在选美比赛中得了第一名。
The horse took the first place.The horse’s legs wre hurt.
那匹马获得了冠军。那匹马腿受了伤。《张道真初中英语语法》P312
He won the first place in the competition. (McArthur)
他在比赛中获得第一名。
John and Tom were rivals for the first place in the class. (JED)
约翰和汤姆是班上第一名的竞争对手。
The two boys vied with one another for the first place. (SDA)
这两个男孩为了第一名互相竞争。
The gold medal will be awarded to whoever wins the first place in the bicycle race. (2018天津卷单选)
在自行车比赛中获得第一名的人将获得金牌。
“Do you think their table tennis team will win the first place at the coming Asian Games?” “By no means. Ours is much stronger than theirs.”(2010江苏卷单选)
“你认为他们的乒乓球队会在即将到来的亚运会上获得第一名吗？“绝对不是。我们的比他们的强得多。”
The children jostled with each other for the first place in line.
孩子们抢着要排第一个。
表示“获得”第几名时，place 常常与 finish in, get, take 等动词搭配。 例如：
She took third place. 她获得了第三名。（摘自《牛津英语搭配词典》第二版）
Who took first place?谁得了第一名？（摘自《韦氏高阶英汉双解词典》p.1572）
He took second place in the long jump.他在跳远比赛中获得了第二名。
（摘自《朗文高级英语应试词典》）
I finished in third place. 我得了第三名。(同上)
get (the) first place 获得第一名（摘自《英汉多功能词典》新编升级版
p.1275）
Jane’s goals helped Britain win third place in the Barcelona games.
简的进球帮助英国队在巴塞罗那奥运会上获得了第三名。（摘自《柯林斯中阶英汉双
解学习词典》p.1100）
John won first place in the contest.(Thorndike)
(摘自张道真主编：《现代英语用法词典》p.1085)
Whose horse got the first place ? (OSD)（同上）
【注】以上实例的英语都来源于英语国家出版的词典。
get (the) first place 获得第一名（摘自《英汉多功能词典》新编升级版
p.1275）
win (the) first place 赢得第一名（摘自2008年7月第1版《外研社英汉多功能词
典》p.1586）
为了简练而省略 the，但是，那不是错误，而是约定俗成。
He said he was going to try for first place next year.
他说他明年会争取夺得第一名。
《柯林斯高阶英汉双解学习词典》
It is uncertain whether she will win first place.
她是否会取得第一名还不太清楚。
《外研社英语同义词辨析词典》
They finished in joint first place.
他们获得并列第一。
《牛津高阶英汉双解词典》
Among the mineral deposits of the province, tin occupies first place; copper comes second.
该省矿藏，以锡最多，铜次之。
《汉英大词典》
Let me congratulate you on your winning first place in the 100 metre dash.
祝贺你获得百米赛跑第一名。
《汉英大词典》
I finished in fifth place. 我得了第五名。
（摘自《朗文当代英语大辞典》p.1420）
win (或take, get) first place 得第一名
（摘自陆谷孙主编：《英汉大词典》第2版p.1489）
2.in the first place,首先，首要的，一开始。最初，第一时间；根本；究竟
I should never have taken that job in the first place.
我当初就不该接受那份工作。
You should never have acted the way you did in the first place.
当初你就不该这么做。
Well, in the first place he has all the right qualifications.
噢，首先，他符合一切条件。
I don’t think we should have been there in the first place.
我认为我们从一开始就不该在那儿。
What brought you to Washington in the first place?
最初是什么让你来到华盛顿的？
In the first place you are not old and in the second place you are a very attractive man
首先你不老，其次你是个富有魅力的男人。《柯林斯高阶英汉双解学习词典》
I hear an echo of the thinking that got us into this mess in the first place
我听到有人重提那个最先使我们陷入这一困境的想法。
It was a shooting star that propelled me into astronomy in the first place
最初是一颗流星促使我从事天文学。
Looking to the future, though, we asked him what the prospects are for a vaccine to prevent infection in the first place.
不过，展望未来，我们问到他研制出防止感染的疫苗究竟有多大的可能性。
《柯林斯高阶英汉双解学习词典》
After all, students making their own choices in this respect is what caused the problem in the first place.
说到底，在这一方面由学生自主选择就是导致问题出现的首要原因。
六级真题- 2018年 6月 2卷 阅读B
Many patients also gained a better understanding of the illnesses that landed them in the hospital in the first place.
许多病人也能够第一时间更好地了解导致他们住院的疾病。
四级真题- 2016年 6月 3卷 短文填空
Moreover, in order to be curious, “you have to be aware of a gap in your knowledge in the first place.”
另外，为了变得好奇，“你首先应该认识到自身知识的欠缺。”
