曾克輝
1. 問:在很多固定短語中有的用ones,有的用sbs,請問它們一樣嗎?
答:不一樣。盡管這兩個詞都表示所有關系“某人的……”,但ones只能代替物主代詞,指句子的主語本身;sbs既指代物主代詞又指代名詞所有格,但卻與句子的主語不是同一個人,而是指的另外某個人。例如:
take ones place 就座;就職;就位
Our new headmaster will take his place next Monday.
我們的新校長下周一就要上任了。(句中的his就是指headmaster本人。)
take sbs place 代替某人,取代某人的位置
Our teacher is ill. Miss Liu will take his place to give us the lesson.
我們的老師病了,劉老師將代替他給我們上課。(句中的“his”并不指代句子的主語“Miss Liu”,而是指代Our teacher。)
又如:try ones best“盡力”, turn ones head“趾高氣揚”,break ones promise“食言”,make up ones mind“下決心”等等,ones必須與句子的主語是同一人。
而kiss sbs ass “拍馬屁”,draw sbs attention“吸引某人的注意”,poison sbs mind“毒害某人的心靈”等等,sbs并不指句子的主語,而指另外的人。
2.問:當先行詞表示時間的時候,定語從句用during which time和during which是否一樣?
答:不一樣。during which time用于非限制性定語從句,為了避免誤解修飾對象而不用during which。例如:
I stayed with her for two hours, during which time I felt pleasant. 我和她一起待了兩個小時,在這期間我覺得很愉快。
during which time(= and during that time)強調的是“在那兩個小時期間”,若用during which則有可能修飾前面整個句子,“我與她待在一起兩個小時”這件事,這樣一來定語從句的修飾對象就發(fā)生了變化,“美好的兩小時”就無法凸顯。又如:
He died in the Anti-Japanese War, during which time my grandfather fought side by side with him. 他在抗日戰(zhàn)爭中為國捐軀,在戰(zhàn)爭期間,我祖父曾與他并肩戰(zhàn)斗過。
如果將上句中的“during which time”改為“during which”,定語從句的意思就變成了“他在抗日戰(zhàn)爭為國捐軀期間,我祖父曾與他并肩戰(zhàn)斗過”,這顯然是不符合邏輯的。下一句就不一樣了,如:
The Anti-Japanese War during which millions of people were killed ended in 1945. 抗日戰(zhàn)爭于1945年結束,在戰(zhàn)爭期間,有數百萬人喪生。
注意 限制性定語從句是不能用during which time的。
3.問:“There existed some problems.”屬于there be句式嗎?
答:是的,這是there be結構的擴展式。該結構通??煞譃橐韵聨最悾?/p>
① there和remain, exist, live, stay, lie, stand等靜態(tài)動詞連用,表示一種狀態(tài),使得句子意義更形象、具體、生動。例如:
There once lived a great man in our town. 我們鎮(zhèn)里曾經住過一個大人物。
There stands a TV tower at the back of the school. 學校后面聳立著一座電視塔。
There lies a railway before our village. 我們村子前面有一條鐵路。
② there與come, go, occur, enter, follow, rush, run等動態(tài)動詞連用,描述某事的發(fā)生或某人、某物的到達。例如:
There occurred some misunderstanding between both sides. 雙方之間發(fā)生了一些誤會。
There followed an uncomfortable silence. 接著是一陣令人難以接受的沉默。
Look! There comes your English teacher. 瞧,你們英語老師來了。(comes不可以用is coming。)
③ there常與seem to be, appear to be, be sure to be, be likely to be, happen to be等連用,為there be句式增添新的含義。例如:
There seems to be no better way. 好像也沒有什么更好的辦法了。
There appeared to be only one room. 這里似乎只有一間房。
There happened to be a taxi parked at the gate. 碰巧門口停著一輛出租車。endprint
4.問:有些合成形容詞中的名詞后加“-ed”,有些不加“-ed”,請問這有規(guī)律可循嗎?
答:有,這里介紹幾條一般性規(guī)律:
①若合成形容詞中名詞是表示身體部位、器官、或者器官功能時通常加“ed”。如:
warm-hearted熱心腸的;near-sighted近視的;three-legged三條腿的;one-armed獨臂的;cold-blooded冷血的;baby-faced娃娃臉的;white-haired白頭發(fā)的;blue-eyed藍眼睛的;heavy-handed笨手笨腳的
②若合成形容詞中的名詞是某整體中的組成部分,一般也要加“-ed”。如:
twenty-storeyed building二十層樓的大廈;three-edged rule三角尺;five-roomed house五個房間的房子
③其他情況下均不加“-ed”。如:
low-cost低成本的;full-time專職的;high-level 高水平的;200-metre兩百米的;first-class一流的;fast-speed高速的
④以上均為基本規(guī)律,但也有一些例外情況。如:
second-hand car二手車(hand不加ed);five-star red flag; five-starred flag五星紅旗(兩者均可用);middle-aged woman中年婦女(age須加ed)
5.問:在很多合成形容詞中,有的用過去分詞,有的用現在分詞,請問,它們有什么不同?
答:含分詞的合成形容詞本身就存在一定的邏輯關系,并且與被修飾詞也存在關聯。大致可分為以下幾類:
①形容詞+感官類的現在分詞+被修飾名詞。其邏輯關系為:“表語+系動詞+主語”,如:ordinary-looking man, soft-feeling silk,reasonable-sounding idea, fragrant-smelling flower, sweet-tasting food。
②副詞+現在分詞+被修飾名詞。其邏輯關系為:“狀語+謂語+主語”,如:hard-working student,fast-running train,angrily-shouting man
③名詞+現在分詞+被修飾名詞。其邏輯關系為:“賓語+謂語+主語”,如:peace-loving people,meat-eating animal,game-playing boy
④名詞+過去分詞+被修飾名詞。其邏輯關系為:“主語+謂語+賓語”,如:man-made satellite,snow-covered field,computer-controlled vehicle
⑤副詞+過去分詞+被修飾名詞。其邏輯關系為:“狀語+被動式謂語+主語”,如:deep-set eyes,easily-understood article,quickly-solved problem
6.問:from which, where和from where引導定語從句時有什么不同?
答:在不同的情況下,它們的含義是不同的。
①在from which中,which指代的是前面的某個名詞或代詞。如:
The village has only one well from which the villagers draw water. 這個村子僅有一口井供村民們取水。
This is the point, from which all distances can be measured. 就是這個點,從這個點,各方面的距離都可以測量。
②在from where中,where指代的是前面表地點的介詞短語,指明具體的地點方位。如:
He hid himself under the bed, from where he could hear what they were talking about. 他躲在床下面,從床下他可以聽到他們在談些什么。(from where = and from under the bed)
③一般情況下,where可直接引導定語從句。
What is the name of the town where we stayed last night? 我們昨晚呆過的那個小鎮(zhèn)叫什么?
④但在特定語境中,用where不如用from where。如:
She climbed up to the top of the hill, from where she could have a good view of the whole town. 她登上山頂,從那里可以一覽全城風光。
該句中的from where相當于and from on the top of the hill或from on the top of which..., 不可變?yōu)閒rom which,但可直接用where引導。不過,語義較為含糊,不如from where生動、形象、具體。where常籠統地表示位置,所含的意義很泛,它可以指“不同方位的介詞+地點/位置名詞”,這些常見的方位介詞有 in, on, by, at, below, under, beside, inside, above, near等。
7.問:如何理解和使用as it is或as they are?
答:這是兩個很常見的句式,解釋如下:
①as it is/was的意義為“照現在的情況;事實上;實際上”。無論as it is還是as it was,它們都是直陳語氣,常放在句首,有時也放在句中。例如:
As it is, we neednt replace the equipment. 照目前的情況,我們不必更換設備。
As it was, I declined his offer. 事實上,我拒絕了他提供的幫助。
②as it is和as they are放在句子末尾的時候表示“照舊;照原樣;照實際情況;已經”的意義。如:
Since we cannot find a more appropriate word, lets leave it as it is. 既然找不到一個更適當的詞,就不改動它算了。
You should state the facts as they are. 你應該照實際情況陳述事實。
Dont say anything else; youre in enough trouble as it is. 別再說了,你現在已經夠麻煩的啦。
③值得注意的是:as it were是as if it were so的省略。as it were和so to speak的意義相同,表示“可以說;打個比喻說;好像;換句話說”等意義。在語法上是獨立成分,用作插入語,可以用于任何時態(tài)的句子里。例如:
He is, as it were, a walking dictionary. 他可以說是一部活字典。
The book gives, as it were, a picture of the evil old society. 這本書可謂是展現過去那個邪惡社會的圖畫。endprint