關(guān)于英語(yǔ)動(dòng)詞不定式作后置修飾語(yǔ)的若干問(wèn)題_英語(yǔ)教學(xué)論文,關(guān)于英
關(guān)于英語(yǔ)動(dòng)詞不定式作后置修飾語(yǔ)的若干問(wèn)題
英語(yǔ)非限是動(dòng)詞有三種形式:動(dòng)詞不定式(The Infinitive)、分詞(The participle)和動(dòng)名詞(The Gerun d)。這三種形式都可以用作名詞(或短語(yǔ))的后置修飾語(yǔ)。作后置修飾語(yǔ)的可以是單一非限定動(dòng)詞,也可以是 “非限定動(dòng)詞+狀語(yǔ)或賓語(yǔ)”構(gòu)成的非限定動(dòng)詞短語(yǔ)。本文擬結(jié)合筆者多年教學(xué)實(shí)踐,并參考R.Quirk等人著的 "A comprehensiveGrammar of the English Language"(Published in U.S.A by LongmanGroup Limited.1985 )的有關(guān)章節(jié)(以下簡(jiǎn)稱(CGOEL),就動(dòng)詞不定式作后置修飾語(yǔ)的若干問(wèn)題進(jìn)行探討。
一、動(dòng)詞不定式作限制性后置修飾語(yǔ)
動(dòng)詞不定式作限制性后置修飾語(yǔ)可以有各種不同的時(shí)態(tài):
to meet/to have met The girl to be met/to have been met is my sister.
to be meeting
1.不定式作后置修飾語(yǔ)有時(shí)只能用主動(dòng)語(yǔ)態(tài),有時(shí)只能用被動(dòng)語(yǔ)態(tài)。有時(shí)能用主動(dòng)語(yǔ)態(tài)也能用被動(dòng)語(yǔ)態(tài), 意思相同,有時(shí)又不同。什么時(shí)候可以用主動(dòng)語(yǔ)態(tài),什么時(shí)候可以用被動(dòng)語(yǔ)態(tài),要根據(jù)不同的語(yǔ)境來(lái)決定。
作后置修飾語(yǔ)的不定式與被修飾的名詞存在動(dòng)賓關(guān)系時(shí)(即不定式前的被修飾名詞是不定式動(dòng)作的對(duì)象) ,用主動(dòng)語(yǔ)態(tài)或被動(dòng)語(yǔ)態(tài)在語(yǔ)義上沒(méi)有什么區(qū)別,如:
This is a difficult question to answer/to be answered.
He is the man to select/to be selected.
如果較多地考慮做動(dòng)作的人而較少地考慮動(dòng)作的本身,用主動(dòng)語(yǔ)態(tài)的不定式顯得比較自然,如:
This is the best loading port to choose. for us/for you to choose. that we/you should choose.
但在某些情況下,只有用被動(dòng)語(yǔ)態(tài)的不定式才顯得自然,如:
He is the only man/to be killed to kill in the accident.
The book to be found/to find in the room is George's.
有時(shí)不定式雖然與被修飾的名詞存在動(dòng)賓關(guān)系,但又與句子主語(yǔ)或間接賓語(yǔ)存在主謂關(guān)系,這時(shí)用主動(dòng)語(yǔ) 態(tài)比較妥當(dāng),用被動(dòng)語(yǔ)態(tài)的不定式就顯得不自然,如:
to do/to be done. I have got a lot of homework
that I can/must do.
to read/to be read. I've given yor the newspaper
that yor can read.
試比較:
Have you anything to take/to be taken?
anything that you take./anything that will
be taken by me or someone else.
如果作表語(yǔ)的不定式與主語(yǔ)存在動(dòng)賓關(guān)系,這時(shí)只能用被動(dòng)語(yǔ)態(tài)不定式。下面句子中的不定式被動(dòng)語(yǔ)態(tài)不 宜改為主動(dòng)語(yǔ)態(tài):
The exercises are to be done in the class.
trucks are to be turned out next month.
但也有例外。下面句子中作表語(yǔ)的不定式雖然與主語(yǔ)存在動(dòng)賓關(guān)系,但習(xí)慣上要用主動(dòng)語(yǔ)態(tài)不定式:
The goods are to sell.
He is to blame.
如果我們要將上述不定式與另一個(gè)不定式被動(dòng)語(yǔ)態(tài)進(jìn)行比較,則可以用被動(dòng)語(yǔ)態(tài)。
The flat is to be sold,not to be let.
He is to be blamed,not to be praised.
但在there be結(jié)構(gòu)的句子中,用主動(dòng)語(yǔ)態(tài)不定式或被動(dòng)語(yǔ)態(tài)不定式在意思上無(wú)多少差別。如果我們更多地 考慮做動(dòng)作的人而較少地考慮動(dòng)作的本身,就用主動(dòng)語(yǔ)態(tài)不定式,如:
There was no time to lose/to be lost.
There are some books to choose/to be choosen.
2.作為后置修飾語(yǔ)的不定式相對(duì)應(yīng)于一個(gè)關(guān)系分句。不定式在相對(duì)應(yīng)的關(guān)系分句中,關(guān)系代詞不僅可以是 主語(yǔ),也可以是賓語(yǔ)。此外,不定式轉(zhuǎn)換成關(guān)系分句也可由關(guān)系副詞(作狀語(yǔ))引導(dǎo),如:
to meet you 作主語(yǔ):The girl is Mary.
who will meet you
(for you)to ask 作賓語(yǔ):The girl is my sister.
(whom)you should ask
to start 作狀語(yǔ):The time is at dawn.
when you should strat
作狀語(yǔ)的不定式實(shí)際上前面省略了“介詞+which”。但這是非常正式很少用的結(jié)構(gòu),如:
The time at which to start is……
The place in which to live is……
3.作后置修飾語(yǔ)的不定式既可以有情態(tài)含義,也可以沒(méi)有情態(tài)含義。
當(dāng)被修飾的名詞是不定式的賓語(yǔ),是可以理解為有情態(tài)含義。據(jù)CGOEL,被修飾的名詞是不定式的賓語(yǔ),只 能理解為有情態(tài)含義,如:
to read The books we should/must read is……
we (are goimg to)read
當(dāng)在下面的語(yǔ)境中可以理解為無(wú)情態(tài)含義:
1)只有用被動(dòng)語(yǔ)態(tài)不定式作后置修飾語(yǔ)才自然的句子,如:
to be found/to find The books that can be found in the room is…
that are found
2)被修飾的名詞是不定式的邏輯主語(yǔ),尤其是在不定式所修飾的名詞前有一個(gè)如:“only,next,last和fi rst……等限制性”之類的詞,如:
to travel He was the only man around the world.
who travelled
4.不及物動(dòng)詞不定式作名詞后置修飾語(yǔ),并與名詞存在動(dòng)賓關(guān)系時(shí),必須加上一個(gè)結(jié)構(gòu)或含義上所需要的 介詞,如:
We bought a flat to live in.
The children have got some toys to play with.
有時(shí)不及物動(dòng)詞不定式與被修飾的名詞存在介詞+賓語(yǔ)的關(guān)系,這時(shí)介詞也必須補(bǔ)上,如:
a broom to clean it with/a file to keep sth,in/
a desk to put the books on/a knife to cut sth.with
但修飾place這個(gè)詞時(shí),在現(xiàn)代英語(yǔ)中可以省略介詞。試比較:
find a house to live. Let's
a good place to live(in)/to sit(on)/to go(to).
后place之后跟一個(gè)關(guān)系分句時(shí),分句中的介詞通常不能省略:
That's the place which she works in.
二、動(dòng)詞不定式作非限制性后置修飾語(yǔ)
動(dòng)詞不是式作非限制性后置修飾語(yǔ)不同于作限制性后置修飾語(yǔ)。限制性不定式作后置修飾語(yǔ)轉(zhuǎn)換成關(guān)系分 句時(shí),關(guān)系代詞可以是主語(yǔ),賓語(yǔ)或與關(guān)系副詞作狀語(yǔ)的關(guān)系分句相對(duì)應(yīng)(見(jiàn)一·2)。但非限制性的后置不定 式只限于與關(guān)系代詞作主語(yǔ)的非限制性關(guān)系分句相對(duì)應(yīng),如:
to be on display The articles, at the exhibition
which are on display
enjoyed fast sale.
三、動(dòng)詞不定式作同位后置修飾語(yǔ)
動(dòng)詞不定式可以作同位后置修飾語(yǔ),而且是相當(dāng)普遍的。同位修飾語(yǔ)與被修飾的名詞處于同等的地位。同 位后置修飾語(yǔ)也存在限制性與非限制性之分。但與不定式同位的名詞通常是抽象的名詞,如:
I've made up my mind to go there on foot.
He has a strong desire to be a doctor.
在同位不定式之前,有時(shí)可以加wh-詞或破折號(hào),如:
The problem whether to accept L/C or D/p remained unsolved.
They all have a common desire-to be university students
但有些區(qū)別是值得注意:有些名詞只用of介詞短語(yǔ)作同位后置修飾語(yǔ),如:
Is there any possibility of getting there in time?
有些名詞只用不定式作同位后置修飾語(yǔ)(如:will,agreement,proposal,resolution等);有些名詞則要 視句子的結(jié)構(gòu),可以用of-短語(yǔ),也可用不定式作同位后置修飾語(yǔ)(如chance,opportunity,power等)。
關(guān)于動(dòng)詞不定式作后置修飾語(yǔ)看起來(lái)比較簡(jiǎn)單,但用起來(lái)有時(shí)會(huì)把握不定,特別是對(duì)不同的語(yǔ)境有不同理 解的時(shí)候。對(duì)這些問(wèn)題可以作進(jìn)一步更深入的探討。
關(guān)于英語(yǔ)動(dòng)詞不定式作后置修飾語(yǔ)的若干問(wèn)題