1.肯定形式的虚拟语气，往往表示事实上的否定。如：

　　If they had time,they would study English.(＝They have no time to study English.)如果他们有时间，他们就要学英语。(他们没有时间学英语。)

　　I wish I knew how to do it.(＝I'm sorry I don't know.)我要是懂得怎么做就好了。(可惜我不知道。)

　　2.肯定形式的if从句常常可以表示强烈的否定意义。如：

　　Want a go if you dare.(＝You don't dare to want a go.)要是你敢的话，就请试一试。(你不敢试。)

　　I'll be damned if I go there.(＝I won't go there at all.)如果我去那里，我就不是人。(我绝对不去那里。)

　　3.英语中的某些省略句，常有否定含义。如：

　　She a doctor!(＝She is no doctor.)她是什么医生！(她根本不是医生。)

　　What an idea!(＝It is by no means a good idea.)这算什么好主意！(这不是好主意。)

　　4.肯定形式的修辞问句常含有强烈的否定意义。这种问句仅仅用以加强语气而无须回答，此陈述句更有感情色彩。如：

　　Why should you be surprised?(＝You shouldn't be surprised.)你何需惊奇呢？(你不应该惊奇。)

　　What can mean more than life?(＝Nothing can mean more than life.)还有什么比生命更要紧的吗？(没有什么比生命更要紧的了。)

　　5.英语同汉语一样，有一种"反语"的修辞手法，即用正面的话表达反面的意思，或用反面的话来表达正面意思。如：

　　Much you cared for me!(＝You care nothing for me.)你真关心我啊！(你并不关心我！)

　　A fat lot he knows!(＝He knows nothing.)他懂得真多！(他什么都不懂！)

　　6.用"should,might＋不定式"形式表达委婉的否定。如：

　　I should have liked to call on you yesterday.(＝I didn't call on you yesterday.)我本想昨天来拜访你的。(我昨天没有来拜访你。)

　　You might have been more careful about it.(＝You shouldn't be careless.)你本来可以更细心些。(你不应该粗心大意。)

　　You really might do something good.(＝You shouldn't do bad things any more.)你真的该做点好事了。(你不应该再做坏事了。)

　　从词汇的角度来分析，英语中的"神否而形不否"现象可归类为以下几个方面：

　　1.某些动词，如：fail,refuse,wonder,stop,miss,forget等，其肯定形式可表示否定内容。如：

　　(1)He failed to pass final exam of physics.(＝He didn't pass the final physics exam.)他物理期末考试不及格。

　　(2)He refused to speak on the radio.(＝He wouldn't like to speak on the radio.)他不愿意广播演讲。

　　(3)I was wondering how to get to the station quickly.(＝I didn't know how to get to the station quickly.我不知道怎样才能很快赶上火车。

　　(4)You'll miss the early bus if you don't hurry.(＝You won't catch the early bus if you don't hurry.)如果你不快点，就赶不上那早班公共汽车了。

　　2.某些形容词，如：little,few,weak,bad,different等，其肯定形式可表示否定内容。如：

　　(1)We have little time left.(＝We haven't much time left.)我们剩下的时间不多了。

　　(2)If you do not let me have it,that will be bad for him.(＝If you do not let me have it,that won't be good for him.)要是你不准许我得到它，那对他将是不利的。

　　(3)Chinese is different from English on pronunciation.汉语发音跟英语不大相同。

　　(4)Whales have few enemies.(Whales have not any enemies.)鲸几乎没有敌人。

　　3.某些副词，如：hardly，seldom，too，yet，almost等，其肯定形式也可以表示否定内容。如：

　　(1)She is too angry to speak.(＝She is so angry that she cannot speak.)她愤怒地说不出话来。

　　(2)I have yet to hear that story.(＝I have still not heard that story.)我还没有听到那个故事。

　　(3)Dinner is almost ready.(＝Dinner is not ready yet.)晚餐还没有完全准备好。

　　(4)I can hardly believe that.(＝I don't believe that.)我不相信那件事。

　　4.某些连词，如：unless，before，or等，其肯定形式也可表示否定内容。如：

　　(1)Do not come unless I tell you to come.(＝Do not come if I don't tell you to come.)除非我叫你来，否则就不要来。

　　(2)Hide,or he will catch you.(＝If you don't hide,he will catch you.)如果你不藏好，他会抓住你的。

　　(3)Neither you nor I have heard of it.(＝You and I have not heard of it.)无论你还是我都没有听说过这件事。

　　5.某些介词，如：without,except,but,past等，其肯定形式可表示否定内容。如：

　　(1)He now felt even more lonely without his friends.没有了朋友，他现在感到更加孤独。

　　(2)All of them began to write the numbers down except one boy.除了一个男孩没有写以外，所有的孩子都开始把一个个数字写下来。

　　(3)I'll give you anything but this bike.我什么都可以给你，但不能给这辆自行车。

　　(4)The watch is past repair.(＝The watch is too old to be repaired.)这表无法修理了。

　　(5)I warned the boy against swimming in deep water alone.(＝I warned the boy not to swim in deep water alone.)我警告那个小孩不要一个人在深水处游泳。

　　(文/山西定襄齐鸿；英语辅导报小学教师版03~04学年第20期；版权归英语辅导报社所有，独家网络合作伙伴新浪教育，未经许可，不得以任何形式进行转载。)