高中教师教学参考:语序的改变也是一种强调 |
http://www.sina.com.cn 2005/01/21 08:42 英语辅导报 |
在英语书面语中,人们只能依靠词序和语句的主从关系来表示信息的主次。最重要的信息一般出现在句子的末端。除了强调句型It is...that (who)...以外,句尾是信息重心的这种词序结构也能表示强调。 一、主语的后移现象 英语中正常语序是主语在前谓语在后,句首是主语的正常位置。但有时主语的词数较多,显得过长。为了避免有头重脚轻的感觉,在句子的安排上,常常把谓语放在主语的前面。结果,不仅句子结构显得匀称,同时主语也得到了强调。例如: 1. 在There be (Here be)句型中。 There is something new about your family and your school in my letter. Here is how Franklin conducted the experiment. 2. 在S+V+C和S+V结构中,如果主语太长,就可以把它后置。 Gone is the time when they had to work day and night to pay off the debt. In came a woman with an umbrella under her arm. 3. 当主语带有较长的后置定语时,还可以使用被动结构,把主语后置到介词by的后面,以达到强调目的。 The error is caused by some virus found in all the computers in their labs. (= It is some virus found in all the computers in their labs that causes the error.) 4. 当不定式短语或名词从句被用来作主语而主语显得过长时,一般放在后面,句首主语用it替代。 It is not easy to master a foreign language in such a short time. It worried Mother that we were lost in the forest at night. It puzzled me why he got so angry. 二、宾语的后移现象 1. 在双宾语结构中,一般词序是直接宾语位于间接宾语之后。如果说话人有意强调间接宾语,就可以把间接宾语后移。例如: We gave the boy a new recorder. (一般句子的词序) We gave a new recorder to the boy. (得到强调的句子的词序) 特别是在间接宾语较长或结构比较复杂时,必须把间接宾语置后,使句子趋于平衡,信息得到强调。例如: We gave a new recorder to the boy who had won the first prize in the school English contest. 2. 在复合宾语中,如果宾语太长而宾补较短时,也往往把它们的位置颠倒过来。结果是句子结构平衡了,信息得到了强调。例如: You should make clear on which side you are. 3. 如果不定式短语或名词从句作宾语,一般都要以先行词it为形式宾语,把不定式短语或从句移到句尾。例如: I find it difficult to talk to him about the matter in English. I think it a pity that you didn't do the experiment with animals. 4. 如果宾语过长或过于复杂,也往往把宾语后置而得到强调。例如: (1) Please explain the problem to the class. (2) Please explain to the class what you did yesterday. 比较而言,(2)句中的较为复杂的宾语得到了强调。 三、定语的后移现象 充当主语的名词或名词词组在带有较为复杂的后置修饰语时,往往把这类修饰成分后移到句尾。例如: All the papers were finished reporting the experiment with the river water. Some scientists are at work who are studying SARS. 四、同位语的后移现象 当主语或宾语带有较长的同位语时,常把同位语移到句尾,以达到句子结构平衡,信息得到强调。例如: An order came from Beijing that a new campaign to learn from LeiFeng be started throughout the country. We heard the news from the travelers that the blood was coming very soon. 总之,英语中在句子结构安排上,常常可以通过调整词序这种手段来达到强调某个信息的目的。一般来说,较短的成分在前,较长的成分在后,句尾的成分得到强调。 (文/李兴乐; 英语辅导报高中教师版 04~05学年度第17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。) |