语法在英文歌曲中的应用

虚拟语气

虚拟语气不表示一个客观事实，而纯粹是说话人的主观看法，或是不可能实现的愿望和假设。歌曲本身就是一种表达主观思想与放飞梦想的平台。在各国歌曲中歌词中都会不约而同的表达内心的许多的愿望，英文歌曲也一样。所以在英文歌曲中虚拟语气的应用就是更加频繁的。英文歌词中的虚拟语气的用法与一般的英语中的用法有一定的相似性也有不同性。

与一般英语中相似的虚拟语气，有条件从句中的虚拟语气，名词中的虚拟语气，固定搭配。条件从句中的虚拟语气里最简单的就是现在时间的虚拟语气。如果条件状语从句中所描述的情况与现在事实不符，或对现在的的事实或者目前的状态的假设，从句谓语动词用一般过去时形式，主句用情态动词过去式（以would为主）+动词原形。

举例：

1．Mmmmmm, if I could melt your heart

Mmmmmm, we'd never be apart

Mmmmmm, give yourself to me

Mmmmmm, you hold the key       （选自  Frozen）

分析：If I could melt your heart, we'd never be apart.这句是if 引导的虚拟语气we’d 即是we should.这种虚拟语气在日常口语中也是很容易见到的。歌中两人已然分手，女主角在假想如果当初能够溶化男主角的心，现在可能就会在一起了。

 

名词性从句中的虚拟语气又以宾语从句的虚拟语气最为典型。宾语从句是否要用虚拟语气取决于终局的谓语动词。英语里有一些动词要求它后面的从句用虚拟语气，但是，不同的动词要求宾语从句中虚拟语气形式的不同，我们习惯上把这些动词分为两类：一类是以wish为代表，另一类以suggest为代表，而suggest通常在英文歌曲中显得过于正式，所以很少涉及。

举例：

2．Listen to the rhythm of the falling rain

Telling me just what a fool I've been

I wish that it would go and let me cry in vain

And let me be alone again        （选自Rhythm of the Rain）

分析：I wish that it would go and let me cry in vain.这种虚拟语气很简单，也是我们平时口语中用到最多的一种。即是wish引导的虚拟语气。此句用虚拟语气表达了作者失去心爱的女孩的一种悲伤的心情。

固定搭配中的也是我们日常英语中比较常见的一种。意为要是，倘若是，只要，它所引出的从句可用任务，表示和事实一致或相反，即可用虚拟语气表示不能实现或相反的事情，用一般陈述语气表示事实，也可组成混合虚拟语气。同时，它也可以一独立句型出现，不要主句，句末用惊叹号，表示希望和愿望，常和would，could等情态动词连用，而英文歌词中用独立句型的出现是十分普遍的使于强烈的表达感情：

举例：

3．If only tears were laughter

If only night was day

If only prayers were answered

Then we could hear God say       （选自No Matter What）

分析：这段歌词连续出现If only tears were laughter，If only night was day，If only prayers were answered .这段话用得是很地道的英语表达，是If Only…were引导的虚拟语气，作“要是，倘若是，只要……”讲。

对于英文歌曲中与日常英语中不同的虚拟语气从某种程度上可以说是虚拟条件从句的隐含，但还是并不相同的。常见的隐含结构有介词词组，不定式，比较结构和一些以等待有相关的标志，而我们发现发现很多英文歌词中却只有单纯的隐喻形式唯一可以说是标志的就只是有助词would。这样的虚拟语气是一定要根据上下文分析出来的。

举例：

4．Take me as I am take my life

I would give it all I would sacrifice

Don't tell me it's not worth fighting for

I can't help it theres nothing I want more

You know it's true

Everything I do I do it for you

Theres no love like your love

And no other could give more love

Theres now here unless you are there

All the time all the way

Don't tell me its not worth trying for

I can't help it theres nothing I want more

I would fight for you I like for you

Walk the wire for you you I die for you

You know its true

Everything I do I do it for you           

（ 选自 Everything I Do I Do It For You）

分析：I would give it all I would sacrifice和 I would fight for you I like for you 这两句初看之下并不是很像虚拟语气。但是根据歌词所表达的意思就可以分析出来此句为虚拟语气，这种虚拟在歌曲中运用的更加广泛一些。这是因为歌词好多时候为了符合旋律，就会省略一些引导词。这两句都表达出了作者能够为心爱的女孩牺牲和付出一切的感情。

5. A long long time ago

I can still remember how that music used to make me smile

And I knew if I had my chance

That I could make those people dance

And maybe they'd be happy for a while    

（ 选自 American Pie）

分析：That I could make those people dance and maybe they'd be happy for a while.这句话也是在歌中运用的比较广泛的虚拟语气，没有什么引导的词。表达了作者想要令人们快乐的心理。

倒装句

  语序就是指英语句子中各成分之间的相对顺序，英语句子中的核心成分是主语、谓语和宾语在英语长期的历史演变过程中它们的顺序被逐渐被固定下来，从而形成了一个相对固定的语序，即“主语+谓语+宾语”的顺序。这个语序通常被称为“正常语序”或“自然顺序”，大多数英语句子都是采用这种语序。

但是这种语序也并非一成不变，有时也会打破常规改变这种语序，把谓语放在主语之前，从而起到强调或某种特定的修辞效果，这种语序变化就是倒装。强调是引起语序变化的最主要原因，我们通常把所有要强调的成分放到句首，以达到强调的目的。保持句子的平衡是引起语序变化的另一个原因。鉴于此，英文歌词中的倒装是有一部分以上的原因。但是其中也有部分原因是为了符合音符或者随着音符而变，产生歌词音符相得益彰的感觉。

根据谓语动词结构和位置的不同，倒装可以分为全部倒装和部分倒装两种。全部倒装是指整个谓语动词放在主语前面。在英语歌词中的全倒装中由地点和时间副词引出的全部倒装句运用的频率很高。尤以地点副词“HERE”最多.

举例：

1．Here comes the rain again

Falling from the stars

Drenched in my pain again

Becoming who we are

As my memory rests

But never forgets what I lost

Wake me up when September ends

（选自 Wake Me Up When September ends）

分析：Here comes the rain again这句是很简单的全倒装句，类似于我们很早就见过的Here comes the bus.在日常口语中也是很常见的。这句原来的形式是The rain comes here again.

2. Pistol shots ring out in the barroom night

Enter Patty Valentine from the upper hall

She sees the bartender in a pool of blood

Cries out, "My God, they killed them all!"

Here comes the story of the Hurricane

The man the authorities came to blame

For somethin' that he never done

Put in a prison cell, but one time he could-a been

The champion of the world

Three bodies lyin' there does Patty see

And another man named Bello, movin' around mysteriously

"I didn't do it," he says, and he throws up his hands

"I was only robbin' the register, I hope you understand

I saw them leavin'," he says, and he stops

"One of us had better call up the cops."

And so Patty calls the cops

And they arrive on the scene with their red lights flashin'

In the hot New Jersey night             （选自 Hurricane）

分析：在Hurricane的这两段歌词中有两种不同的倒装句。Here comes the story of the Hurricane这句是平常很容易见到的一种全倒装，还原完的全句是The story of the Hurricane comes here. 而Three bodies lyin' there does Patty see则是典型的主谓倒装句,这句也是在日常口语中很常见到的句型。助动词Does提前至主语前。此句还原回去了就不难理解了，可还原为Patty see three bodies lyin’ there.

部分倒装则只是把谓语中的助动词、情态动词或系动词be等放在主句前面，实义动词或表语仍在主语后面。某些否定词或否定副词放在句首，句子要求部分倒装，即助动词或be动词放在主语之间。常见的否定副词有barely，hardly，little，seldom等。

举例：

3．The only girl I care about has gone away

Looking for a brand new start

But little does she know that when she left that day

Along with her she took my heart  （选自Rhythm of the Rain）

分析：But little does she know that when she left that day.这句是否定倒装句，也是由Little 这个否定词引导的主谓倒装句。由于Little的提前，使Does 前置于She 。此句可以还原为 But she know little that when she left that day.

部分倒装中还有一种倒装就是纯粹为了符合歌曲的一些音符，通过倒装与省略的结合，以达到歌词与歌谱能够流畅的配合，以达到非常完美的境界。这时的倒装就是只有在英文歌词中才有的倒装，那是只为了歌谱歌词作出的调整。

4．The deeper I go

All is fair in love she said

Think with your heart, not with your head

That's what my mama told me

All the little things you do

Will end up coming back to you

I let my father mold me         （选自Deeper and deeper）

分析：All the little things you do will end up coming back to you这句话是我们在日常口语中很少见的一种倒装形式，很明显的这句话如果不知道是倒装会很难理解的。如果把全句还原回去就会很好理解了，还原后的全句应该是All the little things you do which will coming back to you when it’s end up.

省略：

省略是一个很常用的语法手段，它能有效地节约用词，使行文结构紧凑，表达流畅，并且能凸显句子的新信息，密切上下句之间的联系。

一般来说，省略经常用于相同的句子结构中，被省略的部分必须明确无歧义，能在上下文找到，或者可以根据语法结构的短缺和容易恢复，而且被省略部分填补之后的句子应该是合乎语法的。在英文歌曲中，基本上大多数歌曲都会或多或少有一句省略。省略在英文歌词中应用广泛的最大一点原因也是与倒装有些相似，就是为了配合旋律，可以把歌词该得唱起来朗朗上口，由于一般都是先有曲子，然后才请填词者填上词，所以词随曲动的要求，就使省略在一定程度上构成了歌曲体系中的重要成员。

一段文字中有一段省略在英文歌词中是俯首皆是的。其中有单纯的只省略主要语的，椰油在并列结构中的省略，也有状语与介词的省略，更有省略主语和谓语的。

举例：

1. Think you own whatever land you land on

Earth is just a dead thing you can claim

But I know every rock and tree and creature

Has a life,has a spirit,has a name

Think the only people who are people

Are the people who look and think like you

But if you walk the footsteps of a stranger

You learn things you never knew

You never knew                   (选自 Color Of The Wind)

分析：Think you own whatever land you land on.这句话就省略了一个主语you ,全句应为You think you own whatever land you land on.

2．Ocean apart day after day

And I slowly go insane

I hear your voice on the line

But it doesn't stop the pain

If I see you next to never

How can we say forever

Wherever you go

Whatever you do

I will be right here waiting for you

 

Whatever it takes

Or how my heart breaks

 will be right here waiting for you     （选自Right Here Waiting）

分析：I will be right here waiting for you.这句话是歌眼。全句原文应该是I will be right here and be waiting for you.此句中省略了and be ,这样就很简单了，很符合歌词的本身了。

3. I remember the night

And the Tennessee waltz

Now I know just how much I have lost

Yes, I lost my little darling

The night they were playing

The beautiful Tennessee waltz         (选自 The Tennessee Waltz)

分析：Yes, I lost my little darling the night they were playing the beautiful Tennessee waltz.这句全句应为Yes, I lost my little darling, at the night when they were playing the beautiful Tennessee waltz. the night they were playing…即at the night when they were Playing…，但在习惯用法上，介词at和关系副词when常被省略，因此定冠词加上时间名词可作连接词使用，可称这种情况为合成连词。

4．Says she's had enough of me

I've had enough of her too

I might as well go on and set her free, she's already turned me loose

No fault, no blame, nobody done no wrong

That's just the way it sometimes goes

Sometimes two people just don't get along, it's time to hit the road

（选自 Easy Come,Easy Go）

分析：Says she's had enough of me, I've had enough of her too. 。这句话中有一个很特殊的用法，这句话是省略，动词提前的一种省略。全句应该是She says she’s had enough for me,and I think I’ve had enough of her too.

在英文歌词中要是有一大段的省略，那种歌需要很高的文化造诣才能写得出来，而且还不能晦理得让人难以理解。而下面一段歌词中的省略就用得非常到位，而且省略的都恰到好处，令人叹服。

举例：

5. Hello darkness my old friend

I've come to talk with you again

Because a vision softly creeping

Left its seeds while I was sleeping

And the vision that was planted in my brain

Still remains with the sound of silence

In restless dreams I walk alone

Narrow streets of cobble stone

Beneath the hallo of a street lamp

I turned my collar to the cold and damp

When my eyes were stabbled by the flash of a neon light

That split the night

And touched the sound of silence

And in the naked night I saw ten thousand people may be more

People talking without speaking hearing without listening

People writing songs that voices never share

And no one dare disturb the sound of silence

"Fool" said I "you do not know

Silence like a cancer grows

Hear my words that I might teach you

Take my arms that I might reach you

But my words like silent rain-drops fell

And echo-ed in the wells of silence

And the people bow and prayed

to the neon God they made

And the sign flash out its warning

In the words that it was forming

And the sings said "The words of the prophers are

written the subway walls and tenement halls"

And whispered in the sounds of silence  

(选自 The Sound Of Silence)

分析：这段文字中共有四处省略。In restless dreams I walk alone , narrow streets of cobble stone .这句话不是很长，但装语比较多，正常的全句应为In restless dreams I walk alone on the narrow streets of cobble stone . Silence like a cancer grows.这句话省略了系动词be和定语从句关系代词that ,应该是Silence is like a cancer that grows. Hear my words that I might teach you, take my arms that I might reach you.而这句话完整应是Hear my words so that I might reach you,take my arms so that I might reach you. And the sings said "The words of the prophers are written the subway walls and tenement halls" And whispered in the sounds of silence.这句话补充完整就是The words of the prophers are written on the subway wall and tenement halls and are whispered in the sounds of silence.