英语语法难题探微之“谓语”（六）

外语教师联盟每周一

“专项语法难题探微”栏目

（可在文末查看往期知识点）

 

本期第四个知识点

谓语

第六讲 

有关表语的几个问题

表语通常位于连系动词be等后面,表示主语的特征、类属、身份或所处的状态等多种意义,起补充说明主语的作用,因此,在现代英语里,有人把它称为主语补足语。但为了区别于被动语态后的补足语,习惯上将其称为表语。这里仅对有关表语的几个难以理解和比较复杂的问题作一介绍。

A

表语的位置

表语一般均位于连系动词之后,但有时为了和前面句子的意思连系得更紧密些,或是为了强调表语,或是由于句型的要求等,表语也可能位于句首。

a. 在用疑问词 what、who、how、where等对表语提问时,这些作表语的疑问词应位于句首,且谓语也必须采用全倒装或部分倒装。

例如:

A: What is he?

他是干什么的?

B:He is a doctor.他是一个医生。

W:  is Smith?

史密斯是谁?

M:Smith is my uncle.史密斯是我叔叔。

A: How old is he?

他多大年龄?

B:He is twenty.他20岁了。

W: What is her task?

她的任务是干什么?

M:Her task is raising pigs.她的任务是养猪。

b. 在句中的主语有很长的后置成分,且表语在很短的情况下,为了避免头重足轻,表语可提到句首。

例如:

Few are the days when I am not in some physical distress.

我不为疾病所折磨的日子是很少的。

Still wider will be the use of electronic computers，which play

a very important part in production and our daily life.

电子计算机在生产和日常生活中都起着重要作用,因此它将得到更广泛的应用。

c. 尤其是在文学作品中,作者常常把表语提前,以加重表语的语气,达到某种修辞效果。这时谓语动词也要倒装;但主语为人称代词时,动词则不倒装。

例如:

Bright，very bright were the stars over the dark wild Yenan hills.

在那黑沉沉的旷阔的延安群山上空,星星格外明亮。

Right you are.你是对的。

In front of the house was a tall tree.

屋前有一颗高大的树。

在表语用what或how来强调时,what和how以及表语中心词必须置于句首。

例如:

What fun it is to jump in a pool or go swimming in a river in summer. How joyful and relaxing it is to have a game of table tennis after a day of study at school.

夏天跳进游泳池或是到河里去游泳是多么有趣。在学校一天的学习结束之后,打一场乒乓球是何等快乐和轻松。

d. 在由连词as或that引导的让步状语从句中,其表语必须置于句首;在由 though引导的让步从句中,其表语也可前置以示强调。

例如:

Proud as these nobles are，he is afraid to see me.

这些贵族尽管很傲慢,他却害怕见我。

Weak that he had become，he continued to organize and lead the struggle against the Nazis while in prison.

尽管他身体很虚弱,但他在狱中继续组织和领导反对纳粹的斗争,

Young and experienced though he was，he got through his task with surprising rapidity.

他最年轻而又缺乏经验,但却以惊人的速度完成了任务。

在that引导原因状语从句时,其表语也必须前置。有时as引导的原因状语从句的表语也可以提前。

例如:

Michael，fool that he was，completely ruined the dinner.

迈克尔是个笨蛋,把这顿饭完全搞糟了。

Coward that he was，he ran away as soon as the enemy attacked.

因为他是个胆小鬼,敌人一进攻他就吓跑了。

Hard-working as she was，she made a marked progress.

因为她努力攻读,取得了显著的进步。

B

表语的省略

a. 在一般疑问句的答语中,表语常常可以省略。

例如:

A: Are these flowers red?

这些花是红的吗?

B:Yes,they are(red).是的.

W: Is he a professor?

他是教授吗?

M :No，he isn't(a professor).

不,他不是.

有时答话者为了进一步得到证实,而向发话者提出反问,这时其表语常常省去。

例如:

A:I am not a bus driver.我不是汽车司机。

B: Oh，you aren't，aren't you?

哦,你不是,是吗?

M: Biology is the science of life.

生物学是关于生命的科学。

W: Oh，it is，is it?

哦,是的,是吗?

在并列句中,如果第二个分句的谓语动词是连系动词be,其表语常可省去。

例如:

Peter seemed calculating，and his wife certainly was(calculating).

彼特看来很有算计,他妻子当然如此。

There are many kinds of electromagnetic waves. Some are well known and some are not (well known).

有许多种电磁波,有的大家熟悉,有的大家不熟悉。

 

有时第一个分句的表语也可以省去,而保留第二个分句的表语。

例如:

John has recently become (a very hard-working student，,and

his brother always was，a very hard-working student.

彼得最近成了非常勤奋的学生,他哥哥是一贯如此。

但是如果第一个分句中的谓语动词是连系动词be,而第二个分句的谓语动词却是表示实际意义的连系动词(如 seem 等)时,第二个分句中的表语则不可省去。

例如:

Jim was happy，and Jack certainly seemed(happy).

复合句中表语的省略主要表现在各类状语从句中,但状语从句必须位于主句之后。

例如:

She became a diligent student，since her sister was(a diligent student).

因为她姐姐是个用功的学生,她也变得用功了。

I am patient if you are(patient).

如果你耐心,我也耐心。

有时在上下文意思比较明显的情况下,宾语从句和定语从句中的表语也可省去。

例如:

I was late in applying for the job，Do you think he was(late

in applying for the job?)

我申请这工作晚了,你认为他晚了吗?

Why do you think all workers are clumsy and ignorant? There' s

no reason why they should be (clumsy and ignorant).

为什么你认为所有的工人都笨拙没有学问呢?他们怎么就该笨拙没有学问呢!

 

在定语从句中作表语的关系代词通常是省去的,这个关系代词一般是that。

例如:

People said he was everything(that)an honest man should be.

人们说他具备了一个正直的人应有的一切美好品质。

He is not the impractical bookworm(that)he used to be.

他已不是以前那样不切实际读死书的人了。

关系代词 that在复合宾语中作表语(有人称之为补语)时也可省去。

例如:

You were never the girl(that)I thought you.

你从来就不是我想象中的那个姑娘。

C

表语与连系动词的分隔

位于连系动词之后的表语与连系动词有时会被状语或插人语隔开。

例如:

Test pits furnish one of the best means of obtaining samples which are for all practical purposes undisturbed.

试坑提供了一种最好的手段,使人们能得到就各种实用目的来说都是原状的试样。(被状语分隔)

The effective range on earth for television signals is much more limited than for radio signals.

在地球上,电视信号与无线电信号相比,其有效范围大大受到限制。(被状语分隔)

It is，as it were，an arbitrary zero of reckoning，and the choice of it is in our power.

它仿佛是一个任意的计算零点,我们可以自由选择。(被插人语分隔)

D

表语与主语的重现

所谓表语与主语的重现,指的是在一个句子里表语与主语用相同的词或短语。这种现象在英语里不多见,但实际上又存在着,它往往表达出特殊的含义,尤其是能起到增强语气等作用。

a. 在简单句中,表语重复主语相同的词时,往往有“到底”、“究竟',“本来是那样”,“该是这样”等强调的含义。

例如:

You are quite right. Teacher is teacher.你说得对,老师毕竟还是老师。

That's right. Lawyer is lawyer.对的,法官到底还是法官。

I should pay for it. Business is business.

这笔钱我应该出,“亲兄弟，明算帐'嘛。(或:这笔钱我应该出,生意毕竟归生意。)

A: This jam sponge is absolutely delicious.

这果酱软糕味道好极了。

B: Yes，it looks it. I wouldn't mind a slice myself.

是呀,一看就看得出来,我自己也想尝一块。

Jim，you will go to school this morning. That's that.

吉姆,今早你得上学去。就这样决定了。

b. 在带宾语从句的复合句中,宾语从何的主诺是 who、what、which等疑问代词时,其连系动词 be 后的表语可以重复与主语相同的词,以示加强疑问的意义。

例如:

Mr. Hadley hadn't seen his friend's daughters in such a long time that he couldn't remember which was which.

哈莱先生很久不见他朋友的女儿了,她已记不得哪个是哪个了。

It took the new teacher a few days to remember who was who the class.新来的老师花了好几天才记住班上同学的姓名。

The weeds and the flowers are coming up together，and we can't tell what's what.

花和杂草长在一起,我们区分不出哪个是花哪个是杂草。