正文

Ⅱ代名詞(1)

英文疑難詳解 作者:錢歌川


Ⅱ代名詞

13.不可以說(shuō)I think to do so my duty.須用代名詞it來(lái)代替不定詞,而說(shuō)成I think it my duty to do so. “我覺(jué)得這樣做是我的義務(wù)?!弊g成英文為I think to do so my duty.為什么不通呢?

【解答】英文的不定詞近乎是一個(gè)萬(wàn)能的詞兒,它可以作名詞、形容詞、副詞用。所謂名詞,如To teach is to learn.(教學(xué)相長(zhǎng)),主語(yǔ)是一定要用名詞的。還有賓語(yǔ)也非名詞不可,所以I like to teach.(我喜歡教書),to teach是動(dòng)詞like的賓語(yǔ),自然也成為名詞了。但用作主語(yǔ)或賓語(yǔ),總是不太好的,慣用法要盡量避免,例如To waste time is wrong.(浪費(fèi)時(shí)間是不對(duì)的。)在文法上原不錯(cuò),不過(guò)英文慣用法愛(ài)把這句說(shuō)成:

It is wrong to waste time.這表示不喜歡用不定詞作主語(yǔ),要憑空找出一個(gè)代名詞的“it”來(lái),放在主語(yǔ)的地位上,而把原有的不定詞移到后面去。在賓語(yǔ)的場(chǎng)合,就比這更為嚴(yán)格,簡(jiǎn)直認(rèn)為說(shuō)He does not think to waste time wrong.是錯(cuò)誤的,原因是念起來(lái)太拗口了,他們一定要說(shuō):He does not think it wrong to waste time.句中的“it”就是代表不定詞的,因?yàn)樽髻e語(yǔ)用的不定詞是最受反對(duì)的。質(zhì)問(wèn)中所提出的例句,譯得不通就是這個(gè)道理,應(yīng)改譯為:I think it my duty to do so.

在“作為動(dòng)詞”中的think,find,show,prove等字,后面接的賓語(yǔ),如果是不定詞時(shí),務(wù)必加一個(gè)“it”進(jìn)去,說(shuō)來(lái)就合乎慣用法了。再舉一例如下:我認(rèn)為那個(gè)要實(shí)行很難。

不可譯作I found to put it in practice very difficult.應(yīng)該用一個(gè)“it”來(lái)放在不定詞的地位上,然后把那原來(lái)的不定詞移到句子的后面去,即I found it very difficult to put it in practice.

有時(shí)候?yàn)榧訌?qiáng)語(yǔ)氣也用得著這個(gè)代名詞的“it”,例如說(shuō)A teacher’s duty is to teach,或to teach is a teacher’s duty.(一個(gè)教師的義務(wù)就是教書。)并不為錯(cuò),但為著加強(qiáng)語(yǔ)氣而改成了: It is a teacher’s duty to teach.如果追問(wèn)what is a teacher?(教師是干什么的?)那回答說(shuō):A teacher is a person whose duty is to teach.(教師是一個(gè)有教書義務(wù)的人。)

但如果要把上面含有加重語(yǔ)氣的“it”的句子作為根據(jù)來(lái)回答時(shí),便是:

A teacher is a person whose duty it is to teach.普通這種含有關(guān)系代名詞的復(fù)句,大都是用加重的說(shuō)法如:

He appeared to be a tough little man whose one object in life it was to avoid work.(他看來(lái)是一個(gè)粗暴矮小的人,他生在世上唯一的目的,就是避免做事情。)

Most large companies have trained specialists,called personnel managers,whose job it is to interview and pass judgment on prospective employees.(大多的大公司都訓(xùn)練有稱為人事經(jīng)理的專家,他們的工作就是接見(jiàn)和決定可能雇用的人員。) 14.用that代單數(shù)名詞,those代復(fù)數(shù)名詞

“你車子的機(jī)器比我的好?!边@句話譯成英文時(shí)為The engine of your car is better than mine.據(jù)說(shuō)是錯(cuò)誤的,但不知錯(cuò)在什么地方,請(qǐng)?jiān)敿诱f(shuō)明。

【解答】譯出的英文句子的確是錯(cuò)誤的,因?yàn)楸容^不倫不類。句子的mine=my car,是代表整個(gè)的汽車,不能拿來(lái)代表汽車上的機(jī)器,所以應(yīng)說(shuō) The engine of your car is better than that of mine.才對(duì),這樣拿代表我車engine的that,與你車engine相比,自然就門當(dāng)戶對(duì)了。


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