顾祖良
(常熟理工学院 外国语学院,江苏 常熟 215500)
《英语语法大全》(上下两册)被誉为语法圣经级著作,语法泰斗张道真教授的巅峰之作,几经再版,畅销不衰,1800个语法点,一网打尽(见该书封面介绍)。[1-2]的确,本书结构完整,编排合理;内容丰富,注重实用;博采众长,观点新颖。但经笔者认认真真拜读后,发现本书中所给的部分示例不符合英语的表达习惯,有语法、词汇及惯用法等方面的错误,极有可能会误导广大的读者。因此,笔者觉得有必要对这些问题加以梳理分析,以纠正相关的错误,供读者参考。因篇幅有限,本文只谈英语动词搭配方面的问题。
1.He thinks(or regards)it of great importance that a person be honest.[1]440
原句中动词think的用法正确,而regard的用法则不符合英语的表达习惯,其后要跟介词as连用。regard作“认为”解时,其后sb/sth.所跟的介词as不该省去。[3]479例如:
(1)I regard her as a good worker.我认为她是个好工人。[3]479
(2)She is generally regarded as one of the best writers in the country.她被普遍认为该国最优秀的作家之一。[4]1463
(3)He regarded them as his superiors.他把他们当作他的上司。[5]
另外,原句中的动词think,如改为think of,可用于think of sb/sth.as sb/sth.句型中,作“把…看作;把…视为”解。[6]1837例如:
(4)I think of this place as my home.我把这个地方当作了家。[6]1837
(5)We now think of the car as being essential rath⁃er than a luxury.我们现在认为汽车是必要的,而不是一种奢侈品。[7]1501
因此,原句宜改为:He thinks it of great impor⁃tance that a person be honest.或改为:He regards it as of great importance that a person be honest.也可改为:He thinks of it as of great importance that a person be honest.
2.This hall will sit a thousand people.[1]474
原句不符合英语的表达习惯,要把动词sit改为seat。在建筑物和交通工具等中,要表示“可坐…人;能容纳…人”,根据英语的表达习惯,不用动词sit,而要用动词 seat。[6]1565例如:
(6)The hall seats/will seat 200 people.这大厅能容纳 200人。[4]1575
(7)The arena seats 30,000.该竞技场可容纳3万人。[8]1293
(8)Our classroom can seat fifty students.我们教室能坐 50个学生。[9]517
3.I wish he may die.[1]487
原句有误,宜改为:I wish he might die.动词wish后所跟宾语从句,表示无法实现的愿望,宾语中的谓语动词总是要用虚拟语气。[10]1635例如:
(9)I wish she would explain it to me.我真希望她能跟我解释一下就好了。[11]788
(10)He wished the problem could be solved.他真希望这个问题能解决。[7]1643
(11)She wished sincerely she might do something to comfort them.她真诚地希望她能做点什么来安慰他们。[12]1044
4.Can he be able to do it?(Is it possible that he can do it?)[1]509
原句有误。宜改为Can he do it?或Is he able to do it?在英语中,情态动词can和be able to都可作“能够”解,但两者要单独使用,不可连用。如:I can=I am able to;I could=I was able to.[13]195例如:
(12)Will you be able to come to our party?你能来参加我们的晚会吗?[4]3
(13)Can you call back tomorrow?明天你能回电话吗?[6]230
(14)She is able to play the piano. 她能弹钢琴。[14]3
5.I encourage children studying science.[1]522
原句有误。宜改为:I encourage children to study science.按英语的表达习惯,动词encourage,要用在[encourage sb.to do sth.]句型中。[8]470例如:
(15)We want to encourage businesses to invest and create jobs.我们想要鼓励企业投资和创造就业机会。[8]470
(16)They encouraged the children to paint pic⁃tures. 他们鼓励孩子们画画。[15]1036
另外,有时encourage后也可用one’s doing sth,但不常见。如:
(17)Who encouraged his taking drugs?是谁怂恿他吸毒的?[14]551
6.Something remains to do.[1]604
原句有误。宜改为:Something remains to be done.也可改为:Something remains undone.在英语中,我们既可以说 Sth.remains to be done.[8]1216有时,也可说Sth.remains undone.表示“有待做某事”。例如:
(18)Many questions remain to be answered.许多问题有待回答。[8]1216
(19)It remains undecided. 此事还有待决定。[13]695
7.I feel up to(=feel capable of undertaking)this job.[2]61
原句有误。宜改为:I feel capable of undertaking this job. 也可改为:I can do this job.或 I have the abili⁃ty to do this job.或I am competent for this job.动词短语be/feel up to作“觉得有精力(做某事);感到有能力(处理某事)”解,常见于口语中。用法比较特殊,一般用于疑问句或否定句中。[4]1921例如:
(20)My German isn’t up to translating that letter.我的德语还不行,不够水平译那封信。[4]1921
(21)Do we have to go to the party?I really don’t feel up to it.我们是不是一定得去参加这次聚会?我实在没有精力应付了。[6]633
(22)Do you feel up to a drive to town?你觉得能开车进城吗?[14]624
不过,如果feel up to用在由if引导的条件状语从句中,则可以用肯定形式。常见的用法为if you feel up to it.例如:
(23)“If you feel up to it”,Noreen said at break⁃fast,“we’ll take you down to the Arts Centre in the van.”“如果你感觉行的话”,诺琳在吃早餐的时候说,“我们会开货车带你去艺术中心。”[16]117
8.Her looks contribute to show her joy.[2]68
原句有误。宜改为:Her looks contribute to show⁃ing her joy.contribute to作“导致;有助于”解,是固定搭配。其中的to是介词,其后要跟sth.或doing sth.[17]160例如:
(24)Plenty of fresh air contributes to good health.大量新鲜空气有益于健康。[15]254
(25)Several factors might contribute to the devel⁃opment of the disease.有几个因素可能导致了该疾病的发生。[17]160
(26)Parental involvement contributes significantly to children’s learning.家长参与很大程度上有助于孩子们的学习。[17]160
9.We need to learn(or learning)something.[2]74
根据英语的语法规则,作实义动词用的need,要表示“某人需要做某事”时,后面要跟带to的动词不定 式。[10]899因 此 ,We need learning something. 有语法错误。
实义动词need后跟doing,要用在Sth./Sb.need doing.的句型中,doing后不可再跟宾语。动词need后面的动名词一定属于主动语态,但它的意思一定是被动的。[3]376例如:
(27)The scheme needs improving.该方案需要改进。[11]427
(28)This sentence needs explaining.这个句子需要解释。[3]376
(29)He does not need looking after.他不必受照顾。[3]376
10.They admonished me of the danger(or my fault,my duty).[2]105
原句They admonished me of the danger.和They admonished me of my duty.是地道的英语。而They admonished me of my fault.则不符合英语的表达习惯。宜改为:They admonished me for my fault.(他们因我犯错而告诫我。)
动词admonish的搭配用法,要根据其意思来定。当作“警告、提醒”解时,用admonish sb.of sth.结构,[18]25有时也可用介词 about.[19]7当作“因做了某事,告诫、训诫、轻责某人”解时,用admonish sb.for sth./doing sth. 结构。[18]25当作“告诫某人不能做某事”解时,可用 admonish sb.against doing sth. 结构,[18]25也可用 admonish sb.not to do sth. 结构。[20]22另外,当作“力劝、忠告”解时,用admonish sb.to do sth. 结构。[8]19
因此 ,动词admonish后所跟的介词of,about,against及for,要根据其意思来搭配使用,不宜混用。例如:
(30)He admonished me of the danger of too much drinking他警告我饮酒过多的危害性。[21]28
(31)A good student does not need to be admon⁃ished about being absent too much.一个好学生是不会要别人提醒缺课大多的。[19]7
(32)The teacher admonished the boy against smok⁃ing.老师告诫那个男孩子不要抽烟(或许那男孩还未开始抽烟)。[20]22
(33)The policeman admonished Tom not to drive too fast.警察告诫汤姆不可把车开得太快。[20]22
(34)The witness was admonished by the judge for failing to answer the question.证人因不回答问题而受到法官的轻责。[4]20
(35)He was admonished for his fault.他因犯错而受训。[21]28
(36)Financial companies have been admonished to write documents in language the public can under⁃stand.金融公司已经得到忠告要用公众能够理解的语言来写文件。[8]19
(37)The guide admonished the mountain climbers to follow him carefully.向导叫登山者一定要小心翼翼跟着他前进。[18]25
11.He is to blame(=to be blamed).[2]122
原句有误。宜改为:He is to blame.句中的(=to be blamed)要去掉,否则,不符合英语的表达习惯。be to blame(for sth.)是习惯用法,作“对……负有责任”解,to blame在形式上是主动语态的不定式,在意思上表达被动,不说 to be blamed.[13]168例如:
(38)The children were not to blame for the ac⁃cident. 那次事故怪不着孩子们。[4]162
(39)Which driver was to blame for the accident?哪位司机是此次事故的肇事者?[6]158
(40)Nobody is to blame for it. 这事谁也不怨。[13]168
(41)A spokesman said that bad weather was to blame for the delay.一位发言人说,恶劣天气是延误的原因。[17]68
12.They reckoned the child as clever.[2]138
原作者认为有至少有30个及物动词(大多表示精神活动),可以成为宾语补语,但要求形容词前加as.尽管原句正确,但若改为:They reckoned the child clever.同样正确。其中的介词as可以省略。动词reckon作“认为,把……看做”解时,除了[接宾+副或介]外,还可[接宾+不定式、名或形,常用被动语态,不用进行时]。[14]1370因此,根据英语的表达习惯,动词reckon后宾语补语或主语补语,不管是名词还是形容词,其前的介词as不是必需的。例如:
(42)Because our family is happy and healthy,we reckon ourselves fortunate.我们认为自己很幸运,因为我们全家幸福且健康。[14]1370
(43)They reckon her a beauty.他们认为她是位美人。[14]1370
(44)He is reckoned(to be)a great actor.他被认为是个伟大的演员。[15]414
从上述的实例及分析中,我们不难看出《英语语法大全》,在介绍一些动词的用法时,所给的相关示例确实不符合英语的表达习惯或用法不够全面。真因为本书作者是语法泰斗,很有可能会误导大量读者。因此,笔者斗胆提出本书中的错误之处,进行讨论和商榷,供读者参考。
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