不同词序带来的不同语义 在中文里,词序非常重要;两个字的秩序不同,意思也不同。例如“东西”和“西东”,前者是“things”,后者是" T7 q) | P: T6 f( B1 \
“everywhere” ——“各奔西东”。再如“女儿”和“儿女”,前者是“ daughter(s)”,后者是“children”。
5 @6 [) {: ~2 H, K 英语的词序虽不像中文那样富有语义上的变化,但也很重要,绝对不容忽视。有时,一字一词方位的改变,全句的意思可能) m5 I! _3 J" E
“牵一发动全身”,跟着受影响。
* k, k) I/ u! `9 m4 } 下面便是些好例子:
: `! X7 T, H, e, K2 W ① Even the government officers admitted that some tax measures were
' M9 l0 K! k" a9 I unfair.
4 F0 V$ H; H! p3 Y" o# O' }4 J3 | ② The government officers admitted that even some tax measures were
6 b+ G0 N& S5 M2 H- H. p5 u unfair.
! J3 j# D2 ~/ D& h4 D 第一句的意思是:每个人,包括政府官员,都承认有些税务措施不公平。第二句的意思是:政府官员承认,许多事情,连税务
7 r. |- |, i! x 措施在内,都不公平。前者焦点在“人”;后者则在“事”。$ D6 H8 D! l$ N5 ]
③ The couple don‘t have much money to spend on their foreign trip.
. M. p- R( X- u" w: o5 e: Q- m ④ The couple don‘t have to spend much money on their foreign trip., U1 L/ L$ R! G6 s
第三句说“钱不够用”;第四句却说“不必多用钱”。“没有钱可花”和“有钱不必多花”,呈强烈对照,词序的影响,由此
& q. }% G) Q D* D. n v! { 可见一斑!- f' x# a, C# h* N. S9 E2 ~8 d$ V
⑤ The committee as a whole pointed out that the world economic8 i6 m' ?+ G- W+ Y6 Z+ o3 D! h- b
situation had improved.* _/ c) P- A8 j- P
⑥ The committee pointed out that the world economic situation as a3 m' I- s' |) B" [
whole had improved.
# K; @* r2 J/ ~: @ 第五句指的是“全部的委员”;第六句却影射“整体的经济局势”。同样一个片语,( P: l5 u1 A; H7 d7 G
所指有所不同。
+ B1 N9 C( z3 N ⑦ In vain did David try to prevent the job from being done.
8 {" X0 L2 P1 n! W' H; i: N ⑧ David tried to prevent the job from being done in vain.
( M) W! T7 H4 O, U, z# V, F7 D ⑦里的“in vain”(无结果)指的是大卫的行动;⑧里的不是指人的行动,而是指“在进行中的工作”。
0 i: ?; O4 `$ x8 K) D) @/ j3 O ⑨ Approaching the shop, Helen noticed two strangers.- L g2 F6 _! q3 \
⑩ Helen noticed two strangers approaching the shop.* U2 n6 Q2 h& c- l9 ~
⑨里讲的是“海伦走向银行时,注意到两个陌生人”;⑩里指的是“两个陌生人走向银行时,引起海伦的注意”。" E0 ^5 W; V* e; I0 Z
(11) I may visit a sometime lecturer of English language.
& E4 g7 a- |+ X" Z0 a& ^4 o (12) I may visit a lecturer of English language sometime.- k! @. S& k: U
(11)里的“sometime”是形容词,意思是“以前的”;(12)里的“ sometime”是时间副词,意思是“某时候”。前者可以改
1 M$ P9 [0 S1 v! `+ F& q 成“former ”或“previous”;后者就要变为“at a certain time”了。2 c" L% }5 T: B4 K/ \/ W+ ?4 M0 k
最后,请问下列二词,哪个是“防暴警察”?哪个是“警察暴动”?6 U m# k. M0 V# t
A: RIOT POLICE
3 p2 Q! g3 L, f. \* x8 R! V. O$ p" f B: POLICE RIOT
7 ~. m: U' u" H# f/ C- R Answer: A 防暴警察 |