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第2章 代名词

13.不可以说I think to do so my duty. 须用代名词it来代替不定词,而说成I think it my duty to do so.

“我觉得这样做是我的义务。”译成英文为I think to do so my duty. 为什么不通呢?

【解答】英文的不定词近乎是一个万能的词儿,它可以作名词、形容词、副词用。所谓名词,如To teach is to learn. (教学相长),主语是一定要用名词的。还有宾语也非名词不可,所以I like to teach. (我喜欢教书),to teach是动词like的宾语,自然也成为名词了。但用作主语或宾语,总是不太好的,惯用法要尽量避免,例如To waste time is wrong. (浪费时间是不对的。)在文法上原不错,不过英文惯用法爱把这句说成:

It is wrong to waste time. 这表示不喜欢用不定词作主语,要凭空找出一个代名词的“it”来,放在主语的地位上,而把原有的不定词移到后面去。在宾语的场合,就比这更为严格,简直认为说He does not think to waste time wrong. 是错误的,原因是念起来太拗口了,他们一定要说:He does not think it wrong to waste time. 句中的“it”就是代表不定词的,因为作宾语用的不定词是最受反对的。质问中所提出的例句,译得不通就是这个道理,应改译为:I think it my duty to do so.

在“作为动词”中的think, find, show, prove等字,后面接的宾语,如果是不定词时,务必加一个“it”进去,说来就合乎惯用法了。再举一例如下:

我认为那个要实行很难。

不可译作I found to put it in practice very difficult. 应该用一个“it”来放在不定词的地位上,然后把那原来的不定词移到句子的后面去,即I found it very difficult to put it in practice.

有时候为加强语气也用得着这个代名词的“it”,例如说A teacher's duty is to teach, 或to teach is a teacher's duty. (一个教师的义务就是教书。)并不为错,但为着加强语气而改成了:

It is a teacher's duty to teach. 如果追问what is a teacher? (教师是干什么的?)那回答说:A teacher is a person whose duty is to teach. (教师是一个有教书义务的人。)但如果要把上面含有加重语气的“it”的句子作为根据来回答时,便是:

A teacher is a person whose duty it is to teach. 普通这种含有关系代名词的复句,大都是用加重的说法如:

He appeared to be a tough little man whose one object in life it was to avoid work. (他看来是一个粗暴矮小的人,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. (大多的大公司都训练有称为人事经理的专家,他们的工作就是接见和决定可能雇用的人员。)

14.用that代单数名词,those代复数名词

“你车子的机器比我的好。”这句话译成英文时为The engine of your car is better than mine. 据说是错误的,但不知错在什么地方,请详加说明。

【解答】译出的英文句子的确是错误的,因为比较不伦不类。句子的mine=my car, 是代表整个的汽车,不能拿来代表汽车上的机器,所以应说:

The engine of your car is better than that of mine. 才对,这样拿代表我车engine的that, 与你车engine相比,自然就门当户对了。

如果所比的东西是一个复数名词的话,就要把that也改为复数,例如:

The houses of the rich are generally larger than those of the poor. (阔人的房子都比穷人的大。)

Modern schools are far better than those of a century ago. (现代的学校比一世纪前的好得多了。)

Elizabeth's expeditions by sea were in general more successful than those which she attempted by land. (伊丽莎白的海上远征,一般地看来,比陆上的远征更为成功。)

兹再举出几个单数that的例,以供参考:

The climate of Taiwan is milder than that of Singapore. (台湾的气候比新加坡的温和。)

The climate is like that of France. (气候和法国相像。)

His manner was that of a gentleman. (他的态度有君子风。)

The weight of an ox is much more than that of a horse. (牛重于马。)

The cost of oil is less than that of gas. (油的价钱少于煤气的价钱。)

15.代普通名词的it和one的用法

“我的伞失掉了,我想我一定要再买一把来。”译成英文为I have lost my umbrella. I think I must buy it again. 译文中的it据说是错了,应改为one才对,不知这两个代名词的用法有何不同?

【解答】英文的“it”和“one”,都是用来代表普通名词的,所以译文中用了“it”,不能说是文法上绝对的错误。既不能从文法上来说明,只好由常识来解答。

现在我们看看译文中的“it”所代表的是什么,谁也知道是伞,即是:it=my umbrella; 这样一来,无异是要把已经失掉了的那把伞重新再买回来,这怎么可能呢?所以凭常识判断,用“it”是错误的,如果改为one(=an umbrella)的话就对了,因为那是另外的一把新伞,人人得而买到的。

同为普通名词的代名词one和it的区别,看去很简单,用时也不免常要弄错,所以我们还是要找出一个定则来,以便遵循。

(1)one是指不定的东西,it是指特定的东西:

(a)"Do you have a car? "——"Yes, I have one. I have a good one. "(“你有车吗?”——“我有一辆。我有一辆好车。”)

(b)My father bought a car and gave it to me. (我父亲买了一辆车,又把它给我了。)

在(a)句中的one及(b)句中的it, 同是指a car, 所不同的,只是(a)中的one=a car, (b)中的it=the car, 前者不定,后者特定。前者只说是有一辆车,未指定哪一辆,后者则指定是父亲买来的那一辆。在car前加的这个不定冠词和定冠词的关系很大,不可不注意,现再举一例来加重我们的印象:

(a)"Do you want a pen? "——"Yes, I want one. "(“你要一支笔吗?”——“好,我要一支。”)

(b)"Do you want the pen? "——"Yes, I want it. "(“你要那支笔吗?”——“好,我要那支笔。”)

回答加有不定冠词的名词时用one, 回答加有定冠词的名词时则用it, 二者用法分明,稍稍注意即不会错。由此可知定冠词的“the”,是特定的,和the为同根生的this, that, 自然也有同样的作用,所以在one前加上the, this, that等字时,也就变成特定的了。例如:

"Is this car yours? "——"No, it is my brother's. Mine is the one(=the car)over there. "(“这辆车是你的吗?”——“不是,这是我弟弟的。我的在那边。”)

This car is finer than that one(=that car). (这辆车比那辆车要好些。)

(2)one只能代替普通名词用,不可以用来代替物质名词或抽象名词,即是不能数的(uncountable)名词,都不可以用one来代替它,请研究下面的例句:

This tea is better than that. (这种茶比那种茶好。)tea是物质名词,不可以说that one.

I asked him for some ink, and he gave me some. (我问他要点墨水,他给了我一些。)ink是物质名词,不可以说he gave me one.

I judge his public conduct by his private. (我从他私下的行为来判断他公开的行为。)conduct是抽象名词,不可以说private one.

16.that代有定冠词的名词,one代有不定冠词的名词

我们可以说:The study of idiom is as important as that of grammar. 为何不能说:This is a point of idiom rather than that of grammar. 呢?

【解答】“That”代表有定冠词的名词,“one”代表有不定冠词的名词。质问中的第二句是有不定冠词的名词(a point),所以应该用“one”代表,全句应改正:

This is a point of idiom rather than one of grammar. 当然这个句子里的one略去亦无妨。但要用必须用one, 不可用that, 因为that是the变的,属于定冠词范围之内。第一句中的“that”,正是代表“the study”的,而第二句中的one, 则是代表“a point”的。

再看这样的例句:

The cost of oil is less than that of gas. (油的价钱少于煤气的价钱。)句中that=the cost.

I prefer the climate of Singapore to that of Taiwan. (比起台湾来,我更喜欢新加坡的气候。)句中that=the climate.

但如果说:

A cake made of wheat costs less than that made of rice. 时,则that等于a cake, 所以要不得,应把that改为one才对。(one=a cake)

I prefer a flat in Taipei to that in Singapore句中that不能代表a flat, 应改为one. 有些句子字面上没有冠词,实际是有冠词隐藏在内,例如:

Modern schools(=The schools of modern times)are far better than those of a century ago. (现代的学校比一世纪前的好得多了。)

又前面有“the”,后面并不一定非接“that”不可,如The step you have taken is that of much risk. 的说法,就是错误的,应将that改为one才对。因为that=the step, 而one=a step, 这个句子只能说The step you have taken is a step of much risk. (你所采取的步骤是〔一个〕很危险的〔步骤〕。)现用one代替a step, 以求简化。

The subject is too vast a one to be treated in an essay of this length. (这个题目太大了,这样短短的文章中包含不下。)

This book is such a one as is needed by every student of English. (这是每一个研究英语的人都需要的一本书。)

Your cat is black; my young one is white. (你的猫是黑的;我的小猫是白的。)

没有形容词时就不要加冠词,如:

He has many books; I want to borrow one. (他有许多书,我要向他借一本来看。)

This book is one that is needed by every student of English. (这是一本每个研究英语的人所需要的书。)

但有时可以加上定冠词,而意思便不同了。

17.one, a one, the one, ones的分别

“你有一支笔吗?”“是的,我有一支笔。”译成英文为"Have you a pen? ""Yes, I have a one. "据说a one是错误的,应改为one才对,但We are going to leave our house and remove to a new one. (我们将离此屋,迁入新屋。)句中不是在one前加了不定冠词吗?请将one, a one, the one, ones等的用法说明一下。

【解答】在没有任何形容词的时候,one前通常不加冠词〔注〕或所有格,但除了“the”以外,因the等于说the only差不多,否则就是两相比较之时,如the one, the other的说法,现在且看带有形容词的a one的用例:

Get me some better pens, this is a bad one. (给我几支比较好的笔;这支笔太坏了。)

This book is the one that is needed by every student of English. (这便是那每一个研究英语的人所需要的〔唯一的〕书。)

再看复数的代名词ones的用法,也总是带有形容词的,不能单独使用:

I like peaches, but I must have some ripe ones. (我喜欢吃桃子,但一定要是熟了的。)

I have a new pen and several old ones. (我有一支新笔和好几支旧笔。)

These green ones are too small; I want those black ones. (这些绿的太小,我要那些黑的。)

有时把修饰ones的形容词放在它的后面也可以,如:

The students who do best in examinations are not always the ones(=those)with the best brains. (考试成绩优秀的学生并不一定是最聪明的。)

〔注〕口语的用法a one意为热狂者,如He is a one for baseball. 俗语的用法a one意为怪物,如You are a one!

18.指同一人不可随意改变人称

The"Instructions to Freshmen"pamphlet gives a person much good advice, but you can't hope to correct all of your bad habits in one term. 这句英文是什么意思?文字上有什么毛病?

【解答】这句话的意思是:《新生指导手册》确能给新生许多极好的忠告,不过谁也不能指望,在一个学期当中,把以前所有的坏习惯,全部改正过来。

意思明白了之后,我们现在再来研究一下文字。上半句中的a person显然地是指one of the freshmen, 即任何一个新生,是第三人称单数,但到了下半句时,忽然变换人称,改称you及your了。这是不妥的,在同一句话中,既说的是同一人,就应该用同一人称到底,不可中途改变,所以在上举例句中,如将you, your改为he, his的话,就和前面说的a person有了呼应,读来便知是指的同一人了。

说话的时候,每每喜欢用you来指people又常爱前后改变人称,听话的人当然明白指的是谁,所以也不必多事吹求,但下笔写成文字时,就必须注意这些小地方,以减少行文的毛病。

常有人主张"Write as you talk. "如果真的照你说的写出来的时候,据Rudolf Flesch在他的Readable Writing一书第八十四页上说,口头英语和笔下英语在文法、惯用法和习语的遣词造句上都大有不同。口头英语有两个主要的特色:造句的松懈和用字的重复(loose sentence structure and a great deal of repetition),可见下笔写作时是不能不稍加考究的。

19.it的误用

Long ago I decided to become an air stewardess because it gives one a chance to see the world. (很久以前我就决心要做一个空中小姐,因为使人有机会看世界。)这句英文不知有无毛病?

【解答】这句英文是有polish(润色)的余地的。毛病出在代名词的it上,前面没有可代的名词,自然它就落空了。改正的办法是把句中it gives二字去掉,在one字后加上may have二字就行了。这个one虽也是代名词,但指的是任何一个人,等于说we, you, they, 全是代表people一样,前面不必要有一个名词。再看下面的例句:

Television sets will probably never completely take the place of motion pictures, but it will undoubtedly develop into a very popular form of entertainment. (电视机多半永远不会完全取代电影,但它无疑地是会发展成为一种非常普遍的娱乐方式的。)句中的it应改为they才可代表前面的sets一个复数名词。

The problem is simply stated: Should our country allow citizens to make treasonous statements, even though they are not actually guilty of it? (把那问题简单地说:我国应否让公民发表卖国的言论,即令他们实际并未犯卖国罪。)句中的it不能代表前面的statements, 应改为treason才妥。

In one of the pamphlets I used it gives a chart showing the increase in the costs of government. (在我用的一本手册中,有一张图表说明政府费用的增加。)句中的it是突如其来的,应删去才对,同时句首的in也不要。

20.关系代名词的误用

The game was scarcely under way before mud had worked into my shoulder pads which caused a raw feeling. 这句英文不知应如何译法?文字上有无毛病?

【解答】这句英文可译作“竞赛刚一开始,烂泥就弄到我两肩的垫子中去,引起一种湿冷的感觉”。句中的关系代名词which一字用得不妥,因为它指的是前面的pads, 而实际引起湿冷之感的是mud, 所以应将which改为and, 使caused与前面的worked并立就很妥善了。

我们不妨再来检讨一下另外的句子:

In the United States enough time, energy, and money were spent to build atomic bombs that could have been used to erect new cities. (美国为着造原子弹所用去的时间、精力和金钱,足够建立好几个新的城市了。)句中关系代名词that是指前面的atomic bombs, 实际应指time, energy, and money才对,所以全句宜修正为:

In the United States enough time, energy and money that could have been used to erect new cities, were spent to build atomic bombs.

请再看:

Many of our most intelligent youth are not given a chance for an education which does not improve the quality of our voting citizency. (许多聪明的青年都没有接受教育的机会,由于他们的无知,而不能提高选民的素质。)句中which是指“教育”恰与原意相反,应将which改为their illiteracy就达意了。

21.代名词应有所代表

“排队等上一个多钟头,结果他们说经理今天不能接见,要我们明天再去,真是使人气馁。”译作It is surely discouraging for us to stand in line for more than one hour and then have them tell us that we can't see the manager until tomorrow. 不知对不对?

【解答】译文大致不差,只有them一字用得不太恰当,在口头说话时,用字较为随便,写成文字必须交代清楚,这个代名词them, 是代表那机关的办事人员,但在本句中前面并没有the staff或office-workers一类的复数名词,所以它无可代表,突如其来,有欠确实,应设法改正。最好不用have them tell us的表现法,单说一个be told, 不但意思也能表达,而且与前面的不定词一致,即for us to stand and(to)be told, 在一句话当中,不中途改变章法,文章自然流利了。全句成为:

It is surely discouraging for us to stand in line for more than one hour and then be told that we can't see the manager until tomorrow.

现在再举出几个同样用有reference不明的字的句子如下:

We no longer cut our own Christmas trees. Now Dad stops at some place where they sell them. (我们现在不再自己去砍圣诞树了,爸爸从出卖圣诞树的店家买回来。)这句话最后的them一字,固然可代表Christmas trees, 但用they代表店家,就有些交代不明了。所以应把sell them二字改为are sold, 让they代表前面说的Christmas trees, 就完美通顺了。

Mother thought that every well-brought-up girl should have mastered horsemanship, but unfortunately it was discovered that I was allergic to them. (母亲认为教养好的女孩子都应当精于骑术,可是不幸发觉我是对马有敏感症的。)句中最后them一字要改为horses才交代清楚,因为前面只有horsemanship, 没有horses, 所以them所代表的名词落空了。

22.this的误用

“狩鹿可以使人成为更好的游猎者,这个使得一般的猎户获益良多。”译为Deer hunting makes a man a better sportsman. This is taught the average hunter in many ways. 似有欠妥,请为改正。

【解答】译文中This一字,所指模糊不明,因为它所指的原是Deer hunting, 而现在用作指前面整个的句子了,全句似可这样修正:

Deer hunting makes a man a better sportsman, by which the average hunter is taught in many ways.

下面几个例句中this的用法都有问题,可供译作上的研究。

I hate to see two houses being built on one lot, because this would seem like living in a cracker box. (我讨厌看到两幢屋子建在一块划分的土地上,因为这样好像使人有住在饼干盒中的感觉。)句中的this改为living there就很好了。

At an early age the youth will develop his personality traits, and the kind of home life he has will greatly influence this. (青年人的个性很早就会发展出来,而他的家庭生活对他个性的发展是很有影响的。)句中最后一字this是无可代表的,应改为the development.

The harpoon has to be fired with deadly accuracy; this is why an experienced harpooner receives twenty thousand dollars a year. (射鲸的鱼叉要射得极其准确才行,所以一个有经验的射手可以收入两万块钱一年。)句中的this is why三字改为therefore一字就没有问题了。

23.they的误用

“在仓库里我们找到了一张合用的桌子,虽则要两个礼拜他们才能送来。”译成At the warehouse we found a suitable table, although it would be two weeks before they could deliver it to us. 不知译得对么?

【解答】译文中的they所代表的为何人,句中没有明白说出,即是交代不清,对英文本身颇有问题,改正的办法是将它削去,全句可改译为:

At the warehouse we found a suitable table, although it could not be delivered to us until after two weeks.

再看下面一句:

In earlier days, learning was acquired through memorizing, copying, and repeating; they merely continued what other people had learned. (在古代,学问是由记忆、抄写和重述而得到的,它们只能把别人所学的继续保留下来罢了。)句中的they是想要用来代表上述的记忆、抄写和重述,但意思不分明,如果把they改为people, 再把后面的other people改为others, 就更明白而无瑕疵了。

24.whose duty it is to do中it的用法

There is a second man, whose duty it is to open the box. 句中的it指什么,从文法上看它是什么作用?如果不用这个it, 句子不也很通吗?

【解答】在这个句子中,确实是it的有无同样通顺,不过有it时,更为普通而已。现就质问中的例句来研究一下:

There is a second man, whose duty it is to open the box. (另外还有一人,他的任务就是开箱。)

在这句whose以下,我们可以改写为and his duty it is to open the box=and it is his duty to open the box. 但在意义上和说and his duty is to open the box并无不同,只是语气加重了一些而已。我们不妨从文法的分析来探求这个it的来龙去脉,就知道我那加重语气的说法是不错的。

A teacher's duty is to teach. 加重时说It is a teacher's duty to teach.

A teacher is a person whose duty is to teach. 加重时说A teacher is a person whose duty it is to teach.

美国杂志上有这样一个句子:

Most large companies have trained specialists, personnel managers, whose job it is to interview and pass judgment on prospective employees. (大公司中都训练得有叫做人事经理的专家,他们的工作,就是接见和评定可能录用的雇员。)

这是加重的说法,我们也可依照上面的方式,把它回复到普通的表现法来:

The personnel manager is a trained specialist, whose job it is to interview and pass judgment on prospective employees. 去掉句中的it, 便是不加重的说法。

It is the personnel manager's job to interview and pass judgment on prospective employees. 改为普通说法,取消加重,即成为The personnel manager's job is to interview and pass judgment on prospective employees.

现在我们明白了,这个it除了加强语气外是没有什么特殊意义的,虽然大多数的人都喜欢用,但不用的人也不在少数,兹各举数例如下:

(1)加重语气的:

One whose dream it is to excel in trade. ——Max Beerbohm(梦想靠做生意出人头地的人。)

The man whose destiny it has been to preside for a quarter of a century. ——Lady Cinthia Asquith(一个命定在四分之一世纪中执牛耳的人。)

He appeared to be a tough little man whose one object in life it was to avoid work. (他看来好像是一个倔强的矮小的人,他人生的唯一目的就是避免工作。)

It was one of those committees whose job it is to decide whether or not a student is to receive a grant of money to help continue a course of study. (那是许多委员会当中的一个,其任务就在审定学生为升学用的奖学金。)

(2)不加重语气的:

A body of men, whose duty is to protect person of the Sovereign. ——Wyld(一队人,其任务为保护君王人身的安全。)

The only important thing for men whose business is to fill a theatre. ——London Mercury(对于那些以充实戏院座位为职责的人们唯一重要的事。)

I soon found myself almost as lazy as my host, whose sole occupation was to lie in the garden and smoke cigarettes. ——Janko Larvin(随即我发觉我自己也几乎像我旅舍老板一样的懒惰,他的唯一的事业就是躺在庭院中抽香烟。)

25.作关系代名词用的as

If, as is sometimes found among the first threads or streamlets, there happens to be one that has some spring for its source, we very soon become aware of the fact that such springs are also produced by rain. 在一篇文章中看到上面的句子,请说明句中as的用法。

【解答】英文的as一字,具有四种不同的词性,用法颇为复杂。它可以作副词,如:

I can do it as well. (我也同样可以做。)

又如:

He did it in two hours, but it took me as many days. (他两小时就做好了,而我却要花上两天工夫。)

又可用作介词,如:

It can be used as a knife. (这可以当作小刀用。)

Some animals, as the fox and the squirrel, have bushy tails. (有些动物例如狐与松鼠,有浓密的尾巴。)

又可用作连词,如:

It is not so easy as you think. (这没有你想的那么容易。)

Just as he was speaking, there was a loud explosion(正当他在说话的时候,发生大的爆炸。)

As you are sorry, I'll forgive you. (因为你已道歉,所以我原谅你。)

Young as he was, he was able. (他虽则年轻,却很能干。)

Socrates'conversations as reported by Plato were full of a shrewd humor. (柏拉图所传述的苏格拉底的谈话是充满着辛辣的幽默的。)

最后一例中的as, 是用来限制它紧前那个名词的概念的,reported前可加they were来讲。又He arranged matters so as to suit everybody. (他把事情安排得人人都合适。)一句,在as后没有接子句,而是接的不定词,看去不像是连词一样,其实这种说法等于说He arranged matters so well that they suit everybody. 所以as还是连词,他例如Be so good as to come. =Be so good that you come. 最后还可用作关系代名词,它的先行词,如果是such或the same后的名词时,就很容易说明,例如:

Such men as(=Those men who)heard him praised him. (听过他演说的人都称赞他。)

Such animals as(=Those animals which are)the fox and the squirrel have bushy tails. (狐与松鼠那样的动物有浓密的尾巴。)

This is the same watch as I have lost. (这只表和我丢了的表是一样的。)

Bees like the same odors as we do. (蜜蜂对于香味与我们有同好。)

但它的先行词,不一定是一个名词,有时是前面整个的句子,以as来引导出一个不限制的关系词子句,这时就比较难于分析了。质问中的句子正是这种情形。兹另举数例如下:

As might be expected, a knowledge of psychology is essential for good advertisement. (如我们所预期的一样,好的广告,绝对需要有心理学的知识。)

She was a woman of intelligence, as is shown by the letters she wrote. (她是一位有高度智力的女人,从她所写的信件中便可以看得出来。)

He was a foreigner, as I knew from his accent. (他是外国人,听他说话的腔调就知道。)

You are wrong as was to be expected. (果然不出所料,你是错了。)

这种先行词为整个句子的as, 可以用which或which fact来解释,而用法与比较时的than略略相似,试看下面用than的例句,可供参考:

There are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamt of in your philosophy. (天地间的事情比在你的知识中所梦想到的,多了不知多少倍。)

Our employees are working longer hours than is efficient. (我们的雇员工作得比有效能的时间更要长久。)

26.代名词的格

“我想那是他。”一句中文译成英文时,可译作(a)I thought that it was he. 或(b)I thought it to be him. 为何一则用he, 一则用him呢?

【解答】英文造句有四大要素,即Subject(主语),Predicate(述语),Object(宾语),Complement(补语)。在文句中凡作为补语用的代名词,它的格(Case)必须和它有关的名词或代名词的格一致。就质问中所提出的两个句子来看,(a)句中之所以要用he, 是为着要和was的主语it一致,使之成为主格补语(Subjective Complement)的缘故。至于在(b)句中的him, 也是和it的格一致,不过这个却是thought的实语,所以him就不得不用宾格补语(Objective Complement)了。简单地说,主格补语是主格(Subjective Case),而宾格补语就是宾格(Objective Case)。

了解了这个原则之后,即令文句的构成上有些变化,但万变不离其宗,细心想一下就不会弄错了。现在我们不妨来做些填空的测验。

It was thought to be.

在空白处到底要填he还是him呢?在to be后应填的代名词的格,须与it一致,而句中的it是was thought的主语,所以应填主格补语的he才对。

I believe the pickpocket to be.

这句要填he还是him呢?在to be后应填的代名词的格,须与pickpocket一致,而pickpocket是believe的宾语,所以应填宾语的him。

The criminal turned out to be.

意为“犯人已判明是他”在to be后应填的代名词的格,须与主语的criminal一致,所以要填主格的he。

Somebody had given the money to the poor girl. I didn't consider it to be, though it was generally thought to be. But finally it proved to be really.

在上举例句中有三个代名词要填,第一个应与it一致,而it是consider的宾语,所以须填宾格的him。第二个也要与it一致,而it是was thought的主语,所以须填主格的he。第三个还是要与it一致,而it是proved的主语,所以须填主格的he。

现在再举三句比较难点的例,读者不妨先自己试填一下,然后再看我的说明。

do you suppose me to be?

am I supposed to be?

It appears to have been.

解答:(1)Whom, (2)Who, (3)he. 理由思索自明。

27.代名词的I和he(或you)的排列次序

“昨夜我和妹妹去看电影。”译作I and my sister went to the movies last night. 被改正为My sister and I went to the movies last night. 为什么不能依照长幼之序来说呢?请说明错误的理由。

【解答】语文的表现法多由习惯(usage)来决定,很少有充分的理由的。T. J. Fitikides在他编的Common Mistakes in English八十七页上说:

English idiom requires that when a person is speaking of himself and others, he must mention the other person or persons first and leave himself last. But in confessing a fault, the speaker mentions himself first. (英文的习惯用法,要求把自己说在别人的后面,除非是承认什么错处的时候,才先说自己。)外国人没有受过中国的教化,不懂得什么叫做长幼之序,对父母兄弟无孝悌之可言,习惯上在说话时虽对自己的妻室儿女,也要把她说在前面,不过近年来这种虚怀若谷的态度,也起了变化,根据许多英、美文人的作品看来,“第一人称+第三人称”的说法也就时有所闻了。下面就是一些实例:

"Play snooker together every Wednesday, me and George. "——H. E. Bates: Thelma(我和乔治每个礼拜三都在一块玩落袋球)句中me是I的口头语,play之前当然是省去了一个主语的We, 这个说话的Thelma在和乔治还不太亲密的时候,却是说George and me的。

To this little circle, I, my wife, and my little two daughters made, I venture to think, a not unwelcome addition. ——E. M. Forster: The Story of a Panic(我冒昧地揣度,我们夫妇和两个小女儿加入这个小集团,并不是不受欢迎的。)

I and Turner are taking Elsie and Ethel Rand canoeing. ——E. O'Neill: Ah, Wilderness! (我和退纳带了艾丽西及艾塞尔·朗德去划独木舟。)

I and Red Risk went in swimming there and I saved his life. ——Ibid(我和雷特·利斯克到那里去游泳,而他几乎淹死,是我救了他的。)

We were always thanking him for that. ——I and the others. ——F. S. Fitzgerald: The Great Gatsby(那个我们总是感激他的——我和其余的人。)

When she was a very tiny little kid, I and Allie used to take her to the park with us, especially on Sundays. ——J. D. Salinger: The Catcher in the Rye(当她还是一个小孩子的时候,我和阿里老是带她同我们一道去公园里玩,尤其是在礼拜天。)

甚至“第一人称+第二人称”的例也是有的,如:

Remember the time I and you drove into Volognes. ——J. D. Salinger: Nine Stories(你当然还记得我跟你一同驱车进入佛伦的情形吧。)

此外我们熟悉的Ladies and gentlemen那句固定的口头话,居然也有颠倒的说法,而且是出自名家之笔:

I have made it sufficiently profitable to enable its proprietors to live like the gentlemen and ladies they were now become. ——W. S. Maugham: Christmas Holiday(我曾使之充分有利可图的来促使它的经营者如现在的情形一样过着像绅士淑女一般的生活。)

Perhaps these gentlemen and ladies will allow me to offer them a glass too. ——Ibid(也许这些先生太太们也会让我敬他们一杯酒的。)

28.do so和do it等的用法

有人说“你可以这样做。”应译成You can do it. 不宜译作You can do so. 不知do so和do it有何区别,请就用法及含义加以说明。

【解答】副词的so有时具有代名词的作用,它可以当作宾语而用在动词say, tell, think, hope, expect, suppose, imagine, believe, fear, hear等的后面,例如:

I think so. (我也这样想。)

I hope so. (我希望是这样。)

I told you so. (我早就这样告诉你了。)

You don't say so? (不会有这样的事。)

在动词do的后面也同样地可以接用so做宾语的,不过这是近乎文言的用法,即写作时用的英语(written English),在口语(spoken English)中这个副词用作代名词的so似乎已被it取而代之了。如说He promised to do so. 就近乎文言,口语便说成He promised to do it. 了。英文的it本来是that, this的代名词,所以有时不用it。而用that或this也是很普通的。

兹就(1)A. Miller作的After the Fall, (2)T. Williams作的Period of Adjustment, 和(3)T. Williams作的Sweet Bird of Youth三个剧本来检查一下do so和do it等使用的频度。

do so在口语中差不多不用了,用it或用that的最多,用do this的反而比用do so的时候更少,do this的出现只有一次,do so倒有二次,现将整个的句子抄在下面:

How does Dorothea feel about you all doing this? ——T. Williams: Period of Adjustment(你们大家这样做,杜洛西觉得怎样呀?)

I was never tempted to do so. ——Ibid(从来没有什么使我想要这样做的。)

I've come back crawling! ——not even embarrassed to do so. ——Ibid(我爬回来了!甚至没有被妨碍这样做。)

但是有的作家在说话时还没有完全摆脱文语的羁绊,虽写在对话的口语中仍然用的do so, 例如Freemen Wills Crofts在他著的Crime at Guilford一书中,对话时都喜欢采用do so的形式:

Only sir, that you should have told us about it. Have you any objection to doing so now? (只是你早应该告诉我们的。你现在还反对这样做吗?)

We shall have to do so. Now, sir, about your own key. Where, or rather now, do you keep it? (我们必得这样做。现在,先生,关于你自己的钥匙。你现在放在哪里呀?)

...and if you do so, what you may be used in evidence. (而你如果这样做的话,你就显然地可能被人利用。)

但在同一书中采用do that或do it的也不是完全没有,如下例所示:

"This morning I again had to open the safe. ""Better do that too", he said. (“今天早上我又得开一次保险箱。”“也最好这样做。”他说。)

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