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help之后不定式须带to的情况
王爱莲 张春生
关于这一点,一船语法书、教科书和词典都未给
出令人信服的答案,都说:help之后的不定式可以
带to也可不带to,后一种情况多见于美国英语。不
错,这两种结构确实都存在,但表达的意思却不尽
相同。Quirk认为:HELP also takes the
to-infinitive.The bare infinitive seems to be the
more common in AmE than in BrE,but in both
varieties the choice is conditioned by the subject's
involvement.见(A GRAMMAR OF CONTEMPORARY
ENGLISH p.841) POINTS OF MODERN ENGLISH
SYNTAX中译本p.50引用了英国著名语言学家
Frederick T.Wood博士提出的令人满意的解释:
用不带to的结构表示帮助别人的人具体参与了行
动,承担了一部分工作,从而减轻了被帮助者一
部分负担。
请比较以下两句:
A). I helped him (to) mend his bicycle.
B). I helped her to mount her bicycle.
a句用不用to皆可,因为我帮助他修车,我可以承担
一部分修理任务,从而减轻了他的负担。
b句不可省to,因为我帮她骑车,我显然不能承担
一部分骑的工作,而只能帮助她达到学会骑车之目
的。
A). Will you help me clear the table?
B). This book helped me to see the truth.
用Quirk的话来解释:In the example with bare infinitive,external help
is called in,in the example
with to-infinitive,assistance is outside the action
proper.(见A GRAMMAR OF CONTEMPORARY
ENGLISH p.841)
再举几例,想君必能从中领悟某种道理。
1.The trip helped him to see much of the world.
2.The stick helps him(to) walk.
3. This book helps the student (to) understand the
verb more clearly.
4.Can anyone help me(to) carry suitcase upstairs?
5.We'll help make the beds.
6. On his days off he helped his comrades wash
and mend their clothes.
另外,还有两种情况值得一提:
1.在help之后接一个较长的名词词组作宾语时,
其后通常用带to的不定式:
Help the little boys at the back of the hall to carry
the chairs Out.
Will you help the old man with a heavy bag in
his hand to get on the train?
2.在被动结构中,作help的主语的补足语的不定
式必须带to:
The comrades must be helped to preserve the style
of plain living and hard struggle. |
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