具副词功能的不定式动词短语
● 陈清霖
不定式动词(the infinitive)或不定式动词短语(the infinitive phrase)的功能之一是修饰动词。这种具副词功能的不定式动词或短语,和分词短语一样,可以在句子中发挥不同作用,包括“目的、结果、原因、比较”。
Ⅰ. 表示目的,如:
● To learn a language well, one must make great efforts and work with tenacity.
● To prevent war, big or small, it is important to promote international understanding.
● Zhiqiang came to my office to ask a question.
● The warden walked around the building to see that nothing went wrong. 表示“目的”的不定式动词短语可以在句首,也可以在句尾。在句首时,可以加上“in order”;在句尾时,可以附以“so as”,如:
● In order to win the table-tennis match, the players practised day and night.
● Betty worked very hard so as to catch up with the rest of the class.
Ⅱ. 表示“结果”,如:
● Indonesia beat Denmark to take the first place in the badminton tournament.
● Sam passed the final examination to qualify for the next phase of study.
表示“结果”的不定式动词短语出现在句尾,而且经常以预料不到的情况出现,如:
● After the short meeting, they separated, never to see each other again.
● Li Qi rushed to the bus station as fast as he could, only to find the last bus already gone.
Ⅲ. 表示“原因”,如:
● I was really a fool not to listen to you at that critical moment.
● No gambler wins in the end and you would do well to avoid gambling of all forms.
Ⅳ. 表示“比较”,如:
● She opened her lips, as though to speak.
● Her friend looked at him, as if to have something important to tell him.
必须注意的是,含“比较”意思的不定式动词或短语前面要用“ as if ”或“as though”引导。
除了直接修饰谓语动词之外,不定式动词或短语还可以和介词“ with, for”连用,如:
● With nobody to help, the poor man worked late into the night.
● The police removed the road block for the cars to pass.
● With little money to be used, Judy could not buy any more expensive things.
● For a lesson to be fruitfully taught, the teacher must make thorough preparations before going to class.
● For such a scheme to work well, the staff concerned have to be devoted and effective.
● With limited power to be exercised, the new manager could get nowhere.
《联合早报》
|