Soccer is a difficult sport.(1)A player must be able to run steadily without rest.(2)Sometimes a player must hit the ball with his or her head.(3)Players must be willing to bang into and be banged into by others.(4) They must put up with aching feet and sore muscles.
上面的这则短文中,主题句(main idea sentence)也就是文章的中心是第一句,(1)(2)(3)(4)句是用来说明主题句的。
I am sorry to inform you that I won't be able to go to dance with you this weekend. My mother is suddenly takenill.In order not to disappoint you,I have asked Shi Dai to take my place.She is a better dancer,I think.My regrets.
Joe
从便条中可以看出,英语表达先“果”—I won't be able to go to dance with you this weekend后“因”—my mother is suddenly
二、接下来,让我们看一下英汉句子结构的特点。英语属印欧语系,汉语属汉藏语系,两种语言相距甚远,英语结构紧凑,汉语结构松散。语言学家以“竹节句法”来比喻英语句子,即英语句子是由断不可缺的各种连接词衔接而成,宛如节节相连的竹子;而汉语句子则被比喻为“流水句法”,所谓的流水指少用乃至不用连接词仍行文流畅。所以说,英语重形和,汉语重意和。英语句子中如果少了连接词如or,but,if,so,because,when,although , in order that,so that,所要表达的意思就支离破碎了,而汉语如没连接词,只从句子本身的意思就可以把概念或关系表达清楚。如:
Conquer the desires,or they will conquer you.你如不能战胜欲念,欲念将要战胜你。
An Englishm an who could not speak Chinese was once travelling in China.一个英国人,不会说中国话,有一次在中国旅行。
It was on a Sunday evening,when he was lying in the orchard listening to a blackbird and composing a love poem,that he heard thegate swing to,and saw the girl coming running among the trees,with the redcheeked, stolid Joe in swift pursuit.一个星期日的傍晚,他正躺在果园里,一面在听画眉鸟的啁啾,一面在写一首爱情诗,忽然听得大门砰地关上,接着看见那姑娘从树丛里奔出来,后面飞跟着那呆头呆脑的红脸的乔。
这是个英语强调句,其重心是:he heard the gate swing to and saw the girl com ing running am ong the trees.,而when he was ly- ing in the orchard listening to a blackbird and com posing a love poem是一个时间状语从句,这两个句子通过itwas...that...这个强调句型巧妙地合为一个复合长句,整个句子简单明了,结构紧凑,若用汉语表达则须分成好几个短句。再如:
The president said at a conference dominated by questions on yesterday's election results that he could not explain why the Republicans had suffered such a widespread defeat,which in the end would deprive the Republican Party of long-held superiority in the House.在一次记者招待会上,问题集中于昨天的选举结果,总统就此发了言。他说他不能理解为什么共和党遭到了这样大的失败。这种情况最终会使共和党失去在众议院长期享有的优势。
You're always asking me such questions!你老是问我这样的问题!(用现在进行时表示厌烦)
I am now living in a very pleasant flat.我现在住在一间非常舒适的公寓里。(用现在进行时表示满意)
所以,传递同样的意思,英语只要选用合适的时态就可以了,汉语则必须使用词汇手段。又如:
It has been noted that those who live,or have lived,in the shadow of death bring a m ellow sweetness to everything theydo.人们已经注意到大凡受到死亡威胁的人或是死里逃生的人对于他们所干的任何事总是兴趣盎然。
Marriage may be compared to a cage:the birds outside despair to get in and those within despair to get out.婚姻好比鸟笼,外面的鸟儿想进进不去,里面的鸟儿想出出不来。(不定式短语to get in,to get out作状语)
I am utterly in the dark about the matter.我对这件事完全不知道。(介词词组in the dark作表语)