LECTURE 10 否定结构
本堂目标:学会识别7种不同的否定结构,熟悉几种容易引起误解的否定结构与否定形式,熟练掌握各种否定结构的意义,准确翻译含有否定结构的句子。
基础预习
英语中的否定结构根据其表达方式的不同,可以分为以下几类:
一、一般否定
指否定谓语部分来实现对全句的否定,构成形式是在系动词、助动词或情态动词后加否定词not来实现的。
【例】(98-完型)
Specialists in history and economics, have shown two things: that the period from 1650 to 1750 was marked by great poverty, and that industrialization certainly did not worsen and may have actually improved the conditions for the majority of the populace. |
【点睛】本句所包含的否定结构借助组动词did,在其后加not构成。 |
【译文】历史学和经济学方面的专家已经证明了两件事:从1650年到1750年期间以极度贫困为特征,而工业化显然没有使这种状况恶化;事实上却可能改善了绝大多数平民百姓的生活条件。 |
二、部分否定
指否定词not和表示全体意义的代词(all,every,etc.)或副词配合使用,表示“并非…都是…”之意。
【例】(05-Text 3)
But not all parts of the brain are equally involved; the limbic system (the “emotional brain”) is especially active, while the prefrontal cortex (the center of intellect and reasoning) is relatively quiet. |
【点睛】否定词not和表示全体意义的代词 all搭配使用,表示部分否定. |
【译文】但并不是我们大脑所有部分的活动都是均等的;边缘系统(“感情大脑”)尤其活跃,而前额部分的脑皮层(理解和推理的中心部位)则相对安静。 |
三、全部否定
用no, none, nothing, nobody, nowhere, never, neither等否定词作主语或主语的定语,后面加否定式谓语构成,表示“一切…都不是…”。
【例】(02-Text 4)
Although it ruled that there is no constitutional right to physician-assisted suicide, the Court in effect supported the medical principle of “double effect”, a centuries-old moral principle holding that an action having two effects — a good one that is intended and a harmful one that is foreseen — is permissible if the actor intends only the good effect. |
【点睛】句中there 为存在句的否定形式,表示全部否定。 |
【译文】尽管裁定认为,宪法没有赋予医助自杀的权利,最高法院实际上却支持医疗的“双重效果”原则,这个已有好几百年历史的道德原则认为,某种行为具有双重效果—— 希望达到的好效果和可以预见到的坏效果 —— 只要行为者想要达到好的效果,就予以许可。 |
四、半否定
通过hardly, scarcely, barely, seldom, rarely, few, little等半否定词表示的否定结构。
【例】(01-Passage 4)
The mergers of telecom companies, such as WorldCom, hardly seem to bring higher prices for consumers or a reduction in the pace of technical progress. |
【点睛】The mergers of telecom companies hardly seem to bring higher prices。其中的hardly表示半否定。 |
【译文】像世界通讯这样的通讯公司的合并,似乎不太可能给消费者带来价格上扬,也不会导致技术发展步伐的放慢。 |
五、继续否定
前面已经有一个否定结构,后面又追加一个或数个否定结构,这种追加的否定结构叫继续否定结构。
【例】(05-Text 4)
He is not arguing, as many do, that we can no longer think straight because we do not talk proper. |
【点睛】He is not arguing…否定句式作句子的主干。that引导宾语从句,其中否定结构no longer是对前面否定词not的追加,即继续否定。 |
【译文】和许多人不一样,他并不认为我们谈话不准确,就不能有条理地思考。 |
六、双重否定
在一个句子中出现两次否定,表示“没有…就不…”或“没有…就没有…”。
【例】(04-Text 4)
Without the ability to think critically, to defend their ideas and understand the ideas of others, they cannot fully participate in our democracy. |
【点睛】Without…为条件状语从句,译为“如果没有…”;情态动词can后加not构成否定,与前边的without 形成双重否定。 |
【译文】transition用法搭配如果没有能力进行批判性思维,维护自己的观点,并理解他人的观点,他们就不能充分地参与到我们的民主政治中来。 |
七、排除否定
在一个句子结构中,如果一部分被肯定,一部分被否定,那么这种否定结构就叫排除否定结构,常用词有except, but等。
【例】(04-Text 4)
Ravitch’s latest book, Left Back: A Century of Failed School Reforms, traces the roots of anti-intellectualism in our schools, concluding they are anything but a counterbalance to the American distaste for intellectual pursuits. |
【点睛】句子主干为Ravitch’s latest book traces the roots of anti-intellectualism。分词结构concluding…作伴随状语,其中的but表示“除…之外”,即排除否定。 |
【译文】拉维奇最新出版的一本书《落后:学校改革一个世纪的失败》追溯了我们的学校里反知识主义的根源,得出结论说它们根本不能平衡美国人对追求知识的厌恶。 |
重点讲解
一、容易引起误解的否定结构与否定形式
1. no more…than与not more…than
结构 | 例示 |
no more…than意为“两者都不…”在意义上对比较的双方都给予否定;也可表示同一人或事物的两个方面择其一,意为“与其说…倒不如说”。此外no more…than与not…any more than意思相近。 | 1)This book is no more interesting than that one.这本书和那本一样都没有趣。 2)He is no more a teacher than a worker.说他是个教师,倒不如说他是个工人。 3)He is not a poet any more than I am a novelist.他不是个诗人,正如我不是小说家一样。 |
not more…than意为“…比不上…”,在意义上对比较的双方都给予肯定。 | This book is not more interesting than that one.这本书不如那本有趣。(两本书都有趣) |
2. no more than与not more than
结构 | 例示 |
no more than强调“少”,译作“只有,不过,仅仅”。 | He said no more than we had expected.他只是说了我们所预料的而已。 |
not more than是客观叙述,意为“不超过”。 | He has not more than five dollars on him.他身上带的钱不超过五美元。 |
3. no less than,not less than与no less… than
结构 | 例示 |
no less than用法上等于as much as或as many as,意为“竟有…之多,多达”。 | A poor man is no less (as many) a citizen than (as) a rich man.穷人和富人一样都是公民。 |
not less than意为“不少于,至少”,是客观叙述 | There were no less than five thousand people at the meeting.到会的人和少于5000人。 |
no less…than前后均为肯定,意为“正如,恰好;和…一样”等,常含有惊奇等彩。 | No less an authority than Dr. James has spoken highly of the invention.连詹姆士这样的权威都高度评价这项发明。 |
4. no (/little) better than与not better than
结构 | 例示 |
no (/little) better than意为“和…一样不…,和…差不多”,表示两者都不好。 | I found him no better than an idiot.我发现她简直是个愚人。 |
not better than意为“并不比…好,还不如”。 | His pronunciation is not better than hers.他的发音并不比她的好。 |
二、形式否定、意义肯定的结构
结构 | 例示 |
意为“无论怎样也不过分”。 | We can hardly praise his achievement too much.对他的成就我们无论怎样赞扬也不过分。 |
no(nobody)but 意为“只有…才…”。 | There is no man but has his faults.人皆有过。 |
no other than 意为“正是,仅仅是”。 | This is no other than the book we want to buy.这正是我们要买的书。 |
more often than not 意为“常常,往往”。 | John is a fairly good swimmer. He wins more often than not.约翰是个游泳健将,他常常在比赛中获奖。 |
三、形式肯定、意义否定的结构
句子形式上看不到否定词,但含有一些特定的词组来表示否定意义,如prevent…from,rather than,too…to,fail等。
结构 | 例示 |
more than one can help 意为“尽量不,绝对不”。 | Don’t tell him more than you can help.能不跟他讲就尽量不跟他讲。 |
more A than B 意为“是A不是B;与其说是B,不如说是A”。 | The book seems to be more a dictionary than a grammar.这本书看起来与其说是一本语法书,不如说是一本词典。 |
anything but 意为“绝对不,根本不是,一点也不”。 | I will do anything but that.我决不干那种事。 |
rather than意为“而不是”,强调是前者而不是后者。 | We are taught that a business letter should be written in a formal style rather than in a personal one. 在学校里老师教我们,商业信函应该采用正式的文体来写,而不是用私人化的风格来写。 |
too…to意为“太…而不能…”。 | The limited liability companies were too large to run smoothly. 有限责任公司太大以致于不能平稳运行。 |
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