英语中的否定

英语中的否定

一、否定概念

1．否定的基本特征：含有否定词（语）。例如：

⑴not, never, seldom, hardly, nor,

⑵no, few, , neither,

⑶none, nothing, nobody,

⑷without, but, except

含有否定词缀的词，也是一种否定意义的表达手段。但不属于否定结构或否定句。2．否定范围

否定范围指否定意义在句中涉及的范围。一般讲，从否定词开始到句末，或到表示停顿的标点为止。在口语中，句末用升调，表示修饰形状语在否定范围之内，反之则在范围之外。下列句子的划线部分是否定范围：

（1）I didn’t see Jack in the cinema yesterday.

（2）None of them passed the exam.

（3）I didn’t go there because I was afraid of him.

（4）I didn’t go there, because I was afraid of him. （我没去那儿，因为我怕他。）句（3）在书面语中意义不明确：可能是“我没去那儿，因为我怕他”；也可能是“我去那儿并不是因为怕他”。所以最好避免，或改写成句（4）和句（5）两个意思不同但明确的句子。

（5）I did go there not because I was afraid of him.

3. 否定转移

从结构上看，not通常用于否定动词。但实际意义上讲，not真正要否定的焦点可能是否定范围中的其他成分。这种情况称为否定转移。例如：

（6）Shut up. I didn’t come to listen to your stupid excuse.

=(7) I came here not to listen to your excuse.

(8) I don’t think it will rain tomorrow.

=(9) I think it will not rain tomorrow.

(10) I do not go to school by bike everyday.

=(11) I go to school by bike at times, but not everyday.

二、常见的否定手法

1．全句否定和局部否定（也称“一般否定和特指否定”）

1．1 全句否定(g eneral negation)：结构上not, never否定谓语或no否定名词。

（12）They are not interested in these subject.

(13) You can’t take these books out of the reading-room.

(14) There is no time to be lost.

1．2局部否定(special negation)：not 置于某个特定对象之前。

（15）You must always remember not to become conceited.

(16) The moon gives no light of its own.

局部否定用得很少，通常采用全句否定形式。但可以通过否定转移来达到局部否定的目的。例如，句（17）比句（18）更自然：

（17）I won’t stay here for long.：

（18）I will stay here but not for long.

但有时用全句否定会产生歧义：

（19）It didn’t rain all the month.

句末用升调，表示否定转移至状语：是下雨了，但没有整整下一个月。

句末用降调时，not否定rain：整整一个月没下雨。

如果将状语置于句首，原句改为All the month it didn’t rain，则all the month处于否定范围之外，not 只能否定rain，意思也就明确了。采用局部否定也可避免类似的歧义。例如：（20）It rained not all the month but for part of the month.

有时全句否定和局部否定意义全然不同：

（21）He didn’t try to mention it to Tom.他不想对Tom提起这件事情。

(22) He tried not to mention it to Tom. 他尽量不对Tom提这件事。

△否定的前缀、后缀也是一种局部否定，但从结构上讲，不属于否定句结构。因此，在含有这类词的句子后，附加疑问句中用否定。如：It is unimportant, isn’t it?

2．全体否定和部分否定

2．1 全体否定(absolute negation)

含有no, none以及neither, never等否定词，或every, all与带有否定词缀的词连用时，均为全体否定：

(23) No one can do it.

(24) Neither of the sisters is good-looking.

(25) All these stars are invisible to naked eyes.

(26) Every plan he has made in impossible to carry out.

（27）I looked everywhere for the cell phone, but it could be found nowhere.

2．2 部分否定(partial negation)

not与下列词语连用时，具有部分否定意义：both, all, every, every-, always, entirely, wholly 等。例如：

(28) I don’t wholly agree with you.

_(29) All that glitters is not gold.

(30) Both of his parents are at home.

(31) Not everything he says is right.

但这些词语否定的前缀连用时，意为全部否定。如：

（32）All this is unnecessary.

3．双重否定和重复否定

3．1双重否定（double negation）

双重否定时止，同一结构中用一个否定词否定另一个否定词（也包括否定前缀词）。两个否定词互相抵消。双重否定通常强调一个肯定的意思。