悬垂分词及其纠正方法
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第12卷第3期2010年6月
V ol. 12, No. 3
Jun., 2010基础英语教育
Journal of Basic English Education
悬垂分词(dangling participle) 又叫无依附分词(unattached participle)、非关联分词(unrelated participle)、错关联分词 (misrelated participle) 或悬吊分词 (pendent participle)(夸克等,1989)。它是英语学习者在使用英语特别是在写作时常犯错误的地方。本文首先介绍一下分词的逻辑主语、依着法则和悬垂分词的概念、种类,然后谈一下悬垂分词的纠正方法及其可接受性。
一、分词的逻辑主语、依着法则和悬垂分词
按照传统语法规则,-ing分词和-ed分词在句中充当某种成分时,它们没有语法主语,但有意义上的逻辑主语。一般说来,当分词短语作状语时,其逻辑主语和句子的主语是一致的(Swan, 1982);当它们作宾语补足语时,其逻辑主语是句子的宾语;当它们作定语时,其逻辑主语是它们所修饰的名词中心词。如:
(1) My wife had a long talk with Sally, explaining why she didn’t want the children to play together.
(2) The hunter saw a huge lion drinking at the spring.
(3) He was hurt by a stone dropped from the roof.
例(1)、(2)、(3)中的分词explaining,drinking和dropped的逻辑主语分别是My wife,a huge lion和a stone。分词短语与它的逻辑主语构成了逻辑上的主谓关系。分词短语通常是通过它的逻辑主语而与句子发生依着关系,这种语言现象叫做依着法则(attachment rule)(章振邦,2003)。
依着法则除了适用于分词短语之外,还适用于不定式短语、介词后的动名词短语等。如:
(4) We all rejoiced to hear of your success.(不定式的逻辑主语为We)
(5) After having annoyed everybody he went home. (having annoyed…的逻辑主语为he)当违反了依着法则时,也就是说,当分词短语在句子中找不到它的逻辑主语或依着在它不应该依着的词语上时,这些分词短语处于悬浮状态,成了悬垂分词(章振邦,2003)。如:
(6) *Looking out of the window of our hotel room, there were lots of mountains.
(7) *Grilled on charcoal, everyone enjoyed the fish they caught.
(8) *Opening the cupboard, a skeleton fell out.
(9) *Reading the evening paper, a dog started barking.
例(6)读起来好像是群山在向窗外看;例(7)读起来好像是人们被放在炭火上炙烤了;例(8)读起来好像是一副骷髅打开了橱子;例(9)读起来好像是狗在读晚报。这四个句子从语法结构上来说是错误的,是不可以接受的;从逻辑上来说是讲不通的,甚至是荒唐的,都是需要加以纠正的。
二、悬垂分词的种类
悬垂分词是泛指这一类结构,除了悬垂现在分词短语、过去分词短语外,它还应包括悬垂不定式短语、悬垂动名词短语、悬垂省略状语从句等(徐广联,2005)。
悬垂分词及其纠正方法
邢殿普
知识集锦
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1.悬垂现在分词短语/过去分词短语
如果句子的主语不能充当分词短语的逻辑主语,就会造成悬垂分词短语。这时句子的主语往往为物而不是人。如:
(10) W alking along the lake, the country scenery presented a lovely show.
(11) Sitting at the window, a flock of birds flew across the sky.
(12) Weakened by his last illness, another winter in this country would kill him.
2. 悬垂不定式短语
如果句子的主语在逻辑上不是不定式行为的发出者,就形成了悬垂不定式短语。如:
(13) To speak English well, a lot of practice is needed.
(14) To admit fresh air, the windows were all wide open.
3. 悬垂动名词短语
悬垂动名词短语通常是指位于介词后的动名词短语。句子的主语也应与这种动名词构成逻辑主谓关系,否则就造成悬垂动名词短语。如:
(15) By building a railway there, coal can be carried out from the mountains.
(16) From attending the class, the principles of physics were made clear.
4. 悬垂省略状语从句
如果在悬垂分词短语前加上从属连词,就形成了悬垂省略状语从句。如:
(17) While reading the book, the door bell rang.
(18) Though troubled by heavy family cares, the work was done as well as ever.
三、悬垂分词的纠正方法
悬垂分词的纠正方法很多,主要有四种。
1. 调整句子的主语
这时分词短语/动名词短语保持不变,而是调整句子的主语,使改变后的主语既能充当句子的主语,又能充当原悬垂分词/动名词的逻辑主语,其他部分也要作出相应的变动。如:
(19) *Walking in the fields, a snake bit Tom in the heel.
→Walking in the fields, Tom was bitten in the heel by a snake.
(20) *Sitting in the dentist’s chair, an idea suddenly occurred to me.
→Sitting in the dentist’s chair, I suddenly thought of an idea.
(21) *Tied to a post, the sea was tossing the boat up and down.
→Tied to a post, the boat was being tossed up and down.
(22) *By building a railway there, coal can be carried out from the mountains.
→ By building a railway there, people can carry coal out from the mountains.
2. 添加分词短语/动名词短语的逻辑主语
这时句子的主要部分保持不变,而是给分词短语添加逻辑主语,将分词短语变为独立主格结构,这时就成了独立主格结构作状语。如:
(23) *Having no more to say, the meeting was closed.
→Nobody having any more to say, the meeting was closed.
(24) *Being very hot, we decided to go swimming.
→It being very hot, we decided to go swimming.
如果是悬垂动名词短语,就在动名词前加上代词或名词属格,使动名词有自己的逻辑主语。如:
(25) *From attending the class, the principles of physics were made clear.
→From us/our attending the class,the principles of physics were made clear.
3. 将分词短语/动名词短语变为状语从句
这时句子的主要部分保持不变,而是给原来的悬垂分词/动名词添加上适当的从属连词和主语,再将原来的分词/动名词变为谓语的组成部
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