不定式主动语态表被动含义.docx

不定式主动语态表示被动意义 He created his explosive to save lives lives that were lost because other explosives were dangerous to use. (Passage A, Unit 1) 这句中的to use是不定式的主动语态，但表示被动意义。 英语中有两种语态：主动语态 (active voice) 和被动语态 (passive voice)。一般来说，主动语态表示主动意义，被动语态表示被动意义。然而，主动语态有时也可用来表示被动意义。 不定式的主动语态表示被动意义往往用在SVC (adj. + inf.)句型，即 “主语+动词+主语补语”句型，其中的主语补语由 “形容词+不定式”构成。用于这一句型的形容词较常见的有easy, hard, difficult, good, comfortable, possible, impossible等。在这种情况下，不定式必须用主动语态表示被动意义，不可用被动语态。例如： Apples are good to eat. *Apples are good to be eaten. （*表示此用法不可接受。下同。） The story is hard to believe (相信). *The story is hard to be believed. This shirt is easy to wash (洗). *This shirt is easy to be washed. Those explosives are dangerous to use. *Those explosives are dangerous to be used. 不定式主动语态表示被动意义不但可用于单词动词(single-word verbs), 如上例，也可用于多词动词(multi-word verbs)。英语中的多词动词有以下几种类型：动词+介词，动词+副词小品词，动词+副词小品词+介词，动词+名词+介词等。例如：The chair is comfortable to sit in. *The chair is comfortable to be sat in. The sick baby was difficult to look after. *The sick baby was difficult to be looked after. The light is impossible to turn off. *The light is impossible to be turned off. Money is difficult to save up. *Money is difficult to be saved up. He ran so fast and was hard to catch up with (赶上). *He ran so fast and was hard to be caught up with. The loud cry of that girl was hard to put up with. *The loud cry of that girl was hard to be put up with. This dog is easy to take care of (照料). *This dog is easy to be taken care of. 这里要提示学生注意的是：上面提及的SVC (adj. + inf.)句型只是同类句型的一种。从语义的角度看，这种句型可分为以下几种类型： (1) Mary is hard to get along with. (= It is hard to get along with Mary.) (2) Mary is kind to wait for me. (= It is kind of Mary to wait for me.) (3) Mary is angry to hear the news. (= To hear the news has made Mary angry.) (4) Mary is quick to learn. (= Mary learns quickly.) 从上面四例可看出，尽管它们都属于SVC (adj. + inf.)句型，但它们的意义是完全不同的。也就是说，它们虽然表层结构相同，但深层结构不同。在这四种类型中，只有第(1)种的不定式是用主动语态来表示被动意义的。其他三种都不表示被动意义，因此不属于本单元讨论的范围。请提示学生不要混淆。 不定式的主动语态表示被动意义除了用于SVC (adj. + inf.)句型外，还可用于其他情况。例如： I have a lot of work to do. *I have a lot of work to be done. 在上例中，因主语是施事者(agent)，因此不定式只可用主动语态。如果主语不是施事者，则主动或被动都可使用。例如： There is a lot of work to do / to be done. 但请注意下面两句在意义上的区别： Ther