现代英语词汇学概论最强版复习资料chapter10

现代英语词汇学概论最强版复习资料 chapter10 1 Chapter10 English Idioms 10 1 Introductory Remarks 10 2 Sources of English Idioms 10 3 Classification of Idioms 10 4 Syntactic structural and stylistic analysis of idioms 10 1 Introductory Remarks Idiom is a combination of two or more words which are usually structurally fixed and semantically opaque and function as a single unit of meaning English idiom is a group of words with a special meaning different from the meanings of its constituent words eg a feather in sb s cap an honour success of which one can be proud draw a blank to fail to discover or find out about sth after searching hard and asking many questions Idioms are usually semantically opaque i e metaphorical rather than literal An idiom functions as a unit of meaning Features a semantic opaqueness b structural invariability English idioms form an essential part of the general vocabulary Idioms reflect the environment life history and culture of the native speakers and are closely associated with their innermost spirit and feeling 10 2 Sources of English Idioms Many idiomatic expressions come from 1 Everyday life of the English people eg to keep one s shirt on 要有耐心 别紧张 指不要紧张 to give sb the cold shoulder 冷落某人 2 Agricultural life eg to go to seed 花谢结子 走下坡路 花谢结籽 to lead sb up the garden path 迷惑某人 使某人产生错觉 花言巧语 3 Nautical and military life eg be in the same boat with 同舟共济 to be in deep waters 陷入困境 4 Business life eg to come under the hammer 将要落锤 to talk shop 三句不离本行 5 Student life eg to speak by the book 引经据典 to turn over a new leaf 重新开始 改过自新 过新 生活 6 Food and cooking eg to keep the pot boiling 仅足糊口 苟延残喘 to be in the soup 陷入困境 现代英语词汇学概论最强版复习资料 chapter10 2 7 Sports and cad playing eg to keep the ball rolling 不使中断 to reach first base 取得初步成就 8 The Bible eg a thorn in the flesh 肉中刺 眼中钉 烦恼的根源 to turn the other cheek 忍气吞 声 the apple of one s eyes 掌上明珠 9 Shakespeare s plays eg to flutter the dovecotes 扰乱鸽棚 to give the Devil his due 勿掩恶人善 平心 而论 10 fables myths or legends eg sour grapes 指某人因得不到某物而称该事物不好 酸葡萄 the lion s share 最大份额或最大的一份 狮子的份额 10 3 Classification of Idioms There are several criteria of classification of idioms We classify them by structural criterion A Phrase idioms 短语成语 According to the central word they may subdivided into 1 Verb phrase idiom a All common English verbs most of which are of native Anglo Saxon origin can combine with adverbs and prepositions to form phrasal verbs b Most of the verb phrase idioms are often nearly synonymous with loan words of Roman origin c Verb phrase idioms can form noun compounds d Phrasal verbs usually more lively and expressive than single verbs eg fall flat 大失所望 残败 bite the hand that feeds one 以怨报德 2 Noun phrase idiom The commonest functions of noun phrase idioms a As the direct object of a clause b As the complement of a clause c As the object of a preposition eg a baker s dozen 十三个 Jack of all trades 万事通 万金油 3 Adjective phrase idiom The commonest function of adjective phrase idioms is as complement of a clause eg high and mighty 盛气凌人 趾高气扬 wide of the mark 毫不沾边 4 Prepositional phrase idiom 现代英语词汇学概论最强版复习资料 chapter10 3 Functions of prepositional phrase idioms are a As an adjunct modifying a verb 附属修饰语 b As a complement 补语 c As a complement or adjunct d As a disjunct 分离判断语 附加语 e As a connecting phrase B Clause idioms 无主语从句成语 Most of these idioms are terse colloquial vivid and changed with life 1 Verb complement pattern 2 Verb direct object pattern 3 Verb direct object complement pattern 4 Verb indirect object direct object pattern 5 Verb direct object adjunct pattern C Sentence idioms 句子成语 1 Proverbs 2 Typical conversational expressions eg Upon my word 我敢担保 Well begun is half done 半途而废 Kill the goose that laid the golden egg 毁掉财路 杀鸡取卵 10 4 Syntactic structural and stylistic analysis of idioms A syntactic function 句法的功能 1 The syntactic function of most phrase idioms usually corresponds with the central word or components 2 The syntactic function of some phrase idioms can vary 3 Prepositional phrase idioms have very diverse functions 4 noun noun phrases have diverse functions eg He has a gift of the gab the ability to talk readily and easily B transformational restrictions 结构转换的限制性 Transformation is a matter of structural change and the change may be of various kinds 1 Some verb phrases may change word order 2 Some cannot change their word order 3 Some verb phrases may be passivized but some can not 4 Most of the clause idioms cannot be put into the passive voice while some of them can be used either way 5 The direct object usually does not undergo passive transformation only the indirect object can be passivized 6 Some clause idioms may be made passive with a meaning quite different from what it had in the active form 现代英语词汇学概论最强版复习资料 chapter10 4 C Collocative restrictions 搭配限制 1 Words collocate with idioms as the subjects objects predicates etc of different types of phrase and clause idioms 2 Some idioms have a wide range of collocates while some have a limited choice 3 For some idioms one has to consider which collocates will serve as adjuncts D Structural variability 结构变化 Idioms are structurally fixed and as a rule one are not supposed to change any element in an idiomatic expression But it is not unusual for writers to give a new twist to an old saying by making slight changes for rhetorical effect Some ways of alteration in idioms 1 The replacement of one element by another without affecting the meaning of the whole 2 Insertion