There be 句型.doc

“There be”句的修辞功能与汉译 “There be”句(包括 “there appear/come/occur/stand/live, etc.” 句子)在各种语体文章里都很常见，但现在的语法和文献中均未详细论及。英语初学者和英语工作者，尤其是英语教师大都把“There be”句和汉语存在句中的”有”字静态句联系起来-“There be”句就等于”有”字静态句。这在语言理论上是一种偏见,而在语言实践上是语言运用能力提高的障碍。我们收集并研究了上千个“There be”句后认为，这一句型实属英语的一种修辞格，能强调、突出并标记出深层结构平面上的任何一个成分。本文试就“There be”句的种种修辞功能，通过“There be”句的例句与汉译来做一些论述。“There be”句是英语里的一种含义非常宽且修辞功能多的句型，汉语里没有一种含义如此宽并且修辞功能这样多的句型与之相对应。因此在不同的语境中进行汉译时需选用汉语里含义较宽的多种句型替换它，以传情达意下面分别一一介绍。一“There be”句起强调、突出并标记存在主体的修辞作用。在一定的上下文里该句型的英语句子与汉语的存在句型在语义和强调、突出并标记的对象两方面可能相对应。试看下列例句和汉译。1Around the lake there is a vast stretch of paddy-field.湖的四周是一大片稻田。（“是”字存在句）2There is an elephant in the garden.花园里有一只象。（“有”字句）3There are signs of buildings before Roman times (earlier than 43B.C.).今天，这里仍保留着罗马时代之前（早于公元前43年）的建筑物的遗迹。（“着”字句）4There stood a big tree on the top of the mountain.山顶上长过一棵大树。（经历体存在句）5There is a pause.场上一片沉寂。（定心谓语句）6There is a dead silence for a moment.一时间鸦雀无声。（名词谓语句）例句1-6的汉译文属于静态存在句。下面例句的汉译文属于动态存在句。7There was a full-page ad about it in last Sundays Times.上星期日的上刊登了满满一页有关它的广告。（完成体动态存在句）8There was a new overseer, and he was taking hold fast.我们单位来了一位新监督，他很快就负起了责任。（完成体动态存在句）9This was a great occasion, there were flags everywhere.这是件大事，到处飘扬着彩旗（进行体动态存在句）10There was malaria in Peru当时，秘鲁流行着疟疾（进行体动态存在句）在此项还需说明，有些“There be”句的汉译文很象汉语的存在句，其实则不然，是隐现句和动宾谓语句（假存在句）。前者中的动词是表示出现或消失的；后者中的动词不是表示静态的存在的，而是一般的及物动词。注意动宾谓语句动词是“There be”句中的“There be”转化来的。 11There appeared a mistake in the final draft.最后的草案中出现了一个错误。（隐现句）12Suppose that there is a road accident involving one, or perhaps two, atomic cars假使路上发生一起车祸，涉及一辆或两辆原子汽车。（隐现句）13There wasnt a single flake of snow last winter.去年冬天连一片雪花也没有下过。（动宾谓语句）14He announced that there was to be a meeting the following day.他宣布次日要开个会。（动宾谓语句）例句11-12的译文是汉语隐现句的一种。汉语隐现句还有完成体和经历体（动词带“了”和“过”）的隐现句。二为了强调、突出并标记无定施事（NP1）或受事（NP2），就使施事或受事进入“There be”句的主语位置，而行为动词（VPL=不及物动词，VP1=及物动词主动式，VP2=及物动词被动式）和受事或施事的修饰语（M）向主语的定语转化，转化成定语从句或分词短语或不定式短语或介词短语。介词短语有时作状语。因为“There be”句里的“There be”在这一项例句里起强调和突出句子的主要信息的标记作用，有点象现代汉语里动词前无定名词性成分的标记作用的“有”字，所以汉译这类“There be”句时，对“There be”的语义可以不加考虑。具体译法可归纳如下：如果“There be”主语是施事，逻辑谓语动词是不及物的，那么就得把无定主语放在动词的后面，或放在动词的前面，这时通常在无定主语前加“有”字，译文格式为“M+VPL+NP1”（存在句或隐现句）或“（有+）NP1+VPL”；逻辑谓语动词是及物动词，为“（有+）NP1+VP1+NP2”。如果“There be”句的主语是受事，那么译文的格式为“（有+）NP1+VP1+NP2”或“M+VP1+NP2”（存在句或假存在句），或 “有+ NP2+是+ VP2+的”（汉语被动句），“NP1+VP1+的+是+ NP2”，“NP2+NP1+ VP1”等。请看下列例句和例句译文。15There were a number of people already sitting on the platform, but the principal had not arrived yet.(1) 这时，（有）几位领导在主席台上就坐，但没有校长。(2) 这时，主席台上已坐着几位领导（M+VPL+NP1），但没有校长。16Some scientists believe these cycles are controlled by an “internal clock”. There are other scientists, including the American Dr Brown, who believe that biological clock is controlled by the environment.有些科学家认为这种周期受一个“内部的时钟”控制。（也有）另外一些科学家，包括美国科学家布朗博士，他们认为生物钟受环境控制。（有+）NP1+VP1+NP2例句15和16的译文说明，在现代汉语里，作主语的数量名结构（包括单个儿普通词）前加或不加“有”字都可以，这更进一步说明“There be”句中的“There be”与前面所述汉语里起标记作用的“有”字相对应。 下面例句中所标记并强调的受事是句子的主要信息。如：17Theres just a point Id like to raise here.我在这里想提出的只是一点。（NP1+VP1+的+是+ NP2）18Soon there was an army of brave Scotsmen gathered around him. *（1）不久，一支英勇的苏格兰军队在他周围集合起来了。 （2）不久，有一支英勇的苏格兰军队在他周围集合起来了。 （3）不久，在他周围集合了一支英勇的苏格兰军队。（M+VP1+NP2）（完成体存在句）19There are many tasks which are impossible to do by hand. *（1）许多工作是不可能用手做的。 （2）有许多工作是不可能用手做的。（有+ NP2+是+ VP2+的）20There are still a few important factors you have overlooked in your analysis.（1）在你的分析中，你还忽略了几个重要因素。（2）在你的分析中，（还有）几个重要因素你忽略了。（主谓谓语句）（NP2+NP1+ VP1） 例句18有三个译文：译文（1）不能说，因为“被动句的主语代表受动者，并且总是代表有定的事物。”（吕淑湘语）；译文（2）可以说，因为无定主语前加了“有”字， 在形式上处于宾语地位；译文（3）是最佳的。例句19的译文（1）不能说，因为是被动句，确切地说是静态被动句；译文（2）是很好的译文，与例句18译文处理相同。例句20译文（1）和（2）都可以说。 下列例句之所以列在此项是由于我们认为修饰“There be”句的受事主语的定语从句或过去分词短语省略了，这是其一；其二是省略定语从句为介词短语，尤其是当“There be”句的受事主语是施事的领属物时。如：21There were many suggestions as to how to solve the problem.（可以理解在 “suggestions”后面省略了 “people had made” 或 “made by people” ）人们提出了许多解决这一问题的建议。（NP0+VP1+NP2）22There is another very common use of barometres. (of barometres=barometres have)气压表还有另一种很普通的用途。（NP1+VP0+NP2）23There are many important properties of building materials, themost important one of which is strength.(of building materials=building materials have)建筑材料有很多特性，最重要的是强度。（NP1+VP0+NP2）NP0=潜在主语。VP0=潜在动词三为了强调行为谓语动词，使之向“There be”句主语转化，转化为动名词短语或行为抽象名词短语（通常是否定的），突出、强调“不能或没法干什么”“不允许干什么”。例如：24We cant tell what will happen. There is no telling what will happen. 日后情形如何现在无法知道。（主谓谓语句）25Dont socialize during business hours. There will be no socializing during business hours. 在工作时间，不能进行交往。（祈使句）26You can see nothing from bedroom except of some factory chimneys. There is no view from my bedroom except of some factory chimneys. 从我的卧室窗户看去除一些工厂的烟囱外什么也看不见。27We cant differentiate without contrast. There is no differentiation without contrast. 没有比较就不能鉴别。四突出强调“情态动词”时，使之向“There be”句的主语转化。原句（深层结构）的其他成分转化成同位语从句、介词of短语或不定式短语等，说明“There be”句的主语-物名化的情态动词或与情态动词同义的抽象名词-的内容。汉译时，使译文的词序为原句的词序，重读情愿动词，或使“There be”句的主语向汉语动词“有”的宾语转化以达到突出强调的修辞效果。请看下面的例句和其译文：28School may close a week earlier than usual.Theres a probability that school will close a week earlier than usual.学期可能较平时提前一星期结束。29Can we still get there in time? Is there any possibility of our getting there in time? 我们还能准时赶到那里吗？ 30All of us neednt go. Theres no need for all of us to go. 我们不必都去。31You neednt do that way. Theres no necessity at all for you to do that way. 你丝毫没有那样做的必要。32The same should apply to good pronunciation. There is no reason why the same should not apply to good pronunciation. 没有理由不对正确的发音也采取同样一种态度。33We must begin now. Theres no reason why we should not begin now. 现在我们没有理由不开始。34Im very likely to go into hospital next week. There is an opportunity that I may have to go into hospital next week. 下周我很可能去住院。35You can hardly meet him again. There is little chance of meeting him again. 要跟他再见面是不太可能的了。36We cant leave on such a rainy day. There is no possibility of our leaving on such a rainy day. 在这样的雨天，我们才不会动身呢。有的例句译文的词序和原句（深层结构）词序一样，有的是“有”字句，还有的是“是的”句。汉语句各成分的品级高低和英语一样，它们依次为：动词“有”的宾语、定语、状语。所以，这项的例句译文选用的句型都与英语“There be”句的修辞效果等值。五突出强调物或人的数量、性质等时，使表数量的限定词或表性质或特征的形容词连同表物或人的名词向“There be”句的主语转化。汉译时，通常使强调的数量、性质或特征词语作谓语，如：37Cheese has too much odor. There is too much odor about cheese. 奶酪的气味太强了。38From 60 to 80 people were present. There were from 60 to 80 people present. 出席的人大约七十左右。39when air pressure is low. when there is low air pressure. 当气压低时40Weve got very little money coming in at present, so well have to be careful what we spend. There is very little money coming in at present, so well have to be careful what we spend. 现在我们的收入甚微，不得不量入为出。41A living thing seems to have no particular function for it There seems to be no particular function for it 看来生物发光的机能很普遍。还有一种突出、强调、提醒读者或听者更注意人或物的特征和性质的方法是使表特征和性质的形容词作nothing或something的定语，然后一起进入“There be”句的主语位置，通常用介词about引出表人或物的词语。如：42This fellow is not generous in his greatness. There was nothing generous about this fellow in his greatness. 这个阔老一点也不大方。 43The pan was original, independent and heroic, and so it pleased all of them. There was something original,