学习英语的被动语态
英语动词被动语态似乎在英语句子中比在汉语句子中更多出现,这点是我国初学者所经常忽略的。在某些句子中,英语总是用被动语态、而汉语则绝不能用,如“Shakespeare was born in was born in Paris”。初学英语的人接触到这样被动语态的句子恐不免感到奇怪,因为我们在汉语中惯于说"生于某某年"或"某某年生","生于巴黎"或"在巴黎出生",从来不说一个人"被生出"。
在另一些句子中,英语可用主动及被动两种语态,汉语则倾向于用主动,如“Everybody likes is liked by everybody”。汉语"人人喜欢他"看来比"他被人人喜欢"更现成和自然。有人以为这有一个强调的问题,用作主语的词是加以强调的。即令如此,按照英语结构写成的"他被大家喜欢"这样的句子,总是别扭。
下面就十个类别,举出一些句子,说明英语某些动词用于某一意义或在某一场合中常作被动语态。类别当然不能只是十个,这儿仅举常见的。每个类别下也只举五个句子,句子中的动词彼此不一样。为方便起见,句子首先采用大家熟知的 The Advanced Learner’s Dictionary of Current English(ALD),其次是 Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English(LDCE),必要时从其他英美书刊补充少数句子,但不注明出处。
关于生病
The left lung is _____ALD
He is confined to the house by ____ ALD
He was seized with sudden chest ____LDCE
He’s been troubled with a bad back since he was a ____LDCE
John was Invalided2 out of the
上面这些句子中被动语态在英语中很习惯化,如将动词改为主动语态,有不同程度的不顺。用汉语表达这些句子中的同样的概念,就可以不一定用被动语态。
关于疲倦困乏
He was doneup afterthe long ALD
He was knocked uP after the longsteen _____ ALD
He was almost fagged ______ ALD
I’m completely
I was spent with the fatigue4 of the
汉语说"累了"、"累垮了"极普通。如说由于某种原因而"累了"、"累垮了",至少在结构上不用被动语态。这和第一类的例子是一致的。
关于喜悦、高兴
I was delighted to hear the news of your
We’re very pleased to see you
On hearing of the victory,the nation was transported with
She was enchanted5 with the flowers you sent _____ALD
The children were fascinated by the toys in the ALD
汉语如说"被高兴",将不成文理,说"使……高兴"或"为……高兴",那也不能照英语被动语态去处理。事实上这头一句话照汉语是"我高兴地听到……"这虽带点欧化,但目前也通行了。最常见的恐怕还是"听到……我高兴"。无论如何。汉语说"高兴",不能如英语那样用被动语态。
关于阻塞、拖延:
We’re been held up by _____ ALD
The mountain roads were obstructed6 by falls of
The train was delayed two _____ALD
I was hindered from getting
The harbour was blocked by
这第二句ALD英汉双解本译成"山路被落下石头所阻塞"。严格地说这句译文似乎欠流畅,尤其不能用于口语。当然,凡是阻力,总是外来的阻力,施于受事的主语,主语处于被动地位,但汉语不能采取英语的被动语态形式而完全不加变动。
5、关于习惯
He is quite used to hard
This is not the kind of treatment I am accustomed _____ALD
He is addicted8 to _____ALD
The old soldier was inured9 to ____LDCE
He is given to long _____LDCE
英语中有些动词,由于常用于被动语态,词典中对它们的分词(participle)形式另立专条著录,成为独立的词,其功能相当于形容词。以上例句中的动词就是典型的例子。例如,词典一般既有use这一专条(不定式动词),又有 used;既有 accustom7,又有 accustomed;既有give,又有given。但如inure及addict,在 ALD上只注明"常用于被动"(),尚未另立inured和 addicted专条,其他词典也大体是这样,虽然addicted还可以作为形容词,看成是独立的词条。然而不管这些词是否带有形容词的性质,在上面的句子中却具有被动语态的作用。
关于苦恼、心烦意乱
He was annoyed to learn that the train would be
She is easily upset
He was vexed10 at his ____ ALD
He was disturbed to hear of your
I felt harassed11 by all the work of the
苦恼等情绪当然是引起的,因此英语中的被动语态似乎说明了是由于什么引起的,但要注意第一句She is easily upset 不必指出原因。
关于惊讶或震惊
I was astonished to see him ____ALD
I’m surprised he didn’t
He was shocked to hear his daughter _____ALD
He was startled to see him looking so
He was astounded12 when he heard he had
一个正常的人无故不会大惊小怪。但是我们说"吃惊"、"大吃一惊"或"使……吃惊"和"使……大吃一惊"等也就够了,不同于英语的被动表现形式。
关于围绕、包围
His land is fenced with barbed
Troy was besieged13 by the Greeks for ten
The troops were
The cliffedge is dangerous and should be
Japan is compassed about by the
对于以上第二句,第三句及第五句,汉语是可以用"被包围"这类说法的,但对第一句的"is fenced with,"如说"有篱笆围住"就行了,不一定要说"被用篱笆围住"。至于第四句中"should be railed",英语的被动语态在汉语中也难以表达。我们通常说:应该用栏杆围起来",或"应该把它用栏杆围起来",而不是"应该被用栏杆围起来"。
关于玷污、污染
His reputation is
My car was ____ ALD
The river was contaminated with water from the ____ LDCE
Your fingers are stained with
That cheese is
和第三句的contaminated意义近似的动词如pollute及 defile等,也常用于被动语态。我们说,"出污泥而不染",不是"……而不被染"。
关于惶惑、慌乱
I was confounded to hear ____ALD
They sked so many questions that I got _____ALD
Tom was bewildered by the examination
He was puzzled what to do ____ ALD
The Cabinet Ministers are perplexed17 as to what to
以上可和第六和第七两类联系起来看。
综观以上的例子,我们觉得中国学生学英语不只是要记住动词被动语态的形式,尤其要留心,在什么情况下,英语一定比汉语更常用被动语态;要留心哪些动词是这样用的,哪些动词虽有各种不同用法,但专指某一特殊意义时一定用被动形式。有些特殊被动语态,几乎习语化了,也是不可忽视的,如下面两个句子:
My hints were lost upon ALD
My advice was thrown away upon
下面这类以it开头的被动语态,初学者不会使用的大有人在,以致语言死板,并违反英语习惯。
It is observed that…
It may be observed that…
It will be observed that…
It remains18 to be observed that…
如此等等。他们只知说“We may observe that…”之类,因为这与汉语结构接近。