謂語

第三講 

數(shù)量概念詞語作主語時(shí)的主謂語一致問題

例如：

Thirty minutes is sufficient for a good sermon.

30分鐘足夠好好講一次道了。

There months seems a long time to you，but a short time to me.

三個(gè)月對(duì)你來講似乎很長(zhǎng),但對(duì)我來講卻似乎很短。

Nearly thirty shillings was paid for a pond of tea in 1710.

1710年,買一磅茶葉幾乎要付30先令。

Four miles has been recorded on the odometer.

里程表上指示出四英里。

Three pints isn't enough to get me drunk.

三品脫是不足以使我醉的。

例如:

The last 3 years have been full of surprises.

近三年來的歲月里充滿了驚異。

The fifty miles were covered by the winner in four hours,fourteen minutes，and forty-five seconds.

優(yōu)勝者花了4小時(shí)14分45秒跑完50英里路程。

There are three quarts of milk in the refrigerator.

冰箱里有3夸脫牛奶。

Three chapters were discussed in class today.

今天課堂上討論了3章。

例如:

Two-fifths of the machines on display were new items or varieties.

展覽中五分之四的機(jī)械是新的項(xiàng)目或種類。

Two-thirds of the area is covered by trees.

這個(gè)地區(qū)的三分之面積被樹覆蓋了。

Over nine-tenths of China's inhabitants belong to the Han nationality.

中國(guó)十分之九以上的人口是漢族。

Today,12% of our electricity comes from nuclear power stations.

今天,百分之十二的電力來自核力發(fā)電站。

例如:

One-third of the population here are workers.

這兒三分之一的人口是工人。

Two-thirds of the artillery are back in camp.

三分之二的炮兵隊(duì)?wèi)?zhàn)士回到了營(yíng)房。

例如:

Three times 3 is(are)9.

3乘3等于9.

Seventeen times three hundred and eighty-one makes(make) six thousand，four hundred and severty-seven.

17乘381得6477.

2 and 2 is(are)4.

2加2等于4.

Five plus six makes(make)eleven.

5加6等于11.

Eighty minus sixty is(are)twenty.

80減60得20.

6 less 4 is(are)2.

6減4得2。

例如:

4 from 6 leaves 2.

6減4等2.

Four from seven is(leaves)three.

7減4等3.

17 multiplied by 381 equals 6477.

17乘381等6477.

20 divided by 5 equals 4.20

除以5等于4.

Three into nine goes three.

3除9得3.

在times表示倍數(shù)概念時(shí),其謂語動(dòng)詞則應(yīng)根據(jù)倍數(shù)后的中

心名詞而變化。

試比較:

Three times 3 quarts of water is 9 quarts.

3夸脫水的三倍等于9夸脫水。

Three times 3 oranges are 9 oranges.

3個(gè)桔子的三倍等于9個(gè)桔子。

英語中表示不定數(shù)量的概念主要指的是“很多”,“許多”,“大量”以及“一些”,“一點(diǎn)”,“幾個(gè)”等意義。表示這類意義的詞語很多,這里著重介紹表示“很多”,“許多”,“大量”不定數(shù)量概念的詞語在用作主語的修飾語(或主語)時(shí),其謂語動(dòng)詞應(yīng)采用的單復(fù)數(shù)形式。

例如:

There were a crowd of people in the street on New Year's Eve.

除夕街上有許多的人群。

There are a good few (quite a few) English books in the library.

這個(gè)圖書館藏有不少英語書籍。

A number of accidents always occur on such days.

在這個(gè)時(shí)候總是發(fā)生很多事故。

There are not a great many people in the hall.

那會(huì)堂里沒有很多人。

A flock of pamphlets are going to be published in this publishing house.

這個(gè)出版社打算出版大量的小冊(cè)子。

但在一些辭書中也收錄了不少這類短語作主語時(shí)謂語用單數(shù)的例子,其中以“a number of 復(fù)數(shù)名詞”最為常見。

以下是國(guó)內(nèi)外一些詞典中摘錄的例句:

There was a large number of people there.

那兒有很多人。

A number of students is absent today.

今天有很多學(xué)生缺席了。

A large number of books are(is)lent at the library every day.

每天圖書館有大量的書借出。

盡管有人用單數(shù)動(dòng)詞,但初學(xué)者不宜仿效,尤其是在考試中,在這類含不定數(shù)量概念的詞語作主語時(shí),仍應(yīng)遵循語法一致的原則。

從當(dāng)代英語發(fā)展的趨勢(shì)來看,其謂語動(dòng)詞也趨向于用復(fù)數(shù)形式。在(現(xiàn)代高級(jí)英漢雙解詞典)1970年版本中有這樣一個(gè)例句:“A number of books is missing from the library.'(圖書館很多書不見了。)

但在1984年的版本里,同是一例句卻將其中的is改成了are。詞典本身為何改動(dòng)?恐怕其中原因是不言自明的:作者當(dāng)然認(rèn)為復(fù)數(shù)比單數(shù)更為合適。

例如:

A large amount of money is spent on tobacco every year.

每年在煙草上要花費(fèi)大量的金錢。

Volumes of black smoke belches out from the chimneys.

大量的黑煙從煙囪冒出。

A great deal of work awaits us.

很多工作等我們?nèi)プ觥?/p>

A pile of money is lost.

大量的錢財(cái)丟失了。

many a雖然作'許多”解,但它后面的名詞習(xí)慣上用單數(shù),故謂語動(dòng)詞也遵循語法一致的原則用單數(shù)。

例如:

Many a boy learns to swim before he can read.

很多小孩在會(huì)識(shí)字之前就學(xué)會(huì)了游泳。

Many a ship has been wrecked on those rocks.

許多只船觸礁失事了。

例如:

There is lots of fun and there's lots to follow.

使人開心的事真不少,后面還有許多哩。

There was heaps of fun.

有許多令人開心的事.

There are a heap of books on this subject.

有許多研究這個(gè)問題的書籍。

The are plenty of eggs in the house.

家里有很多蛋。

There is plenty of water in the water vat.

水缸里有許多水。

A large quantity of flour has just come to the grain shop.

糧店剛到了大量的面粉。

There are a world of good articles in this book.

這本書里有許多很好的文章。

數(shù)詞one(注意:不同于不定代詞one)可以同其他詞一起構(gòu)成一些習(xí)慣用語。在這些習(xí)慣用語用作主語時(shí),其謂語動(dòng)詞則因其含義或形式的不同而有不同的選擇。

例如:

There are one or two things that you must remember.

有一兩件事你們必須記住。

One or two examples have to be given.

要舉一兩個(gè)例子。

There are one or two subjects on which you are bound to have but one opinion.

有一兩個(gè)主題,你對(duì)它們必定只有一種意見。

在a word or two 后面謂語動(dòng)詞常用單數(shù)(也可用復(fù)數(shù)),因?yàn)?span>我們感到它有整體的意義。

例如:

Only a word or two is(are)needed here.

這里僅僅需要一兩句話。

例如:

One in ten take drags.

很少人吃藥。

Only one in a hundred learn English because they don't like it.

100人中只有1個(gè)學(xué)英語,因?yàn)槠渌硕疾幌矚g英語。

例如:

There is more than one answer to the last question.

最后一個(gè)問題不止一種答案。

More than one example is necessary to make the students understand this rule clearly.

有必要多舉幾個(gè)例子使學(xué)生清楚這條規(guī)則。

More than one factor was involved in the decision.

決議包含了幾個(gè)因素。

美國(guó)語法學(xué)家 George O.Curme 在他的著作 Syntax 中認(rèn)為謂語動(dòng)詞取單數(shù)形式是很普遍的,不過用復(fù)數(shù)也可以,因?yàn)榭梢哉J(rèn)為more是一個(gè)復(fù)數(shù)不定代詞。林語堂在他的著作Kaiming English Grammar 中也有動(dòng)詞用復(fù)數(shù)的例子。

例如:

More than one has(have )found it so.

不止一個(gè)人覺得如此.

There are more than one person involved in the matter.

此事不止一人被牽連。

盡管如此,在測(cè)試中我們還是以采用單數(shù)的形式為宜。但是,當(dāng)名詞不在one 之后,而在more之后(即“more 復(fù)數(shù)名詞 than one')時(shí),名詞用復(fù)數(shù),謂語動(dòng)詞則應(yīng)用復(fù)數(shù)。

例如:

More persons than one have been executed by the firing squad.

被行刑隊(duì)處死的不只一個(gè)人。