6/03/2005

討論一些句子的變化

『我在學英文』相關閱讀文章:分詞構句

Q:我們可以將"As the boy was frightened, he cried"簡化成"Frightened, the boy cried",那是不是不能將"As she is happy, she is singing"簡化成"Happy, she is singing"?

A:像「frightened」等這些字是動詞形態(分詞)拿來做為形容詞,要只用一個單字來描述上列你所舉出的行為時,通常只有分詞而不是普通的形容詞。然而,像那樣子使用 happy 這個形容詞是有可能的,特別是再在短句裡加上一些字:

1.Happy again for the first time in a year, he wrote a long letter to his mother.
2.Happy at last, he wrote a letter to his mother.
3.Happy, we wrote his mother.

第三句在文體上是少見的,但文法上並沒有錯誤。



列三句都對:

1. As a rock star, he makes a lot of money.
2. Being a rock star, he makes a lot of money.
3. A rock star, he makes a lot of money.

第三句的文體比其它兩句文謅謅了些。

(這種用來修飾一個附屬名詞或代名詞的沒有任何動詞的片語用法,稱為「獨立」句構。我想會有這樣的英文寫作方式,是受古典拉丁作家之故。這種用法常用於寫作上。)

上面的第一句和第二句,在第一和第二個短句中間暗示了因果關係,也就是說,它們兩句皆意指 X 賺了很多錢,因為他是個搖滾巨星。

相反地,第三句的因果關聯比較沒那麼強烈。第三句較等同於「He is a rock star AND he makes a lot of money」,有沒有因果關係則由你來決定。



The original text:

This is a matter more of style than grammar. Words like "fightened" etc. are verb forms (participles) that are used as adjectives. Usually it is only participles, not ordinary adjectives, that are used all by themselves in the manner you describe. However, it is possible to use an adjective like "happy" in that way, especially if you add a few more words to the phrase:

1. Happy again for the first time in a year, he wrote a long letter to his mother.
2. Happy at last, he wrote a letter to his mother.
3. Happy, we wrote his mother.

The third sentence is unusual stylistically, but it is not ungrammatical.
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The following sentences are all correct:

1. As a rock star, he makes a lot of money.
2. Being a rock star, he makes a lot of money.
3. A rock star, he makes a lot of money.

The third sentence is a bit more literary in style than the other two.

(This use of a phrase without any verbs in it to modify a subsequent noun or pronoun is called an "absolute" construction. It came into English writing because of the influence of the Classical Latin authors, I believe. It is used much more often in writing than in conversation.)

Sentences 1 and 2 suggest a causal connection between the first phrase and the second. That is, they both suggest that X makes a lot of money BECAUSE he is a rock star.

In contrast, in Sentence 3 the causal connection is much more muted. Sentence 3 is more nearly equivalent to "He is a rock star AND he makes a lot of money. Whether there is a causal connection is left to you to decide.

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