小议非限定动词的逻辑主语

黑龙江省大庆石油高级中学 牛志录



　　在英语中，动词是表示动作或状态的词。英语动词有四种基本形式：动词原形(the Root Form)、过去式(the Past Tense Form)、过去分词(the Past Participle)和现在分词(the Present Participle)。根据意义和句法作用，英语动词可以分为四类：实义动词（或叫行为动词）(Notional Verb)、系动词(Link Verb)、助动词(Auxiliary Verb)和情态动词(Modal Verb)。根据在句法上是否受到主语的限定，英语动词有可以分为限定动词(Finite Forms of Verbs)和非限定动词(Non-Finite Forms of Verbs)。限定动词又叫谓语动词，在句中充当谓语，在人称和数上必须和主语保持一致，同时还表现出时态、语态和语气的变化。非限定动词，又叫非谓语动词，在句中不能单独充当谓语（但可以和情态动词或助动词一起充当谓语），它们不受主语的限定，没有人称和数的变化，具有名词、形容词和副词的特征，在句中可以充当主语、宾语、表语、定语、状语、补足语等。同时非限定动词也保留了动词的部分特征，有时态和语态的变化，也可以有自己的宾语、表语、状语等，构成非限定动词短语，在逻辑意义上也有其动作的执行者或承受者，叫非限定动词的逻辑主语(Logical Subjects)。英语非限定动词有三种基本形式：不定式(Infinitives)、-ing分词(ing Participles)和-ed分词(ed Participles)。正确分析非限定动词的逻辑主语,对于准确把握语义十分重要.下面，就非限定动词的逻辑主语问题谈以下我个人的管见。



　　一、非限定动词带有自己独立的逻辑主语

　　１、不定式的逻辑主语由介词for或of引出，置于不定式前面，构成不定式复合结构。例如：

We think it strange for him to say a thing like that.-->We think (that) it (is) strange that he should say a thing like that.

It‘s kind of you to help me.-->It’s kind that you help me./You are kind to help me.

We‘d be delighted for Smith to come with us.-->We’d be delighted that Smith would come with us.

　　２、在ing分词的复合结构中，ing分词的逻辑主语是其前面的名词或代词宾格（有时也由名词所有格或形容词性物主代词表示）。例如：

They have never forgiven us/our going there.-->They have never forgiven that we had gone there.

His coming late made his teacher very angry.-->That he came late again made his teacher very angry./It made his teacher very angry that he came late again.

He approved the boy‘s paying for the damage. -->he approved that the boy had paid for the damage.

　　３、在独立主格结构中，ing分词或ed分词的逻辑主语是其前面的名词或代词主格。例如：

It being Sunday, the library doesn’t open. -->As it is Sunday, the library doesn‘t open.

The signal given, the bus started. -->When the signal was given, the bus started.

在独立主格结构中，有时ing分词或ed分词被省略，只有逻辑主语后接一个形容词、副词或介词短语。例如：

The hunter went into the forest, gun in hand. -->The hunter went into the forest and a gun was in his hand.

He threw himself at me, eyes red with anger. -->He threw himself at me and his eyes were red with anger.

Summer vacation over, we came back to school. -->When the summer vacation was over, we came back to school.

　　二、句中的主语也是非限定动词的逻辑主语

　　１、不定式在句中充当宾语、状语、主语修饰语和主语补足语时，其逻辑主语是句中主语。例如：

The stranger offered to show me the way. -->The stranger said that he would show me the way.

Jean aims to go tomorrow. -->Jean makes a plan that she will go tomorrow.

The action to be taken is correct. -->The action that will be taken is correct.

I was delighted to meet him.==>I was delighted because I had met him.

The clothes are easy to wash.==>The clothes wash easily./It is easy to wash the clothes.

The child was seen to cross the street.-->Someone saw that the child crossed the street.

　　不定式在句中充当表语或主语的同位语时，其逻辑主语是主语修饰语的主格形式。例如：

Her wish is to become a doctor.-->She wishes that she could become a doctor.

Her wish, to become an artist, did come true.-->It did come true that she would become an artist.

　　２、ing分词在句中充当宾语、状语、主语修饰语和主语补足语时，其逻辑主语是句中主语。例如：

The watchman reported finding the door open.-->The watchman reported that he had found the door open.

They stopped watching TV at 9:30.==>At 9:30 they did not watch TV any more.

The man talking with my father is our teacher.-->The man is talking with my father. He is our teacher./The man who is talking with my father is our teacher.

Hearing the news, they seemed horrified.-->When they heard the news, they seemed horrified.

He was seen playing on the sportsground.-->Someone saw that he was playing on the sportsground.

The film was very moving.-->The film moved the audience.

　　ing分词在句中充当表语或主语的同位语时，其逻辑主语是主语修饰语的主格形式。例如：

Her wish is going abroad.-->She wishes that she could go abroad.

His job is catching the shoplifters.-->It is his job that he catches the shoplifters.

　　３、ed分词在句中充当状语、主语修饰语和主语补足语时，其逻辑主语是句中主语。例如：

The book bought for me is an English book.-->The book which was bought for me is an English book./The book was bought for me. It is an English book.

The work was found unfinished.-->It was found that the work was unfinished.

Greatly inspired by his words, I have made up my mind to study hard.-->As I am greatly inspired by his words, I have made up my mind to study hard.

　　三、句中的宾语也是非限定动词的逻辑主语

　　１、不定式在句中充当宾语修饰语和宾语补足语时，其逻辑主语是句中宾语。例如：

　　 He asked me to buy a book for him.==>he told me that I bought a book for him.

I often hear him sing in the next room.-->I often hear that he sings in the next room.

There is nothing to be done now.-->There is nothing that can be done now.

有些充当宾语修饰语的不定式与宾语既有逻辑主谓关系又有逻辑动宾关系。例如：

I have a few words to say.-->I have a few words that I want to say./I have a few words that ought to be said.

　　２、ing分词和ed分词在句中充当宾语修饰语和宾语补足语时，其逻辑主语是句中宾语。例如：

He heard someone knocking at the door.-->he heard that someone was knocking at the door.

Please keep us informed of the latest news.-->Please make sure that we are always informed of the latest news./Please keep informing us of the latest news.

He tried hard to catch the running horse.-->He tries hard to catch the horse that was running.

Finally, they found the house built by their grandfather.-->Finally, they found the house that was built by their grandfather.

　　四、句中的表语也是非限定动词的逻辑主语

　　当不定式、ing分词或ed分词在句中充当表语修饰语时，表语就是其逻辑主语。例如：

He is always the first student to come to school.-->He is always the first student that comes to school.

China is a developing country.-->China is a country that is developing.

This is a stone bridge built in 1889.==>This is a stone bridge which was built in 1889.

　　五、非限定动词逻辑主语的省略及其它

　　１、当不定式、ing分词在句中充当主语或表语，表达一个常理时，其逻辑主语往往省略。例如：

To see is to believe.

Seeing is believing.

To read biographies is often interesting.

Telling him about it is no good./It is no good telling him about it.

It was too cold to go shopping.

It usually takes half an hour to get there by car.

　　２、当不定式在句中充当插入语时，其逻辑主语也要省略。常见的有to tell the truth, to start with, to sum up, to be sure, to be fair, to be frank, believe it or not等。例如：

To tell you the truth, I don’t agree with you.

He‘s a nice person, to be sure, but not very clever.

Believe it or not, I have never seen your wallet.

　　３、有时，一个ing分词或ed分词结构无法确定其逻辑主语，意义比较含糊。这种分词结构叫做“无依着分词结构”(Unattached Participial)。

　　Opening the cupboard, a skeleton fell out.

Painted white, we like the house better.　　

　　从传统语法结构的角度来看，上述句子是有问题的，但是在现代报刊和科技文体中，只要不引起意义分歧，无依着分词结构还是可以使用的。



二○○一年六月八日

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