一、 省略
19.1 概說
省略(ellipsis)在語言中,尤其在對話中,是一種普遍的現(xiàn)象,因為它有助于語言的簡潔。關于詞類的省略,本書在前面有關章節(jié)涉及,本章只講述有關句法上的省略。
英語的句子可以省去各種句子成分。如:
(1)Like a drink? 來喝一杯?(省去主語you或助動詞+主語would you)
(2)Her husband was banished, and she with him. 她的丈夫被流放了,她和她的丈夫一起也被流放了。(she之后省去謂語was banished)
(3)—I’m hungry. 我餓了。
—Are you? 是嗎?(省去表語hungry)
(4)—Show me your essay. 給我看看你的文章。
—I’ll show you later. 我以后給你看吧。(you后省去直接賓語my essay)
(5)He spent part of the money, and the rest he saved. 那錢他花了一些,其余的他都存了起來。(the rest之后省去定語of the money)
(6)I studied at Cambridge at the same time as he did. 我和他同時在劍橋大學學習。(did之后省去狀語at Cambridge)
有時可省去一個以上的句子成分。如:
(7)I wanted silence, just silence. 我需要寂靜,只是寂靜。(just前省去主語I和謂語wanted)
有時甚至可省去從句或整個句子。如:
(8)He’s taller than I thought. 他比我想像的要高。(thought后省去從句he was)
(9)—Have they arrived? 他們到了嗎?
—Yes. 到了。(yes后省去整句they have arrived)
英語中與所省略部分相應的部分如在同一句子里,所省略的部分可能出現(xiàn)在與其相應部分之前,亦可能出現(xiàn)與其相應部分之后。如:
(10)If you want me to, I’ll buy the tickets. 如你要我買票的話,我就去買。(to后的被省略的部分buy the tickets出現(xiàn)在與其相應部分之前)
(11)I’ll buy the tickets if you want me to. (to后的被省略的部分buy the tickets出現(xiàn)在與其相應部分之后)
(12)I can’t tell real from imitation jewellery. 我辨別不出珠寶的真?zhèn)巍?real后的被省略的部分jewellery出現(xiàn)在與其相應部分之前)
省略句中的被省略部分和與其相應的部分有時并不相同。如:
(13)This is one of the oldest buildings in town, if not the oldest. 這是城里最古老的房屋之一,如果不是最古老的話。(句末the oldest之后省去的單形名詞building和與其相應的復形名詞buildings不相同)
英語中省略句所省去的部分有時可能有一種以上的解釋。如:
(14)Get it? 根據(jù)不同的上下文,它可能相當于Do you get it?(=Do you understand?)也可能相當于Did you get it?(it可能指the letter或別的什么東西)
有時同一句中可能有幾種不同的省略,如說:
(15)—He would have been going to leave at the end of term. 他到學期末本會離開的。
這句話可能有下列四種不同省略的回答:
—Yes, he would have been going to.
—Yes, he would have been.
—Yes, he would have.
—Yes, he would.
英語里被省略的部分一般可以在句子中補上,但有時省略結構已經(jīng)定型,如把省略部補上,反而不合乎習慣。如:
(16)He is taller than I am. 他比我高。(am之后省去的表語tall習慣上不可補上)
(17)She is very easy to get along with. 她很好相處。(to get along with后省去的her不可補上,否則不但不合乎習慣,也不合乎語法)
有不少套語也都很難補上所省去的部分。如:
Thanks. 謝謝。
Not at all. 不謝。
Goodbye. 再見。
So what? 那又怎么樣?
What next? 還有比這更荒唐的嗎?
No matter. 不要緊。
Nothing doing! 不行!
All right. 好,行。
What price a ride on your bicycle? 用一下你的自行車行嗎?
[注]有些套語的省略部分則可補上,如Come to think of it(仔細一想)=now that I come to think of it。再如What if it rains?(如果下雨怎么樣?)=What will happen if it rains?
省略必須合乎英語的規(guī)律,如回答Have you seen John today?時,只可說Yes, I have,不可像漢語那樣說Yes, I have seen。
省略和代替不同,如Do you smoke?的答語Yes, I do,其中的do是代替smoke,不是省略。
19.2 句子結構的省略
有些句子結構可省略。
1)有些句子結構可省去主語和謂語。如:
(1)Anything not to have to do it. 只要不去做此事,怎么都行。(anything之前省去了I’ll do)
(2)A word about your composition. 我現(xiàn)在談一下你的作文。(a word之前省去了I’ll say)
2)有些省略結構可省去主語和連系動詞。如:
(3)—How are you? 你好嗎?
—Fine, think you. 很好,謝謝。(fine之前省去了I am)
(4)Though tired, he was not disheartened. 他雖然累了,但沒有泄氣。(tired之前省去了he was)
(5)Too bad we don’t have time. 真糟糕,我們沒有時間。(too bad之前省去了it is)
there be結構中亦可省去there be。如:
(6)Anybody in? 里面有人嗎?(anybody之前省去了is there)
(7)It was a great time. Offers of jobs poured in. Lots of them. 那是一個偉大的時期。聘請工作的信雪片似的飛來。多得很。(lots of them之前省去了there are)
3)有些省略結構可省去主語和助動詞。如:
(8)When rescued, he was almost dead. 當他得救時,已經(jīng)差一點死了。(when之后省去了主語he和助動詞was)
(9)Tom was attacked by cramp while swimming across the river. 湯姆游泳過河時抽了筋。(while之后省去了主語和助動詞he was)
(10)See you later. 再見。(see之前省去了I’ll)
(11)Got a light? 有火嗎?(句首省去了have you)
4)有些省略結構只保留主語和助動詞,其余皆被省略。如:
(12)—Have you finished your work? 你的工作干完了嗎?
—Yes, I have. 是,干完了。(只保留主語和助動詞I have)
(13)—Can he swim? 他會游泳嗎?
—Yes, he can. 是,他會。(只保留主語和助動詞he can)
有時還保留疑問詞。如:
(14)How could you? 你怎么能這樣說話?(不但保留主語和助動詞could,而且保留疑問詞how。You后省去say so)
5)有些省略結構只保留一個句子成分。如:
(15)—Who did it? 誰做了此事?
—Oscar. 奧斯卡。(只保留主語)
(16)—What did you get? 你買什么了?
—A dictionary. 一本字典。(只保留賓語)
(17)—What did you think of the film? 你覺得那個電影如何?
—Very interesting. 很有意思。(只保留表語)
(18)—How do you like me? 你喜歡我嗎?
—Very much. 非常喜歡。(只保留狀語)
(19)Wait! 等一等!(只保留謂語)
(20)—What kind of pencil do you want? 你要什么樣的鉛筆?
—Red. 紅的。(只保留定語)
6)有些省略結構可省去從句。如:
(21)You would do the same. 你也會這樣做的。(省去了從句if you were in my position)
(22)You have done better this time. 這一次你做得好些了。(省去從句than you did before)
(23)—Where is my cat? 我的貓在哪兒?
—How should I know? 我怎么知道?(省去了從句where your cat is)
(24)Oh, that reminds me. 噢,這使我想起了一件事。(me之后省去了that從句,其內(nèi)容由具體情況而定)
7)有些省略結構可省去整個句子。如:
(25)—Are you all right? 你沒有受傷嗎?
—Yes. 沒有。(yes之后省去了整句I’ll all right)
(26)—Are you coming? 你來嗎?
—No. 不。(no之后省去了整句I’m not coming)
19.3 句子成分的省略
各種句子成分均可省略。
1)主語的省略。祈使句可省去主語。如:
(1)Sit down, please. 請坐。
(2)Hand me the hammer, will you? 把錘子遞給我好嗎?
此外還有其它省去主語的情況。如:
(3)Don’t know. 我不知道。(省去了主語I)
(4)Had a good time, didn’t you? 玩得很好,不是嗎?(省去了主語you)
(5)Doesn’t look too well. 他臉色不太好。(省去了主語he或she)
(6)Looks like rain. 像是要下雨了。(省去了主語it)
there be結構中的there亦可作為主語省去。如:
(7)Must be somebody waiting for you. 一定是有人在等你。
在非正式文體中,定語從句在某些句子結構中也可以省去主語。如:
(8)There’s somebody wants to see you. 有人想要見你。(定語從句中省去了主語who)
2)謂語的省略。有些省略結構可省去謂語。如:
(9)Only one of us was injured, and he just slightly.
(10)We went through the tests on Monday. Jenny had hers during the day, and I mine after work. 有一個星期一,我們進行了檢查。詹尼在白天,我是在下班之后。(I之后省去了謂語had)
有時可省去謂語中的主要動詞。如:
(11)We’ll do the best we can. 我們將盡力而為。(can之后省去了主要動詞do)
3)助動詞的省略。有些省略結構可省去助動詞,尤其是在口語中。如:
(12)You better try again. 你最好再試一下。(you之后省去了助動詞had)
(13)You doing this on purpose? 你是故意在做此事?(you之后省去了助動詞are)
(14)They been coming here a long time. 他們很久都想到這里來。(they之后省去了助動詞have)
4)表語的省略。有些省略結構可省去表語。如:
(15)—Are you Mr. Smith? 你是史密斯先生嗎?
—Yes, I am. 是的,我就是。(am之后省去了表語Mr. Smith)
(16)—Are these your friends? 這些人是你的朋友嗎?
—Yes, they are. 是的,他們是我的朋友。(are之后省去了表語my friends)
(17)—He’s a real man. 他是一個真正的人。
—Who is? 誰?(is之后省去了表語a real man)
5)連系動詞的省略。有些省略結構可省去連系動詞。如:
(18)Everybody gone. 人都走了嗎?(句首省去了連系動詞is)
(19)Where you from? 你是哪里人?(where之后省去了連系動詞are)
(20)There was hardly a second of the day when the gun weren’t rolling or those shells rustling through the air. 整天沒有一刻炮不在轟,炮彈不在空中嗖嗖掠過。(shells之后省去了weren’t)
在報紙標題中亦常省去連系動詞。如:
(21)Johnson ready for Tokyo meet. 約翰遜準備參加東京運動會。(Johnson省去了連系動詞is)
在富有詩意的文體中,有時也有省去連系動詞的省略結構。如:
(22)She in tears. He gloomy and down-looking. 她淚流滿面。他陰沉而眼朝下。(she和he之后省去了連系動詞was)
whatever與however引導的讓步狀語從句可省去連系動詞。如:
(23)She pledged to complete her father’s unfinished task, whatever the cost. 她立誓不管付出多大代價也要完成其父的未竟事業(yè)。(whatever從句之末省去了was)
(24)I refuse, however favourable the conditions. 不管條件如何有利,我都不干。(however從句之末省去了are)
6)賓語的省略。有些省略結構可省去賓語。如:
(25)Keep away from children. 謹防兒童使用。(away之后省去了賓語this bottle等)
(26)Let’s do the dishes. I’ll wash and you dry. 讓我們洗碗吧。我來洗,你來揩干。(wash與dry之后皆省去了賓語dishes)
(27)James and Susan often go to plays but James enjoys the theatre more than Susan does. 詹姆斯和蘇珊都常觀劇,但詹姆斯較蘇珊更愛觀劇。(Susan之后省去了the theatre)
7)定語的省略。有些省略結構可省去定語。如:
(28)If you need any of that firewood, I can give you plenty. 你如需要這些火,我可以給你很多。(plenty之后省去了定語of that firewood)
(29)They claim that Danish butter is the finest. 他們聲稱丹麥牛油最好。(finest之后省去了定語in the world)
(30)That letter was the last. 那信是最后的一封。(last之后省去了定語從句I ever received from her)
8)狀語的省略。有些省略結構可省去狀語。如:
(31)Return soon as possible. 速歸。(電報用語,soon之后省去了用作狀語的副語as)
(32)He was not hurt. Strange! 他沒有受傷。真奇怪!(strange前可看作省去了狀語how)
(33)It’s always dusty about here, if there’s the least wind. 中要有一點點風,這里就到處是灰。(the least之前可看作省去了狀語的副詞even)