垂悬分词和独立主格结构I.一般来讲,分词或分词短语在句子中充当状语时,其逻辑主语与句子主语一致如Opening the drawer he took out a revolver.(其中opening的逻辑主语是句子主语he)II.当分词的逻辑主语与句子的主语不一致时,则应将分词的逻辑主语补出来如George yawning,the conversation dropped.这种分词结构被称作独立主格结构(独立主格结构(Absolute Structure)是由名词或代词加上分词等构成的一种独立结构。
独立主格结构中的名词或代词与其后的分词等构成逻辑上的主谓关系。
这种结构的位置相当灵活,可置于主句前、主句末或主句中,常由逗号将其与主句分开。
需特别注意的是,独立主格结构与主句之间不能使用任何连接词)§独立主格结构基本构成形式【名词(代词)+现在分词(过去分词;形容词;副词;不定式;名词;介词短语)】,在句中一般作状语,表示时间、条件、原因、伴随状况等,还可以作定语1. 名词(代词)+现在分词There being no bus, we had to walk home.(原因)由于没有公共汽车,我们只好走回家。
2.名词(代词)+过去分词The workers worked still harder, their living conditions greatly improved. (原因)由于工人们的生活条件大大提高,他们工作得更起劲了。
He was listening attentively in class, his eyes fixed on the blackboard.(伴随状况)他上课专心听讲,眼睛紧盯着黑板。
3.名词(代词)+不定式在“名词/代词+动词不定式”结构中,动词不定式和它前面的名词或代词如果存在着逻辑上的主谓关系,动词不定式则用主动的形式;如果是动宾关系,则用被动形式。
The four of us agreed on a division of labor, each to translate a quarter of the book.我们四人同意分工干,每人翻译全书的四分之一。
Many trees, flowers, and grass to be planted, our newly-built school will look even more beautiful.种上许多的树、花和草后,我们新建的学校看上去将更美。
4.名词(代词)+形容词The Trojans asleep, the Greek soldiers crept out of the hollow wooden horse.特洛伊人睡着了,于是希腊士兵从中空的木马里悄悄爬了出来。
Computers very small, we can use them widely.电脑虽小,我们却能广泛地利用它们。
5.名词(代词)+副词The meeting over, our headmaster soon left the meeting room.散会了,校长很快就离开了会议室。
The lights off, we could not go on with the work.灯熄了,我们不能继续工作了。
6.名词(代词)+名词His first shot failure,he fired again.他第一枪没击中,又打了一枪。
Two hundred people died in the accident, many of them children.两百人死于事故,其中有许多儿童。
7.名词(代词) +介词短语He lay at full length upon his stomach,his head resting upon his left forearm.(地点)他的脊背朝天,四肢伸展,头枕着左臂,直挺挺地趴伏着。
Every afternoon a very old woman hobbled past the old house,a vast load of firewood on her back.每天下午,一个背着一大背柴禾的老妇人都会从那间破旧的房屋前蹒跚着走过。
§with,without引导的独立主格结构(多数情况下with 能省略,without 不能省略)with ( without)+宾语(名词/代词)+宾语补足语,宾语通常由名词或代词充当,但代词一定要用宾格。
上文的独立主格结构的几种情况都适用于此结构。
The girl hid her box without anyone knowing where it was.小女孩把盒子藏了起来,没有人知道它在哪里。
(without +名词/代词+动词的-ing形式)Without a word more spoken, she left the meeting room.她没再说什么话就离开了会议室。
(without+名词/代词+动词的-ed形式)The kid feels excited with so many places of interest to visit.有这么多的名胜可参观,小孩很激动。
(with+名词/代词+动词不定式)The boy was walking, with his father ahead.父亲在前,小孩在后走着。
(with+名词/代词+副词)He stood at the door, with a computer in his hand. 或He stood at the door, computer in hand.他站在门口,手里拿着一部电脑。
(with+名词/代词+介词短语)With his son so disappointing, the old man felt unhappy.由于儿子如此令人失望,老人感到很不快乐。
(with+名词/代词+形容词)III.但有时我们遇到这种情况:分词的主语既不与句子主语一致,分词本身又非独立主格结构,如:Going up the hill,the statue of Lincoln struck my eye.在登上山时,林肯的雕像十分引我注目。
Tired but happy,the bus whisked us home.我们虽然疲乏,但很高兴,公共汽车飞快地把我们送到了家上面两个句子中的分词结构在句子中找不到他们的逻辑主语,因而处于一种“垂悬”状态,即“无依着”状态,因而在语法上这种分词被称作垂悬分词(Dangling Participle),也叫“无依着分词”或者“荡空分词”。
垂悬分词从起源上来说,是语言的错误使用(Performance Error),即将分词的主语与句子的主语错误联系,从而产生垂悬分词,所以有人又叫它错关联分词(Misrelated Participle)。
§垂悬分词多数为现在分词,少数为过去分词。
本文将从使用场合和情况对垂悬分词进行分类、归纳和总结。
1.当分词主语是不定人称时,如:When dining in the restaurant,a jacket and tie are required.2.当分词的主语是表示时间、天气、自然现象等的无人称代词it时,如:Being Christmas,the government offices were closed.3.当分词的暗含主语是句子的整体时,如:Unknown to his closest advisers,he had secretly negotiated with an enemy emissary.4.在正式科技文章中,分词前常常带有连词,其主语通常与I,we,you等同,如:When installing a boiler,the floor space which is available is very important.5.垂悬分词最常见于方式分离状语(style disjunct),表明说话人说话的方式、条件以及说话人的态度或看法,这种用法可细分为以下几种情况:a.说话者用垂悬分词引出话题,如:talking of,getting back to,coming to 等,意思为“谈到……,关于……,回到……”等,请看例句:Getting back to our story,the princess was killed.Coming to this question,I say no.b.垂悬分词表明说话者的说话方式,如:putting it mildly(说轻点),frankly speaking,generally speaking,roughly speaking,broadly speaking,biologically speaking等,请看例句:Putting it mildly,you have caused us some inconvenience.Generally speaking,dogs are more faithful to men than cats.c.有些垂悬分词或词组表明说话的依据或视角,如:judging from,according to,considering,viewing it from,seeing,例如:Judging from his expression,he is in a bad mood.According to Barthes,the author had died.Considering the low price,the car is worth buying.d.有些垂悬分词或词组还为说话者所说内容的成立提供条件,如:providing(that),provided(that),supposing,given,意思为“if或with”,wanting和failing意思为“without”。
例如:Provided that a film entertains,few people care about its other merits.Given patience,anybody can achieve something.Supposing this to be true,he is certainly the murderer.e.表示转折性的垂悬分词或词组有:admitting that,allowed that,allowing for,considering(that),assuming that,seeing that,granting that,granted that,notwithstanding(尽管,还是),请看例句:Allowing for(=Considering)the deficiencies,the show is a success.Granted(=Granting)that you are right,you should not get angry.Admitting(=Assuming =Allowing)that he is drunk,that is no excuse.f.有些垂悬分词或词组还可以表明说话者所说内容有无例外情况,如:barring,bating,excepting,excepted,saving that,意思为“除了……”;including,counting,setting aside,leaving...to one side,意思为“包括;除了……还有……”等,请看例句:Barring(=bating)this point,I agree with you.There are fifteen students counting me.Setting aside the question of capital,this business has many other problems.§另外,从词性角度来看,有些垂悬分词已不再被看作是分词,失去了动词的本性,已演变成介词或连词。