句法歧义(syntactic ambiguity)
介词短语、从句、形容词和副词在句中由 于修饰作用或修饰关系的变化引起的歧义 • The English history teacher is having her tea. a) The teacher of English history is having her tea. （英国历史教师） b) The history teacher who is English is having her tea. （英籍历史教师）
句法歧义(syntactic ambiguity)
动词的-ing形式有时作名词的定语，有时当动名词作主语 、表语，有时组成进行时态，因而引起句子歧义。 • Smoking grass can be nauseatiபைடு நூலகம்g. a) Grass which is smoking can be nauseating. （冒着烟的草） b) It can be nauseating to smoke grass. （抽草烟） • They are moving sidewalks.
句法歧义(syntactic ambiguity)
由状语引起的歧义 I saw John in the bus. 句中,地点状语in the bus使该句产生歧义, 可以有以下三种解释: a) I saw John while I was in the bus. b) I saw that John was in the bus. c) I saw John while we were both in the bus.
句法歧义(syntactic ambiguity)
句法歧义(syntactic ambiguity)
动词的-ing形式有时作名词的定语，有时当动名 词作主语、表语，有时组成进行时态，因而引起 句子歧义。 • Flying planes can be dangerous. flying可以有两种解释:一种是把flying看作现在 分词,在句中修饰名词planes, flying planes是句 子的主语。此时,该句相当于:Planes that are flying can be dangerous.(飞行中的飞机是可能 有危险的。)另一种是把flying看作动名词,即 flying planes是动名词短语,在句中作主语。此时 该句相当于:To fly planes can be dangerous.(驾驶飞机可能是危险的。)
句法歧义(syntactic ambiguity)
非谓语动词在句子中既有主动意义，又有被动意义；既可 作定语、复合宾语，又可作状语，因而引起句子之歧义 • I saw a boat pulling a fishing net. a) I saw a boat which was pulling a fishing net. （一只拖渔网的船） b) I saw that a boat was pulling a fishing net. (一只 船在拖渔网） c) I saw a boat when I was pulling a fishing net. (我在拉渔网）
句法歧义(syntactic ambiguity)
非谓语动词在句子中既有主动意义，又有被动意义；既可 作定语、复合宾语，又可作状语，因而引起句子之歧义 • The police were ordered to stop drinking by midnight. a) The police were told to stop other people from drinking by midnight. （命令警察禁止人们在午夜 喝酒） b) The police were told to stop their own drinking by midnight. （命令警察不准在午夜喝酒）
词汇歧义(lexical ambiguity)
因一词多义或同形异义而引起的歧义 • 一词多义及同形异义引起的歧义在英语中 很常见。请看下面的句子: • (1) Let me drive you to the bank. (bank可以指“银行”,也可以指“河岸”) • (2) He is drawing a cart at the moment. (drawing可以表示“画”,也可以表示 “拉”)
英语歧义句
歧义产生的因素
• 英语中的歧义现象涉及许多因素,但简单说 来,主要源于两个方面:词汇和句法结构。相 应地,歧义句可以分为词汇歧义句(lexically ambiguous sentence)和句法歧义句 (syntactically/grammatically ambiguous sentence )两大类。
句法歧义(syntactic ambiguity)
非谓语动词在句子中既有主动意义，又有被动意义；既可 作定语、复合宾语，又可作状语，因而引起句子之歧义 • He wants a girl to finish the work on time. a) He wants a girl who will finish the work on time. （一个能完成这项工作的女孩） b) He wants a girl in order that she will finish the work on time. （叫一女孩完成这项工作） c) He wants a girl in order that he can finish the work on time. （他为了完成这项工作而需要一女孩）
a) b) They are sidewalks which can be moved. (能移动的人行道） They are in the act of moving sidewalks. （他们在移动人行道）
句法歧义(syntactic ambiguity)
动词的-ing形式有时作名词的定语，有时当动名词作主语 、表语，有时组成进行时态，因而引起句子歧义。 • Visiting relatives can be difficult. a) When relatives visit you, you feel difficult. (亲戚来访你感到为难） b) For anyone to visit one’s relatives is difficult. （探望亲戚这件事很为难）
非谓语动词在句子中既有主动意义，又有被动意义；既可 作定语、复合宾语，又可作状语，因而引起句子之歧义 • I want a book to study. a) I want to have a book first before I study. （我得有本书才能学习呀） b) I want to get a book so that I can study it. （我想找本书看看）
句法歧义(syntactic ambiguity)
比较状语从句引起的歧义 • I like Tom more than Jack. a) I like Tom more than I like Jack. （我喜欢汤姆胜过喜欢杰克） b) I like Tom more than Jack likes Tom. （我比杰克更喜欢汤姆）
• • • •
句法歧义(syntactic ambiguity)
比较状语从句引起的歧义 • 在英语里,比较状语从句中常常省略某些成分,这样很容易 引起歧义。 • I know my cousin better than you. • 句中的than you是than引导的比较状语从句的省略形式。 该句之所以有歧义,是因为省略前,you在从句中可能作主 语也可能作宾语;而省略后,我们则难以确定you的比较对 象是I还是my cousin,因此对该句的理解就产生了歧义： a) I know my cousin better than you do/than you know him. (我比你更了解我的堂兄弟。) b) I know my cousin better than I know you. (我对我堂兄弟的了解多于对你的了解。)