英語非限是動詞有三種形式:動詞不定式(The Infinitive)、分詞(The participle)和動名詞(The Gerun d)。這三種形式都可以用作名詞(或短語)的後置修飾語。作後置修飾語的可以是單一非限定動詞,也可以是 “非限定動詞+狀語或賓語”構成的非限定動詞短語。本文擬結合筆者多年教學實踐,並參考R.Quirk等人著的 "A comprehensiveGrammar of the English Language"(Published in U.S.A by LongmanGroup Limited.1985 )的有關章節(以下簡稱(CGOEL),就動詞不定式作後置修飾語的若幹問題進行探討。
一、動詞不定式作限製性後置修飾語
動詞不定式作限製性後置修飾語可以有各種不同的時態:
to meet/to have met The girl to be met/to have been met is my sister.
to be meeting
1.不定式作後置修飾語有時隻能用主動語態,有時隻能用被動語態。有時能用主動語態也能用被動語態, 意思相同,有時又不同。什麽時候可以用主動語態,什麽時候可以用被動語態,要根據不同的語境來決定。
作後置修飾語的不定式與被修飾的名詞存在動賓關系時(即不定式前的被修飾名詞是不定式動作的對象) ,用主動語態或被動語態在語義上沒有什麽區別,如:
This is a difficult question to answer/to be answered.
He is the man to select/to be selected.
如果較多地考慮做動作的人而較少地考慮動作的本身,用主動語態的不定式顯得比較自然,如:
This is the best loading port to choose. for us/for you to choose. that we/you should choose.
但在某些情況下,隻有用被動語態的不定式才顯得自然,如:
He is the only man/to be killed to kill in the accident.
The book to be found/to find in the room is George"s.
有時不定式雖然與被修飾的名詞存在動賓關系,但又與句子主語或間接賓語存在主謂關系,這時用主動語 態比較妥當,用被動語態的不定式就顯得不自然,如:
to do/to be done. I have got a lot of homework
that I can/must do.
to read/to be read. I"ve given yor the newspaper
that yor can read.
試比較:
Have you anything to take/to be taken?
anything that you take./anything that will
be taken by me or someone else.
如果作表語的不定式與主語存在動賓關系,這時隻能用被動語態不定式。下面句子中的不定式被動語態不 宜改為主動語態:
The exercises are to be done in the class.
trucks are to be turned out next month.
但也有例外。下面句子中作表語的不定式雖然與主語存在動賓關系,但習慣上要用主動語態不定式:
The goods are to sell.
He is to blame.
如果我們要將上述不定式與另一個不定式被動語態進行比較,則可以用被動語態。
The flat is to be sold,not to be let.
He is to be blamed,not to be praised.
但在there be結構的句子中,用主動語態不定式或被動語態不定式在意思上無多少差別。如果我們更多地 考慮做動作的人而較少地考慮動作的本身,就用主動語態不定式,如:
There was no time to lose/to be lost.
There are some books to choose/to be choosen.
2.作為後置修飾語的不定式相對應于一個關系分句。不定式在相對應的關系分句中,關系代詞不僅可以是 主語,也可以是賓語。此外,不定式轉換成關系分句也可由關系副詞(作狀語)引導,如:
to meet you 作主語:The girl is Mary.
who will meet you
(for you)to ask 作賓語:The girl is my sister.
(whom)you should ask
to start 作狀語:The time is at dawn.
when you should strat
作狀語的不定式實際上前面省略了“介詞+which”。但這是非常正式很少用的結構,如:
The time at which to start is……
The place in which to live is……
3.作後置修飾語的不定式既可以有情態含義,也可以沒有情態含義。
當被修飾的名詞是不定式的賓語,是可以理解為有情態含義。據CGOEL,被修飾的名詞是不定式的賓語,隻 能理解為有情態含義,如:
to read The books we should/must read is……
we (are goimg to)read
當在下面的語境中可以理解為無情態含義:
1)隻有用被動語態不定式作後置修飾語才自然的句子,如:
to be found/to find The books that can be found in the room is…
that are found
2)被修飾的名詞是不定式的邏輯主語,尤其是在不定式所修飾的名詞前有一個如:“only,next,last和fi rst……等限製性”之類的詞,如:
to travel He was the only man around the world.
who travelled
4.不及物動詞不定式作名詞後置修飾語,並與名詞存在動賓關系時,必須加上一個結構或含義上所需要的 介詞,如:
We bought a flat to live in.
The children have got some toys to play with.
有時不及物動詞不定式與被修飾的名詞存在介詞+賓語的關系,這時介詞也必須補上,如:
a broom to clean it with/a file to keep sth,in/
a desk to put the books on/a knife to cut sth.with
但修飾place這個詞時,在現代英語中可以省略介詞。試比較:
find a house to live. Let"s
a good place to live(in)/to sit(on)/to go(to).
後place之後跟一個關系分句時,分句中的介詞通常不能省略:
That"s the place which she works in.
二、動詞不定式作非限製性後置修飾語
動詞不是式作非限製性後置修飾語不同于作限製性後置修飾語。限製性不定式作後置修飾語轉換成關系分 句時,關系代詞可以是主語,賓語或與關系副詞作狀語的關系分句相對應(見一·2)。但非限製性的後置不定 式隻限于與關系代詞作主語的非限製性關系分句相對應,如:
to be on display The articles, at the exhibition
which are on display
enjoyed fast sale.
三、動詞不定式作同位後置修飾語
動詞不定式可以作同位後置修飾語,而且是相當普遍的。同位修飾語與被修飾的名詞處于同等的地位。同 位後置修飾語也存在限製性與非限製性之分。但與不定式同位的名詞通常是抽象的名詞,如:
I"ve made up my mind to go there on foot.
He has a strong desire to be a doctor.
在同位不定式之前,有時可以加wh-詞或破折號,如:
The problem whether to accept L/C or D/p remained unsolved.
They all have a common desire-to be university students
但有些區別是值得註意:有些名詞隻用of介詞短語作同位後置修飾語,如:
Is there any possibility of getting there in time?
有些名詞隻用不定式作同位後置修飾語(如:will,agreement,proposal,resolution等);有些名詞則要 視句子的結構,可以用of-短語,也可用不定式作同位後置修飾語(如chance,opportunity,power等)。
關于動詞不定式作後置修飾語看起來比較簡單,但用起來有時會把握不定,特別是對不同的語境有不同理 解的時候。對這些問題可以作進一步更深入的探討。