英語語句否定形式總結(jié)
肯定與否定是兩個完全對立的概念,容不得半點(diǎn)含糊。然而,英語的否定形式相當(dāng)繁雜,稍有不慎,就會出錯。所以現(xiàn)在我們就來歸納一下英語對否定概念的表達(dá)方式作。
英語否定概念的表達(dá)形式大致可分為兩類:顯形否定與隱形否定。
顯形否定一般借助否定詞或含否定意義的句型表達(dá),其否定含義較為直觀,故有明否定之稱;隱形否定無明顯否定詞,其否定含義往往要靠上下文或語境來推定,比較難以把握,故有暗否定或間接否定之稱。
一、顯形否定
常用否定詞
no,not,never,none,nobody,nothing,nowhere,neither, nor,neither...nor,but,without,unless,but for,but that,in the absence of,regardless of, instead of,exclusive of,short of,rather than,anything but,any more than,out of the question,would no more...than
由a-,dis-,il-,im-,ir-,un-,non-,anti-,mal-,under-等前綴及-less,-free,-proof等后綴合成的否定詞
hardly,scarcely,barely,little,few,seldom等半否定詞
avoid,ban,call off,cancel,deny,deprive,exclude,escape,evade,forbid,free...from,free from/of,fail,hate,ignore,lack,lose,miss,naught,neglect, prohibit,quit, refuse,rid,rule out,stop以及above,against,beneath,beyond,far from,off,out of,past和absent,bad,bare, empty, last, poor,vaccant等可用于表達(dá)否定概念的詞。
1) 這類否定句要注意如下三個問題:
否定程度的強(qiáng)弱,說話者的態(tài)度以及否定句式表肯定概念
He is not richer than I. 他不比我富。
He is no richer than I. 他和我一樣,也不富。
He is not a statesman. 他不是政治家。
He is no statesman. 他絕非政治家。(弦外音:他不懂政治)
No less than fifty people were killed in the accident. 事故中多達(dá)五十人死亡(夠多的,≈as many as,多達(dá))。
Write a short passage of not less than 200 words.
寫一段短文字?jǐn)?shù)不少于二百(多則不限)。
We have not learned more than 1,000 English words.
我們學(xué)了不超過一千個英語單詞(頂多一千個,可能比這還少)。
We have learned no more than 1,000 English words.
我們學(xué)了一千個英語單詞(不夠多)。
I could not feel better.我感覺再好不過了。
I can not agree more.我完全同意。
You can't be too careful when driving.開車時愈小心愈好(或盡可能小心)。
There is no smallest wind today.今天一點(diǎn)風(fēng)也沒有。
There is no small wind today.今天的風(fēng)可真不小。
It leaves nothing to be desired. 這已完美無缺。
2)錯位否定
It doesn't seem to be logical. 這似乎不合邏輯。
I don't think you are right.我認(rèn)為你不對。
He didn't go there by bus. 他不是乘公共汽車去的。
I don't teach because teaching is easy for me. 我之所以教書,并不是因?yàn)榻虝菀住?/p>
In no circumstances should we be conceited.我們絕不應(yīng)該驕傲自滿。
但有些否定詞的位置不同,含義也不同。
I haven't decided to go there. 我沒決定去不去那兒。
I have decided not to go there.我已決定不去那兒。
這類詞還有 advise,tell,ask,require,request,pretend 等。
3)部分否定(或不完全否定)
當(dāng)all,both,every,everything,everybody,everywhere,always,often,completely, wholly,entirely,necessarily 與not 連用時,也表示部分否定:
I do not remember all those names.我記不得所有的名稱。
He does not often come here. 他不是老來這兒。 Don't always ask for help.不要老讓人幫忙。
另外,遇到beyond等介詞,要注意其搭配關(guān)系。
如:It's quite beyond me (above me, past me, beyond my depth). 這個我理解不了。
beyond: ~ expectation(出乎意料), ~ debate / controversy(無可爭議,無疑的), ~ dispute(無可辯駁),~ description(無法描述),~ cure(不可救藥), ~ control (無法控制), ~ belief(難以置信),~ all comparison(不能相提并論,不能相比)
out of: ~ sight(看不見),~ humour(不高興),~ breath (喘不過氣來), ~ cash(沒有錢),~ mind(不去想),~ bounds(不準(zhǔn)進(jìn)入), ~ date / style / fashion(過時,不時髦),~ work(失業(yè)),~ danger(脫離危險)
beneath criticism(不值得批評);past repair(無法修補(bǔ)),past all belief(不可思議);off one's mind (不放在心上),off colour(精神不好,身體不舒服)
常用否定句型
1)too...to...,too...for...
He is too young to go to school.(=He is not old enough to go to school.)他還不夠上學(xué)的年齡。
That's too much for me.這我可受不了啦。
但下列句中無否定含義:
He is too ready to speak.(≈He is talkative.)他太愛講話了。
I'm only too glad to help you. 能為您效勞,我高興極了。
2)stop (prevent,keep,hinder,protect,save,prohibit,dissuade...)...from...
Intact skin can protect the body from being invaded by germs.未受損的皮膚可以保護(hù)身體不受細(xì)菌侵害。
3)利用虛擬語氣表否定
You should (ought to) have done it better.
你本應(yīng)做得更好。(還不夠好)
I could have come earlier.
我本來能早點(diǎn)來的。(實(shí)際上沒有早來) I wish he were here now.
我希望他現(xiàn)在能在這兒。(實(shí)際上他不在)
If only he had asked for my advice!
他當(dāng)初要能征求我的意見就好了!(實(shí)際上沒有)
They would rather die than surrender.
他們寧死不降。
4)用before引導(dǎo)的從句表“來不及……,不等,未……先……,以防”等否定含義
The bell rang before I could look over my answers.
我還沒來得及看一下答案鈴就響了。
Put on more clothes before you catch cold.
多穿點(diǎn)衣服以防感冒。
5)預(yù)先安排的事未辦到或計劃落空
I had hoped to save some more money to buy a new car.
我本希望多攢點(diǎn)錢買輛新車。
6)用比較級句型表否定
He knows more than he lets on.
這件事他了解得很多,但不肯承認(rèn)。
I know better than to believe him.
我才不相信他那一套呢。
He's more brave than resourceful.
他勇敢有余,謀略不足(有勇無謀)。
7)其它含否定概念的句型
God knows how high the mountain is.
誰知道這山究竟有多高。
What's the use of complaining?抱怨有什么用?
Mind your own business!莫管閑事!
How is it possible?哪有這種可能 ?
二、隱形否定
此類否定既無特定句型,又無否定詞,其否定含義多為習(xí)慣用語或引申義,頗為費(fèi)解,也最易出錯,切不可望文“生譯”,如:
I'll buy it .
我答不上來(或不曉得)。
Catch me making the same error again.
我決不再犯同樣的錯誤。
I dare him to jump.
我量他也不敢跳。
You are telling me!(=Tell me about it!)
這事還用你說?
Keep it dark!這事不可泄露出去。
She bears her age well. 她一點(diǎn)不顯老。
For all I care!這事我才不管呢。(我才不在乎呢!)
It's anyone's guess. 這事誰也不清楚。
三、英漢否定互譯技巧
從上述例句不難看出,有否定詞的句子,未必是否定,沒有否定詞的未必是肯定,這與語法上所稱之否定句、肯定句并不完全一致。漢語的否定詞少得多,常用的詞有:不、未、無、非、別、莫、勿、毋、休、沒、沒有、失、免、缺、禁、忌、戒、防等,其中以副詞居多,只有個別形容詞或少數(shù)動詞。而英語的否定詞幾乎應(yīng)有盡有,包括名、代、動、形、副、介、連七種詞性。在這以繁對簡的轉(zhuǎn)換過程中,其困難可想而知。
1、對應(yīng)法:此法為最基本的譯法,直陳式的句子多采用此法翻譯,即肯定譯肯定,否定譯否定,雙重否定仍譯雙重否定。
There is no smoke without fire.
無風(fēng)不起浪。
It is unlikely but not impossible.
這事可能性不大,但也不是不可能。
2、轉(zhuǎn)移法:多用于錯位否定的句子。
At no time and in no circumstances will China be the first to use nuclear weapons.
任何時候,任何情況下,中國決不首先使用核武器。
Neither of the substances dissolves in water.
這兩種物質(zhì)都不溶于水。
A number of patients can recall no recent sore throat.
很多患者都想不起近期有過喉痛。
3、反義法:借助反義詞翻譯,如:difficult = not easy, fail = not succeed, not bad = good, wrong = not right 等。
4、近義法:
He refuses to give up until all hope is gone. 他是不到黃河心不死。(refuse“拒絕”,譯為“不肯”)
Histroy is silent about it. 歷史對這件事沒有記載。
I hate troubling him. 我不想去麻煩他。
You are in charge of the job. How could you evade the issue? 你負(fù)責(zé)這件事,怎么能對此不置可否呢?(evade譯成“不聞不問”或“不置可否”)
We will live up to what our country expects of us.我們將不辜負(fù)國家的期望(live up to “做得到”,譯為“不辜負(fù)”)。
He sits silent in the corner.
他坐在角落里一聲不吭。
5、轉(zhuǎn)換法:包括肯定譯為否定,否定譯為肯定,雙重否定譯為肯定等。
We cannot really learn anything until we rid ourselves of complacency.
要認(rèn)真學(xué)習(xí)一點(diǎn)東西,必須從不自滿開始。
In no area of medicine is accurate diagnosis more important or in many instances, more difficult.
在醫(yī)學(xué)領(lǐng)域,準(zhǔn)確診斷是最為重要的,然而在很多情況下也是最困難的。
No disease is so common as cold.
在所有疾病中,感冒是最常見的。
Differential diagnosis of the disease is not infrequently difficult.
這種病的鑒別診斷往往很難。
In such cases, the condition cannot be otherwise than serious.
這種患者的病情必然是很嚴(yán)重的。
He is too careful not to have noticed it .
他是個細(xì)心人,肯定注意到了這一點(diǎn)。
For answer, he merely stared at me.
他不回答,只是兩眼死死地盯著我。
Its importance cannot be overemphasized.
其重要性無論怎么強(qiáng)調(diào)都不過分。
These investigations are not done for nothing.
這些研究工作自然不會是白做的。
6、引申法:
Your question beats me.
你這個問題令我迷惑不解。