无动词分句研究综述

第三节　无动词分句研究综述

一、概述

按结构形式将英语从属分句划分为限定从属分句(finite subordinate clause)、非限定分句(non-finite clause)和无动词分句(verbless clause)．

无动词分句基本上是一个省略的强动词分句。它除了无动词外，通常也没有主语，与非限定性分句相比，它进一步省略了分句的成分，省略的限定性动词一般可以认为是动词be的一定形式。就其深层结构来说属于强动词分句SVC型或SVA型。实质上，它是由相应的限定从属分句生成的。例如：

An excellent speaker，he was never at a loss for a word．(As he was an excellent speaker，he was never at a loss for a word．)

Young in years，the new cadre enjoys prestige．(Although he is young in years，the new cadre enjoys prestige．)

在有些情况中，也可以认为无动词分句是非限定性分句的压缩。如：

A notorious burglar，Bob Rand found it easy to force open the lock．(Being a notorious burglar，Bob found it easy to force open the lock．)

无动词分句与SVC型或SVA型限定从属分句有着密切的内在联系，前者是由后者生成的。它与主句的主语关系密切，而且一般是一种“内包关系”(intensive relation)。因此它的“隐含逻辑主语”(implied logical subject)通常就是主句的主语，如若不然，就会形成类似悬垂/无依着修饰语(dangling/unattached modifier)的结构。

无动词分句通常只有隐含逻辑主语，它是通过与主句共有主语而依附于主句，但它可将自己的主语表示出来。由于它在结构上是相对独立的，所以传统语法称它为“独立结构”(absolute construction)，例如：

People have been drowned in the area，many of them children．

She marched briskly up the slope，the blanket across her shoulder．

无动词分句在意义上除了相当于限定从属分句外，还相当于一个并列分句(coordinate clause)，也可以说是由相应的并列分句生成的，如：

Pale and breathless，Mr．White left the meeting hall．(Mr．White left the meeting hall，and he was pale and breathless．)

Eager to begin the climb，the men rose at first light．(The men were eager to begin to climb and they rose at first light．)

二、结构类型

就结构模式来说，无动词分句分为不带从属连词、带有从属连词和带有自己主语的三大类。

1．不带从属连词的无动词分句

这类无动词分句可理解为省略了限定从属分句中与主句一致的主语，同时又将从属分句的从属连词与强动词Be省略，从而生成不带从属连词和主语的无动词分句。其表现形式有：

1)由形容词词组表示：这类无动词分句可仅由一个形容词中心词构成，可由两个以上的形容词构成，可由形容词+介词词组/动词不定式/that分句构成，也可由形容词比较级或最高级构成。例如：

Fearless，they fought the last battle．(They fought the last battle as they were fearless．)

Anxious for a quick decision，the chairman called for a vote．

Glad that school was finished，the students ran out of the room．

Most important of all，his analysis is directly incompatible with our view．

2)由名词词组表示：这类无动词分句通常由限定词+(前置修饰语)+中心词+(后置修饰语)构成，也可由零冠词+名词+or+no+名词构成，还可由零冠词+名词+or+not构成。例如：

An even-tempered man，Paul nevertheless became extremely angry when he heard what had happened．

Bank loan or no bank loan，we'll buy the house．

Night or day，you can find people working or playing in the big city．

2．带有从属连词的无动词分句

这类无动词分句是一种结合类型，可理解为通过省略限定从属分句中与主句一致的主语，同时将从属分句中的Be动词省去，从而生成带从属连词不带主语的无动词分句。引导这类分句的从属连词常有while，whenever，wherever，whether．．．or，when，although，though，as if，as，even if，once，if，unless，however，no matter what，等。这类结合类型的无动词分句的形式为：从属连词+名词词组/形容词词组/介词词组/副词词组。例如：

Though no good swimmer，Mary splashed about happily in the sea．

Whether right or wrong，he always come off worst in argument．

While never in doubt，we had to have proof of your identity．(While/Although we are never in doubt，we had．．．)

Once below，he takes off his jacket and pulls up to the chart table．

由从属连词if，when，whenever，wherever引导的无动词分句，其逻辑主语有时可以指代主句全句或主句部分的意思。例如，If possible，you should test all moving parts中的逻辑主语和谓语动词是it is，主语it指代主句中谓语部分(prediction)test all moving parts。又如，fill in the blanks where necessary中的主语和谓语动词是it is，it表示主句全句fill in the blanks的含义。

3．带有自己主语的无动词分句

这类无动词分句也属于一种结合类型，可理解为当限定从属分句的主语与主句的主语不一致时，则省略从属分句中的从属连词与谓语动词Be，从而生成不带从属连词但带主语的无动词分句，传统语法称之为独立结构。这类结合类型的无动词分句通常由名词词组+名词词组/形容词词组/副词词组/介词词组构成。如：

She talked about her friends，all of them television stars．

The old man sat down，his face pale with pain and traces of tears still on his cheeks．

He put on his socks wrong side out．

In jolly，spirits，whip in one hand and reins in the other，they urged the horses on．

和分词分句的情况一样，这类无动词分句的主语常常由with引导。例如：

He died with his daughter yet a school girl．(He died when his daughter was yet a school girl．)

It was dark outside with the moon not yet up．(It was dark outside because/when the moon was not yet up．)

With the tree now tall，we get more shade．(As the tree is now tall，we get more shade．)

He sat there thinking，with his head on his hands．(He sat there thinking and his head was on his hand．)

三、句法功能

1．状语

无动词分句主要用作修饰性状语(adjunct)，但也可起评注性状语(disjunct)与连接性状语(conjunct)作用。

1)修饰性状语

无动词分句作修饰性状语时，可表示时间、地点、原因、条件、结果、让步、方式或伴随状况等意义。例如：

He sat down beside Chritina，feeling the warmth of the sun against his face，able to relax for the first time in days．(result)

Although common a hundred years ago，red wolves are now increasingly rare．(concession)

He talks as if perfect in the subject．(manner)

He sat at the table，collar off，head down，and pen in position，ready to begin the long letter．(accompanying circumstance)

2)评注性状语

无动词分句可对整个句子进行说明或解释，表示说话人的看法或态度，对句子起评说作用。作这类用法时，其逻辑主语通常不是主句的主语，而是整个主句的内容。例如：

Even more important，we should not let it happen．

More remarkable still(what is more remarkable)he is in charge of the project．

某些作评注性状语的无动词分句可有相应的评说分句(comment clause)或起评说分句作用的句子性关系分句(sentential relative clause)。例如，上面的句子可改写为：What is more important，we should not let it happen或we should let it happen，which is more important．

3)连接性状语

作为连接性状语，无动词分句能在句子或分句之间起连接作用，在句际间表示承接意义。例如：

You can write to him about it．Better still，write to his writer．

It is possible that Britain might condone the terrorist's activity．Worse still，she might agree to give way to their demands．

2．名词修饰语

作为名词修饰语，多数情况下无动词分句在深层结构上相当于非限制性关系分句，对名词词组作某种补充说明或表示意义上的增补。少数情况下相当于一个限制性关系分句，对名词词组起限定与修饰作用。例如：

They found a ledge narrow enough for one man．(They found a ledge which was narrow enough for one man．)

The summit，bare and black，towered above them．(The summit，which was bare and black，towered above them．)

A 17-year-old student，Ping was living with his uncle when the eruption took place．(Ping，who was a 17-year-old student，was living with his uncle when the eruption took place．)

有时，这类结构到底是分句还是词组作名词修饰语并无绝对界线。比如，His hands，numb from the cold，could not find the sky中的numb from the cold，既可看做形容词词组作后置修饰语，也可看做无动词的非限制性关系分句。又如在上例中，既可把a 17-year-old student看做名词词组的同位语，也可看做无动词的非限制性关系分句。

四、位置特征

带有从属连词与不带从属连词的无动词分句，其逻辑主语通常是主句的主语。这类分句的位置比较灵活，可置于句首或句末，有时还可采取中位，意义没有什么差别。例如：

The heir to a fortune，Bob's friend did not need to pass examinations．(Bob's friend did not need to pass examinations，the heir to a fortune/Bob's friend，the heir to a fortune，did not need to pass examinations．)

While still at school，he wrote his first novel．(He wrote his first novel，while still at school．/He，while still at school，wrote his first novel．)

由形容词构成的无动词分句置于句末时，有时会产生歧义。比如：The man restricted the woman，aggressive．句中的无动词分句的逻辑主语是主句的主语，相当于：The man，who is aggressive，restricted the woman，而The man restricted the woman，aggressive．中的无动词分句的逻辑主语则是主句的宾语，相当于： The man restricted the woman，who was now aggressive．可以看出，当无动词分句的逻辑主语是主句的宾语时，其位置通常只能在句末。