7.2 英语静态的表现形式
英语偏向于以静态角度叙述，其静态的表现有：名词化，名词连用，名词作为施事者对动词的替代，介词优势，静态动词的使用，动词的弱化与虚化，形容词、副词对动词的替代。
7.2.1 名词化
用名词来表达原来属于动词、形容词甚至副词所表达的概念，这就是英语中常见的名词化现象。如用抽象名词来表达动作、行为、变化、状态、品质、情感等概念。首先，这种名词可以是动词的同源名词（由动词抽象而来的名词）；除此之外，还常用含有行为和动作意义的普通名词代替动词。
例29.流言蜚语总是愈抵制流传愈广。
Scandal ever improves by opposition.
例30.产品不按时送到就会打乱我们的计划。
Any delay in the deliveryof the products will disturb our plan.
例31.激光可以应用于许多科学领域，又适合于各种实际用途，因此成了近年来轰动一时的科学成就之一。
Laser is one of the most sensational developments in recent years because of its application to many fields of science and its adaptabilityto practical uses.
试比较：
例32.写作时过分使用名词，势必给动词增加太多的负担，因而阻碍思路畅通。
译文1 The effect of the overuse of nouns in writingis the placing of too much strain upon the verbs and the resultant preventionof movementof the thought.
译文2 One who overuses nouns in writing places too much strain upon the verbs and as a result prevents the thought from moving along.
译文1充满了名词、动名词和介词，唯一的谓语动词is必须拉动一个满载名词的主语，还必须推动两个满载名词的表语，这就使整个句子缺乏动态感。译文2则将部分名词改为动词，化静态为动态。
用名词来表达动词或形容词的意思还常见于一些揭示语：
No Thoroughfare 禁止通行
No U-turn 禁止掉头
NoAdmittance Except on Business 闲人免进
No Hawker 不准在此设摊兜售
Satisfaction or Your Money Back 包您满意，否则退款
Full Three Months Unconditional Service Guaranteed 保证三个月内免费维修
7.2.2 名词连用
英语的名词优势还表现在用名词作前置定语修饰另一名词的做法，这一做法造成了大量的由两个名词构成的名词词组。名词连用加强了英语的静态感，也反映了语言简化的总趋势。
名词连用或复合名词在科技英语里尤其常见，例如：
space shuttle flight test program航天飞机试飞计划
computer programming teaching device manual计算机编程教学方法手册
satellite communications ground station equipment repairer卫星通讯地面站设备维修人员
由于名词连用或复合名词结构简化，表达方便，词数少而信息量大，经常用在报刊标题里，如：
Tax Law Amendments for Benefit of Middle-Income Earners税法的修有益于中等收入者
Figure Control Problem保持优美身材的问题
Job Opportunity Discrimination就业机会歧视
January Crude Oil Output Beats Target一月份原油产量超过指标
500-Metre-Long Flood Prevention Dyke Built五百米长的防洪坝建成
7.2.3 名词作为施事者对动词的替代
大量由动词派生的+ er/or的名词表示施事者，不单单表示职业，很多时候又保留原来动词的意义。这类名词有时并不指人，而是用来代替动词。常与前置形容词构成静态结构，如a good sailor, a bad worker, a good thief。
例33.我所认识的人当中，她最会记仇。她怎么变得那么恨我呢？
She is the best hater I’ve ever known. How she got to hate me so much!
例34.最令人吃惊的是，事情拖了很久，大大超过我原来设想的两周。
The real shocker was that things dragged on well beyond the two weeks I had anticipated.
例35.石蕊试纸可用于指示溶液中是否含有酸。
Litmus paper can be used as an indicator of the presence or not of acid in a solution.
例36.这个时期的大探险事业的主要是由他们推动的。
They were the prime moversin all the exploration of the period.
7.2.4 名词优势引起介词优势
英语介词虽然是虚词，但使用频率很高，在语法意义表达方面很活跃，是组成英语句子和文章的重要纽带。介词前置于名词或名词性词语，由于英语多用名词，必然也要多用介词，因而产生了介词优势。介词优势与名词优势结合，使英语的静态倾向更为显著。（连淑能1993）
例37. He is a man above bad taste.
他是一个脱离了低级趣味的人。
例38.这不符合我们党的政策。
This is not in keeping with our Party’s policies.
例39.他们立刻出动去追击敌人。
They immediately set out in pursuit of the enemy.
例40. He is at law with the enterprise.
他正在和那家企业打官司。
介词可以和任何名词、动词、形容词组合，还可以产生形形色色的介词词组，另外还可以把动词形变、转化成介词（如concerning, regarding等）或者是分词加介词的词组（如born of, resulting in等）。介词短语又常常与弱化动词（如be, seem, look, become等）和“沉闷的名词”（ponderous nouns）连用。
例41.孩子们都穿上了大衣，戴上了围巾和手套，全身都给裹得暖暖和和的。（宋天锡2007）
The children were snugged up in overcoats, mufflers, and mittens.
原文中的动词“穿上”“戴上”译成了弱化动词were+分词+介词短语“snugged up in overcoats, mufflers, and mittens”，体现了英语的介词优势。
7.2.5 静态动词的使用
英语中的静态动词有两类：一是非活动性的感觉认识动词，如: feel, astonish, desire, dislike, think, suppose, see, regard, realize, perceive, hear, hate, forgive, love, mean, please, want, understand, recognize, imagine, guess, doubt等；二是关系动词，如: be, belong to, consist of, depend on, fit, equal, include, need, own, remain, resemble, sound, tend, have, contain, possess等。因此，英语中就谓语性质来说有以下几种句子是静态的：（周志培2003）
1.第一类静态动词作谓语表示感觉和认知的句子
例42. The doctor felt sympathetic with his patients.
医生同情他的病人。
例43. The painting immediately remindsme of the childhood in my home-town.
一见这幅画，我就想起了我故乡的童年时代。
2.第二类静态动词作谓语表示关系的句子
例44. Americans are great joiners, as the huge number of organizations available in the United States attests.
美国各种组织的数目之庞大足以证明美国人热衷参与活动。
3. be+感官（感官动作）复数形式表示状态的句子
例45. They were all eyes as the presents were opened.
礼品打开时，他们全神贯注地看着。
4. be +介词短语表示状态的句子
例46. Because of bad government, the company was in the red.
由于管理不善，公司出现亏损。
例47. The factory is under construction.
工厂正在建造中。
5.被动句
例48. An illustration is furnishedby an editorial in the Washington Post.《华盛顿邮报》的一篇社论提供了一个例证。
7.2.6 动词的弱化与虚化
英语里最常用的动词正是动作意味最弱的动词——to be，其各种形式（包括must be, may be, should have been）都缺乏动态感。
例49. There is sure to be some rain tomorrow.
明天肯定要下雨。
例50. There is a soldier standing in front of the gate.
门口站着一个士兵。
例51. It was the finding of the committee that there had been bribes paid by company managers to foreign officials.
委员会发现公司经理向外国官员行贿。
由“it”或“there”与be构成的句式，其静态意味更加明显，试比较：
例52. There was a tropical storm off the east coast of Florida.
佛罗里达东海岸有一场热带风暴。
Atropical storm lashed the east coast of Florida.
一场热带风暴袭击了佛罗里达东海岸。
英语还常常把动词转化或派生成名词，置于虚化动词（如have, make, take, do等）之后作其宾语，如have a look, take a walk, make attempts, pay visits, do some damages, put up a proposal等。试比较：
例53.必须把“economic”和“economical”加以区别。
译文1 A distinction must be made between“economic”and“economical”.
译文2 You must distinguish between“economic”and“economical”.
例54.杰克与老板争吵之后便辞职了。
译文1 After he had a quarrel with his boss, Jack quit.
译文2 After he quarreled with his boss, Jack quit.
英语里大量的弱式短语，例如: give rise to (arouse), make contact with (meet), arrive at a decision (decide), bring to a conclusion (finish), take into consideration (consider), conduct an investigation into (investigate), of a kindly nature (kind), beyond the shadow of a doubt (certain), dueto thefact that (because)，往往削弱或淡化原来所要表达的动词、形容词和其他词语的意义，因而增强了静态感。
此外，用动名词作虚化动词do的宾语，如do shopping, do some washing等，也很常：
例55. The combine does the harvestingof the grain.
联合收割机收割谷物。
7.2.7 形容词、副词对动词的替代
英语常用动词的同源形容词与弱化动词相结合的方式表达动词的意义：
例56.我的确不知道他们打算干什么。
I amquite ignorant ofwhat they intend to do.
例57.学生合作得很好，老师向学生表示感谢。
The teacher thanked her pupils because they arevery cooperative.（cooperate well）
例58.他热爱科学研究，但对提升职称不感兴趣。
He is keen onscientific research but indifferent topromotion.
英语里表示心理或生理感觉的形容词以及其他形容词也常常与弱势动词构成系表结构，表达相当于动词的意义。
例59.他察觉到有人在说话，但不知道说的是什么。
He was awarethat someone was talking, but not conscious what was said.
例60.邮递员不怕狗。
Apostman is not afraid ofdogs.
例59. John seems contentjust to sit in front of the television all night.
约翰整晚坐在电视机前似乎就满足了。
英语还常用副词来表达动词的意义：
例62.我明天早上动身。
I am offtomorrow morning.
例63.桌布铺上了吗？
Is the cloth on?
例64.就经济力量而言，印度落后很远。
In terms of economic strength India is far behind.
免责声明：以上内容源自网络，版权归原作者所有，如有侵犯您的原创版权请告知，我们将尽快删除相关内容。
