1.      后置(postponement)

Def: 是一种语法手段，即为了表示强调而把一个非句尾成分移至句尾。

支配英语词序的两条重要原则：句尾焦点(End Focus)和句尾重心(End Weight)。

 

1.1 句尾焦点---已知信息&新信息

句尾重心---避免头大尾小（比如一个句子通常不以单一vi.作谓语）

He smokes.

He smokes cigarettes.

 

He rested.

He took a rest.

 

The man shouted.

The man gave a shout.

 

She works little.

She does little work.

 

在SVO结构中，也有类似情况。

They pushed the car.

They gave the car a push.

 

I kicked the door.

I gave the door a kick.

 

I visited her.

I paid her a visit.

 

He reads many books.

He does a lot of reading.

 

显然，第二句读起来比第一句更加自然。

 

1.2 关键词语的后置

 

由于句尾焦点和句尾重心的关系，人们在组词成句时往往要将说话人认为最重要的内容置于句尾，使之处于突出的地位。

He gave me a book.

He gave a book to me.

 

2. 前置与倒装

 

2.1 不引起倒装的前置

不引起倒装的前置成分通常是宾语、主语补语和宾语补语。

A horrible mess you’ve made of it.

Books, he had treasured from the earliest period of his life.

Very strange it seemed.

Keener and keener the competition became.

A scandal I call it.

I knew you were careless, but dishonest I never thought you.

上述这些成分的前置常常是为了使上下文紧密衔接。例如：

Mr. White fried two small pieces of fish. One of these he fed to his cat. The other he ate himself.

We really should not resent being called paupers(乞丐). Paupers we are, and paupers we shall remain.

有时这种前置是为了意义的对比和结构的对称。例如：

Joan he gave nothing, but George he gave 10 shillings.

Fool Joe may be, but thief he is not.

Tactless she may be, but ungrateful you should not think her.

 

 

2.2 引起倒装的前置

 

当主语补语前置时，如果主语较长或主语结构比较复杂，这种主语补语的前置就会引起倒装。例如：

More serious was the question of how the President would present the joint announcement(联合声明).

Happy indeed are those who receive marvelous news after a long silence.

 

当前置宾语由“not a + 名词”或者“not a single +名词”构成时，也会引起倒装。例如：

I had a terrible time playing roulette (轮盘赌) at the casino (赌场). Not a winning number did I have all night.

I lost a fortune at Royal Ascot (皇家赛马会). Not a single winner did I back the whole meeting.

 

最通常引起倒装的是某些状语的前置。有两种情况：全部倒装(full inversion)和局部倒装(partial inversion)。前者是整个谓语置于主语之前，后者仅是操作词置于主语之前。引起倒装的前置状语大体有下列几种情况：

 

a)      当句首状语为方位词或拟声词，谓语动词为go, come等表示位置转移的动态动词时，通常用全部倒装。例如：

There was a sudden gust of wind and away went his hat.

The door burst open and in rushed the crowd.

Bang! bang! bang! came three reporters of firecrackers and Philip suddenly felt his body become light.

如果主语是代词，那就不用倒装：

Lower and lower he bent.

b)      当句首状语为表示地点的介词词组时，也会引起全部倒装。例如：

In this chapter will be found a partial answer.

From the valley came a tinkling sound, a soothing moo, the lull of alien voices.

c)      当句首状语为否定词或带有否定意义的词语时，一般引起局部倒装。例如：

Never have I found him in such a good mood.

Not for one minute do I think I have any hope of getting promoted.

No longer these days is it necessary for women to wear veils.

When I was at school, on no account were we allowed to answer the masters back(对老师顶嘴).

   Pete will retire soon. No more will his genius delight millions.

Visit our stores. Nowhere else will you find such magnificent bargains(便宜货).

   At no time during his speech did the politician mention that he had advocated the opposite policy two years before.

   Hardly had he finished his work when the telephone rang.

   Rarely do I get invited into his office alone.

d) 句首状语若由“only+副词”“only+介词词组”“only+状语分句”构成，也可引起局部倒装。例如：

   Only yesterday did he find out that his watch was missing.

   Only through sheer luck did he manage to get some tickets.

   Only because there were some cancelled bookings did he get some tickets in the end.

以关联连词not only (but also)开头的分句，往往引起局部倒装。例如：

   Not only did he complain about the food, he also refused to pay for it.

   Not only did the garage overcharge me, but they hadn’t done a very good repair job either.

 

e)      在以关联连词so (…that)开头的句子结构中，“so+形容词”是主语补语的前置，“so+副词”是状语的前置，前者引起全部倒装，后者引起局部倒装。例如：

So dangerous were the avalanches (雪崩) that skiing had to be stopped.

So small was the mark that I could hardly see it.

So quickly did the workmen finish their work that they were given a bonus (奖金).

So much does he worry about his financial position that he can’t sleep at night.

 

f)        当方式状语、频度状语等移至句首时，有时也引起局部倒装。例如：

Gladly would I pay more if I could get better service by doing so.

Many a time had Mike given me good advice.

如果主语较长，也可全部倒装。例如：

Thus began an intricate minute (小步舞) between us and the Chinese.

当然，方式状语等移至句首，也可以不用倒装。例如：

Stealthily the girl crept out of the door.

Slowly and impressively he rose from his seat.

 

---All materials above are taken from the grammar book by Zhang Zhenbang.