北京体育大学 郑辉

    英语句子最基本的结构是主、谓结构,一般语序是主语在前,谓语在后,这被称为自然语序(natural order)。有时,由于语法结构、强调或者修辞上的需要,可以把谓语的全部或部分移到主语前,这种现象称为倒装(inversion),采用倒装语序的句子叫倒装句。倒装又分为全部倒装(full inversion)如:Then began an eight-year war between Iran and Iraq. (于是伊朗和伊拉克之间开始了长达八年的战争。)和部分倒装(partial inversion)如: Intelligent as she was, she had not much insight. (她虽然聪明,却没有多少洞察力。) 。

倒装是英语中非常重要的一个语法现象,在历年的四级考试中都有该类题型出现。

一、全部倒装

把整个谓语放在主语前面的倒装形式称为"全部倒装"。全部倒装主要有以下几种形式:

1. 在there be 结构的句子中,常用全部倒装。例如:There is a man at the door who wants to see you. 门口有位男士要见你。There seems to be some disagreement about the understanding of the document. 在对这个文件的理解上似乎意见不一。There appears to be a new town in the distance. 远处似乎有座新镇子。

2. 当句首状语为拟声词,而谓语动词为go, come等表示位置转移的动态动词时,通常全部倒装。例如:Bang! Bang! Bang! Came three reports of firecrackers and all the villagers went out their houses to see what was going on. 砰！砰！砰！传来三下爆竹的响声,所有的村民都走出来看出了什么事。

3. 为了使描绘显得生动,有些与介词同形的副词移到句首时,通常全部倒装。例如:Round and round flew the plane. 飞机反复盘旋。Down came the rain and up went the umbrellas. 雨开始下起来,雨伞也都打开了。Following the roar, out rushed a tiger from among the bushes. 一声吼叫,从丛林中冲出一只老虎。

4. 由副词here, there, now, then等开头的句子中,如果主语为名词,而谓语是be, come, go一类的动词,整个句子应采用完全倒装语序。例如:

Here is the book you want. 这是你要的书。

Now comes your turn. 现在轮到你了。

Then came a new difficulty. 然后新的困难出现了。

5. 当句首状语为表示地点的介词词组时,有时也会引起全部倒装。例如:

In this book will be found an introduction of this famous scientist. 在这本书里你会看到对这位著名科学家的介绍。

From the room came a sound of quarrelling. 争吵声从那个房间里传了出来。

6. 当句子主语较长时,常将作表语的形容词、介词短语、过去分词及现在分词等置于句首,形成完全倒装。例如:

Lying on the floor was a boy aged about seventeen. 躺在地板上的是一个约十七岁的男孩。

Running across it is a stream named Peach Brook. 穿过这里,有一条叫桃溪的溪流。

Seated on the ground is a group of young people. 坐在地上的是一群年轻人。

Housed in the Cultural Palace are a library, an auditorium and recreation rooms. 文化宫里有图书馆、礼堂和游艺室。

Shown together with these products were models of steel works and blast furnaces. 和这些产品一道展出的还有钢铁厂和高炉的模型。

Around the lake are a huge number of farms. 湖的四周有大量农场。

Higher up were forests of white birches. 再往高处去就是一片片白桦林。

Worst of all is the humiliations he suffered. 最糟糕的是他受的那些屈辱。

二、部分倒装

部分倒装是指把谓语的一部分,即助动词、情态动词等置于主语之前,也就是说把句子变成一般疑问句语序。部分倒装主要有以下几种情况:

1. 如果句首状语为否定词或带有否定意义的词语或短语,一般采用部分倒装语序。例如:

Not for one minute do I think she has any hope of getting promoted. 我从来不认为她会有机会得到晋升。

No longer these days is it necessary for women to wear veils. 近来,女人们再也不用戴着面纱了。

Never have I found him in such a good mood.

我从来没见他心情这么好过。

2.在以so, nor, neither开头的句子中,如果前句所说的情况也适应于另一人或事物,采用部分倒装语序。例如:

I enjoyed the movie, and so did my husband. 我很喜欢这部电影,我丈夫也是。

He can’t swim, nor can I. 他不会游泳,我也不会。

I don’t know, nor do I care. 我不知道,我也不想知道。

3. 在以if引导的虚拟条件句中,如果谓语含有had, were, should等词时,if可省略,而采用部分倒装的语序来表示虚拟的条件。例如:

Had it not been for my illness, I would have lent him a helping hand. 要是我没有生病,我肯定会帮他一把的。

Were the manager here now, he would make a decision. 如果经理在这,他会做决定的。

Had I not been able to swim, I would have got drowned. 如果我不会游泳的话,我已经被淹死了。

4. 句首状语如果是由"only +副词"、"only +介词短语"、"only +状语从句"构成,也会引起部分倒装。例如:

Only through sheer luck did George pass the examination. 乔治能通过考试完全是凭运气。

Only when Tom set out to do it did he realize it wasn’t an easy job. 着手做这件事之后,汤姆才意识到这并不简单。

Only yesterday did my brother find that his watch was missing. 昨天我哥哥才发现他的手表不见了。

5. 由as引导的让步状语从句,可用部分或全部倒装结构,表语、状语或实义动词提前。例如:

Pitch-dark as was the night, I still found my home. 尽管夜里漆黑一片,我还是找到了家。

Strange as it may appear, it is true. 尽管看起来有些奇怪,但它是真的。

Try hard as he will, he never seems able to do the work satisfactorily. 他工作很努力,但总不能让人满意。

6. 以关联词so (... that) 开头的句子,通常引起部分或全部倒装。在这种结构中,"so + 形容词"是主语补语的前置；"so + 副词"是状语的前置。例如:

So small was the marks that the old lady could hardly see it. 那个标志那么小,以至于那个老妇人几乎都看不见。

So much does the mother worry about her son that she can’t sleep at night. 母亲非常担心她的儿子,夜里难以入睡。

真题演练

请选出下列句中的错误选项并改正。

1. We have been told that under no circumstances we may use the telephone

   A                        B                            C                    

in the office for personal affairs.

        D

2. Only under special circumstances freshmen are permitted to take make-up

             A                                                B                              C

tests.

3. I could not persuade him to accept it, nor I could make him see the

       A                               B                      C                    D

importance of it.

4. Are the days gone when they could do what they liked to the Chinese

                A                                     B                C

people.

答案及解析

1. C。句意：我们被告知，在任何情况下都不能因私事而使用办公室的电话。

    【分析】如果句首状语为否定词或带有否定意义的词语或短语，就应采用部分倒装语序。本句中的否定短语under no circumstances位于宾语从句句首，因此从句需要倒装。故选C，we may →may we。

2. B。句意：只有在特殊情况下，一年级的学生才允许补考。

    【分析】句首状语如果是由“only + 副词(介词短语、状语从句)”构成，句子要用部分倒装。故选B，freshmen are →are freshmen。

3. C。句意：我无法说服他接受它，也无法让他认识到这件事的重要性。

    【分析】在以nor开头的句子中，如果前句所说的情况也适用于本句中的另一人或事物，采用部分倒装语序。故选C，I could →could I。

4. A。句意：他们对中国人民为所欲为的日子已经过去了。

    【分析】当句子主语较长时，常将作表语的形容词、介词短语、过去分词及现在分词等置于句首，形成完全倒装。此句的主语是days，因为它后面带有较长的修饰语“when they could do what they liked to the Chinese people”，为了避免句子头重脚轻，应该用全部倒装，但本句中用了部分倒装。故应选A，Are the days gone →Gone are the days。