英语断裂句初探

本文首发于解放军外语学院学报《教学研究》1986年弟4期

试观察下列句子：

1）It was his boss that John met in the street yesterday.

2）It was here that he chiefly differed from an Englishman.

3）Why is it that everyone thinks I’m forward?

4）It was with the greatest difficulty that the boy gathered the strength to speak.

5）It was not for several years that I had an opportunity of seeing him again.

英语中包含上述所示的强调结构的句型称为断裂句（cleft sentence）。它具有某些特殊的性质和功能。本文拟就英语断裂句的用法作一番探讨，以求提高认识。

一、断裂句的句法分析

断裂句是英语中的主要强调句型之一。它是通过主题性前置（thematic fronting）的语法手段而形成的一种特殊的简单句。它一方面在语义意图上突出了语言的信息中心（information focus），另一方面又在语法结构上保证了句子的末位重心(end weight)。因此，它能在没有语调提示的情况下，明确无误地标出书面英语的信息中心之所在。

之所以称为断裂句，在于它在结构上将一个“简单句”分裂成两个部分：一是由it is / was…组成的前置分句（fronted clause ）；一是由that引导的断裂分句（cleft clause）。这两个分句，形式上似乎都有自己的主谓关系，但实质上，这两对主谓关系在大多情况下，各自都难以明确地表达独立完整的句意，而两个分句在句法上也不构成并列或主从的语法关系。对于断裂句的句法分析，各家说法不一。笔者认为，断裂句既不能视为并列复合句，也不能视为主从复合句。可以说，它属于一种特殊结构的简单句。

二、前置分句的句型选择

断裂句中的前置分句可采取肯定句、否定句、疑问句及感叹句句型；既可采取主句的形式，亦可用于从句中。例如：

6）It was then that I made his acquaintance. （肯定句）

7）It wasn’t until this week that I got the money. （否定句）

8）Was it in 1950 this happened?  （一般疑问句）

9）It was Pember drove Miss Sophia yesterday, wasn’t it?  （反意疑问句）

10）What a picture it is you’ve drawn!  （感叹句）

11）He stressed that it is precisely the people who create history.  （用于从句中）

三、中心成分的讨论

断裂句可以以句子的主语、直接宾语、间接宾语、宾语补语以及状语作为中心成分加以强调。例如在下句中，大部分成分都可以作为断裂句的中心成分。

12）I offered your brother a shilling for his knife yesterday.

~ 12a）It was I / me who / that offered your brother a shilling for his knife yesterday.

~ 12b）It was your brother who / that I offered a shilling for his knife yesterday.

~ 12c）It was a shilling that I offered your brother for his knife yesterday.

~ 12d）It was for his knife that I offered your brother a shilling yesterday.

~ 12e）It was yesterday that I offered your brother a shilling for his knife.

但是若干情况必须受到限制：

1.  不能以谓语动词作为断裂句的中心成分。例如不可以说：

*It was offered that I your brother a shilling for his knife yesterday.

若要强调谓语动词，则应改用如下形式：

~ 12f）I did offer your brother a shilling for his knife yesterday.

而动词的非限定性形式（不定式或分词）则不受限制，但这种情况下必须使用替代动词DO。例如：

13）It’s teach(ing) that he does for a living.

2.  起码在标准英语中，一般不宜以主语补语（即表语）作为断裂句的中心成分，尤其断裂分句的谓语动词是be的时候。例如不可以说：

*It is a teacher that I am.

*It is hopeless that he is.

*It is pleased I am to see you home again.

3.  不能用对比分句作为断裂句的中心成分。例如不可以说：

*It’s while / whereas our piano is an upright one that theirs is a grand one.

4.  不能以since或as 引导的原因状语分句作为断裂句的中心成分。例如不可以说：

*It’s since / as he helped you that I’m prepared to help him.

而应该说：

14）It’s because he helped you that I’m prepared to help him.

5.  不能以让步状语分句作为断裂句的中心成分。例如不可以说：

*It was although it was raining that he went out.

6.  不能以结果状语分句作为断裂句的中心成分。例如不可以说：

*It was so that we reached safely by nightfall that we traveled all day.

7.  一些表示强调、增强、状态等含义以及个别表示时间频度（如always, never, ever, again, instantly, continually, continuously等）的状语也不能作为断裂句的中心成分。例如不可以说：

*It is certainly that she likes the dress.  （强调）

*It was completely that he ignored your request.  （增强）

*it was loudly that they argued.  （状态）

*It is always that I get up early.  （时间频度）

8.  断裂句的中心成分如果是人称代词时，用主格或宾格都可以。例如：

15）It’s he that is a genius.

16）It’s him that is a genius.

句15）多用于正式文体中，而句16）多用于非正式文体（尤其是口语体）中。又如：

17）It was her that I met on my way home.

18）It was she that I met on my way home.

严格讲，句15）和句17）才是正确的，而句16）和句18）不合语法，但事实上两句都可以说。

四、前置分句引导部分的语法形式

前置分句引导部分的语法形式主要限于it is / was。其它形式，如that is / was，those are / were，it must / might be， it must / might have been等虽然可用，但较少见。例如：

19）That was a fire bomb they let off last night.

20）Those are my feet that you’re stepping on.

21）It might be the girl that he is thinking of.

22）It must have been his father that you saw.

五、前置分句中谓语动词be的时态问题

前置分句中谓语动词be的时态形式取决于原句的谓语动词时态。一般说，原句的谓语动词如是现在或将来各种时态，则前置分句中的谓语动词用is (are) 或情态动词加be等形式；原句的谓语动词如是过去各种时态，则前置分句中的谓语动词用was / were或情态动词加have been等形式。例如：

23）You deserve praise.

~ It is you who deserve praise.

24）I’m singing this song.

~ It is this song that I’m singing.

25）Mary has won the first place.

~ It is the first place that Mary has won.

26）A letter came yesterday morning.

~ It was a letter that came yesterday morning.

27）Last week John bought a new book.

~ It must have been last week that John bought a new book.

但也常有例外，如：

28）It’s me that he gave the toy.

29）It will not be he who will have to be responsible for this work.

六、断裂分句的引导词问题

断裂分句的引导词通常用that。其它wh-词的使用场合如下：

1.  前置分句的中心成分是人时，其引导词可用who代替that。例如：

30）It was my mother who / that did the cooking.

31）It’s she who / that you should ask.

2.  前置分句的中心成分是人时，其引导词在断裂分句中充当宾语的情况下，偶尔也可见用whom代替that。例如：

32）It was the man whom / that I met in the shop this afternoon.

33）It was he whom / that I was then looking for.

注意，不可以说：

*It was him whom I was then looking for.

而应该说：

34）It was him that I was then looking for.

3. 前置分句的中心成分是事或物时，偶尔也可见用which代替that。例如：

35）It was a key which / that I found in his pocket.

然而，根据Quirk等人的看法，whom和which用起来总觉得很勉强。而当其前面有一个介词时，实际上就不能用来引导断裂分句。因此，以下两个句子：

36）It was the woman at whom I smiled.

37）It was the dog to which I gave the water.

实际上应视为单纯含有一个后置修饰关系分句的句子，而不是断裂句。

4.  前置分句的中心成分是以名词短语表示的时间或地点状语时，其引导词间或也可用when（时间）或where（地点）代替that。例如：

38）It was last month when / that we worked in the countryside.

39）It was Shanghai where / that you were born.

但如果该中心成分是以介词短语表示的时间或地点状语时，则其引导词只能用tbat，不能用wh-词代替。例如不可以说：

*It is at 9 o’clock when the train starts.

*It was in Hangzhou where we parted at last.

而应该说：

40）It is at 9 o’clock that the train starts.

41）It was in Hangzhou that we parted at last.

5.  间或也可见用whose作引导词。例如：

42）It’s Uncle Bill whose address I lost.

除上述以外的wh-词，一律不能用来代替that作断裂分句的引导词。

在口语或非正式文体中，断裂分句的引导词that或who有时可以省略。例如：

43）It is they (that / who) are mistaken.

44）It was for you (that / who) I did it.

45）It was in the army (that) I came to know her.

就语法而论，断裂分句的引导词that或who属关系代词，其先行词是it，但习惯上人们并不把它们所引导的断裂分句称为关系分句。下面两个句子中：

46）It is I that / who is to blame.

47）It is I that / who am to blame.

尽管理论上句46）才是正确的，但实际上人们更习惯于使用句47）。

但如果在上述的句子中，用的是人称代词的宾格me，则一般都采取句46）的形式，即

48）It is me that / who is to blame.

七、断裂句的判定

断裂句有时与包含后移主语从句的复合句（简称后移句postponed sentence）在形式上颇为接近。例如下面两句：

49）It was Miss White that we came to visit.

50）It was true that we came to visit Miss White.

其区别与判定办法如下：

1.  从结构上分析，断裂句是通过主题性前置的语法手段而形成的一种特殊结构的简单句。因此只要撤消“it is / was …that ”这个“结构框架” （structural frame），并让所强调的中心成分归复正常的语法位置，便可还原出本来的简单句型；而后移句是主从复合句，则不可能依此法处置。试比较：

51）It was Tom that we took to hospital last week.

（撤消“it was…that”框架，将Tom归位）

→ We took Tom to hospital last week.

52）It was true that we saw the film last night.

(撤消“it was…that”框架，将true归位)

→ 不能成句

可见句51）是断裂句，而句52）是后移句。

2.  从语法上分析，后移句系根据英语的“末位中心”（end focus）及“末位重心”（end weight）原则，将复合句中的主语从句后移至句子末位，而句首主位的空缺由形式主语it填补。因此只要撤消形式主语it，并将后移分句（postponed clause）调回句首的主位上，便可还原出本来的复合句型；而断裂句是简单句，则不可能依法处置。试比较：

53）It was Tom that we took to hospital last week.

（撤消it，将that分句调回句首主位）

→ 不能成句

54）It was true that we saw the film last night.

(撤消it，将that分句调回句首主位)  

→ That we saw the film last night was true.

可见句53）是断裂句，而句54）是后移句。

 

本文主要参考文献

1. Quirk, R. et. al. A Grammar of Contemporary English, Longman Group Ltd., 1972

2. Curme, G. O.  Syntax, Boston, 1931

3. Poutsma, H.   A Grammar of Late Modern English, P. Noordhoff Groningen, 1928

4. 章振邦等《新编英语语法》，上海译文出版社,1983

5. 葛传椝《英语惯用法词典》，时代出版社,1962

6. 张道真《实用英语语法》，商务印书馆,1981

7. 张道真《现代英语用法词典》，上海译文出版社,1984

8. 费致德《现代英语惯用法词典》，商务印书馆,1982

9. 徐立吾《当代英语实用语法》，湖南人民出版社,1980

10. 王才仁《英语常用词语辨析》（增订本），广西人民出版社,1982