英语句子成分  动词不定式定语㈡

录自《自学参考系列手册·句法手册》第二章 英语句子成分 第十一节 短语类后置定语㈡

编者  川竹 樑翁

（续前: 3. 不定式定语与其它定语结构的比较）

4. 不定式定语与中心词间的逻辑关系

作定语的动词不定式与它们所修饰的名词或代词之间的关系，我们是有必要了解的。了解它们之间所存在的联系规律，才能更能准确地使用动词不定式。这类关系大体有以下四种【可比较同义从句或结构】：

 

⑴主渭关系——作为中心词的名词或代词为不定式动作的执行者

比较：She was the first person to think of the idea．

She was the first person who thought of the idea.她是当时第一个想出这个主意的人。

     The next train to arrive is from Beijing．

     The next train which will arrive is from Beijing．下一趟车是从北京开来的。

     The king has no children to succeed him on the throne．

     The king has no children who can succeed him on the throne．这国王无子嗣可以继位。

 

⑵动宾关系——即中心词为不定式所表动作的承受者

比较：We still have many difficulties to overcome．【要overcome的是difficulties】

     We still have many difficulties (which) we have to overcome. 我们有许多要克服的困难。

     It is a difficult problem to solve．【要solve的是problem】

     It is a difficult problem (which) we have to solve．这是个难以解决的问题。

    She has a lot of things to attend to．【attend to注意】

    She has a lot of things (which) she has to attend to．她有许多需要注意的事情。

特别提示：与中心词构成动宾关系的定语不定式须是及物的

这样用作定语的不定式须为及物动词才能带宾语，若是不及物动词，则需加上表示及物含意的相应介词；若属及物的短语动词，也别忘了带在其后的介词。

比较：I want to get something to read during the winter vacation．【read为及物动词】

     I want to get something which I’ll read during the winter vacation．我想找点书在寒假看。

He is a nice leading comrade for us to work with. 【work不及物,, 加with才能与us一起work】

He is a nice leading comrade (whom) we work with. 他是一个我们很好共事的领导。

     She has two babies to take care of．【take care of (照顾) 为及物短语动词】

     She has two babies (whom) she has to take care of．她得照料两个婴孩。

 

⑶动状关系——即中心词作介词宾语，形成介词短语充当动词不定式的状语

比较：Let’s first find a room to put the things in．让我们先找一个能放东西的房间。

      Let’s first find a room in which we can put the things．

Here is a hammer to work with． 这是用来干活的锤子。

Here is a hammer with which you can work．

 

⑷所属关系——不定式表示所修饰中心词的属性，这种所属关系可用“名词+ of +动名词”结构替换以显示出来。

比较：The doctors had no way to save the patient．

The doctors had no way of saving the patient．医生们没有办法来救这个病人了。

 The needy children had no chance to go to school before now． 

The needy children had no chance of going to school before now．

这之前贫穷的孩子没有上学的机会。

特别提示：注意介词在动状关系与所属关系中的作用

A.首先值得注意的是，在不定式与中心词的动状关系中，介词一定不能省去。

比较：Please give me a fork to eat with．请给我一把吃饭用的叉子。

Please give me a fork with which I can eat．

He could not find any hotel to stay at．他找不到要住的旅馆。

He could not find any hotel at which he could stay．

B.值得注意的另一点是：在动状关系中所用介词的不同，会导致意义上的差异

例： Here is a bowl for you to break eggs in．这是一只供你盛打开出来的蛋汁的碗。

  Here is a bowl for you to break eggs with．这是一只供你砸开鸡蛋的碗。

C.当被修饰的名词是“place”，“time”或“way”时，情况特殊：常常省掉介词。比较下面两组中的例句：

例：A good place to eat is Dong Lai Sun Restaurant．东来顺可是一家好餐馆。

    A good place to eat at is Dong Lai Sun Restaurant．

    The place (for you) to stay is Beijing Hotel．供你住的是北京宾馆。

    The place (for you) to stay at is Beijing Hotel．

这是因为，当中心词是“place”、“time”或“way”时，它们作动词不定式状语的关系十分明确，这时介词往往是不用的，这样表达更简洁。但省掉介词后，定语不定式与中心词之间就变成了从属关系。

再例：It will soon be time (for everyone) to leave．马上就到动身的时候了。

       ＝It will soon be time at which /when everyone should leave．

      The place (for you) to stay is Hilton．给你安排的住处是希尔顿饭店。

       ＝The place at which / where you should stay is Hilton．

      That's not the way to make an omelette!  炒鸡蛋可不是这个炒法!

       ＝That's not the way in which you are making an omelette!

 

5. 不定式与动名词修饰不同的中心词

⑴须接动词不定式作后定语的名词

①受同源动词习惯配搭用法影响的名词——某些动词能用不定式作其宾语，那么它们的同源名词也就可跟不定式作其定语。

比较：He made a proposal to travel to Kweilin．

He proposed to travel to Kweilin.  他提议到桂林去旅行。

The desire to improve on nature brings us to the laboratory.【improve on改进】

To desire to improve on nature brings us to the laboratory.

       改造自然的愿望把我们带到了实验室。

这类名词还有：appeal←appeal (求助)、attempt←attempt (企图)、desire←desire (期望)、offer←offer (出价)、plan←plan (计划)、promise←promise (允诺, 答应)、decision←decide (决定)，inclination←incline (倾斜)、refusal←refuse (拒绝)，wish←wish (祝愿, 希望)等等。

②受同源形容词习惯用法影响的名词——某些意含情感或能力的表语形容词，构成系表结构后便具有及物动词的意味，其后常跟动词不定式作宾语，它们的同源名词也可跟不定式作定语。

比较： She has the ability to carry on a conversation with her English teacher for hours on end in English．

She is able to carry on a conversation with her English teacher for hours on end in English．【on end连续地】

      她能长时间不间断地和英语老师用英语谈话。

The young man was all eagerness to see his father for his father had been out for a long time.

The young man was eager to see his father for his father had been out for a long time.

小伙子很想见到他的父亲，因他父亲很长一段时间都不在家。

这类名词还有：ability (能力)←able (能干的)、anxiety (忧虑, 渴望)←anxious (担忧的, 渴望的)、curiosity (好奇心)←curious (好奇的)、determination (果断)←determined (坚决的)、reluctance (勉强)←reluctant (勉强的)、resolution (决心)←resolute (坚决的)、unwillingness (不愿意)←unwilling (不愿意的)，等等。

③习惯上接不定式的抽象名词——不定式与它所修饰的这类中心词含有动宾关系。

例：His ambition to be a pilot was never fulfilled．他想当一个驾驶员的愿望从未实现。

    Wood has a tendency to swell if it gets wet．木头在湿的时候会胀大。

  这类名词还有：ambition (雄心, 抱负)、drive (动力, 干劲)、need (需要, 必需)、right (正义, 权利)、impulse (刺激, 冲动)、struggle (竞争, 奋斗)、tendency (趋向, 倾向)、campaign (战役,【政治或商业性】活动)，等等。

 

⑵须接介词+动名词作后定语的名词——这类名词见前面的《2. 动名词定语·⑵“介词+动名词”作后置定语》

①习惯上接介词加动名词的名词——即“中心词+介词+动名词”类的修饰关系。

例：He has a habit of biting his lips when he is puzzled．当他困惑时，他有咬嘴唇的习惯。

    His method of teaching is novel. 他的教授法是新颖的。

  这类名词还有：idea，danger，purpose等等。

②需固定搭配介词类不及物动词的同源名词——即“不及物动词+配搭介词+动名词”结构

例：There is no objection to your doing it．你做这事是没有异议的。

    【cf：Do you object to smoking? 你反感抽烟吗?】【cf. =confer (n.)比较】

   What success did you have in finding a new cook? 你找新厨师有什么结果?

    【cf：They succeeded in climbing the hill. 他们成功地爬上了山岗。】

    这类名词还有；aversion(厌恶)to、quarrel(吵架)about、delight(高兴)in、interest(兴趣)in、allowance(补助,宽容) for、reason(理由)for等。属于这个类型的名词，后面既可以接介词+动名词，也可以接介词+名词。

⑶在chance (机会, 可能性)，opportunity (机会), way (方法)等名词后，接不定式或动名词都可以。

例：What is the best way to study /of studying a foreign language? 什么是学习外国语最好方法?

I am glad to have this opportunity to speak /of speaking to you alone．我很高兴有此机会与你单独谈话。

I haven't had a chance to read my letter. 我还没有机会看我的信呢。

Is there any chance of the team winning this week? 这个队本星期有无获胜的机会?

Is there any chance of rain? 有可能下雨吗?

 

                                                （定语未完待续）