在日常表达中,我们有时需要提出否定的观点或表达某种特殊的语气,这时可能就会用到否定形式。恰当地掌握和运用否定句能使我们更准确地表达观点和情感。本文重点探讨它的构成和用法。
一.否定结构的构成
1.由比较直观的否定词no, not, never, none, neither/nor, without等在句中表示否定意义。如:
There is no need to worry about him. 没有必要为他担心。
She left home without telling her parents. .她没有和父母说一声就离了家。
2.用含否定前缀或后缀的词表示否定,常见的否定前缀有:no-, un-, dis- , im- , ir , il- , non-。常见的表示否定的后缀有:-less, -free , -proof 等。如:
Nobody enjoys being laughed at in public by others. 没有喜欢在公众场合被人取笑。
I looked around, but the man was nowhere to be seen. 我朝四周看了一下,但哪儿也看不到那人了。
It is a newly built ice-free harbor. 它是新建的不冻海港。
3.运用其它隐性否定词来表达否定意义。常见的有:few没几个, little很少, unless除非, instead of代替;而不, seldom很少;short of不足; lack of缺少; rather than而不, anything but决不, beyond等。
He would rather die than see any harm come to Pip. 他宁死也不愿看到皮普受到伤害。
He is anything but a writer. 他决不是一个作家。
The new park is beautiful beyond description. 这个新公园美得无法形容。
4.非谓语动词的否定
非谓语动词表示否定时通常在对应的非谓语动词之前加not (never)。如:not to do; not doing, not done, not having done等。如:
Mum told me not /never to play tricks on others. 妈妈叫我不要捉弄别人。
Tom’s not having finished his homework made the teacher angry. 汤姆没有做作业让老师生气。
Not having accomplished the task, they had to work overtime. 没有完成任务,他们只好加班。
5. 在动词think, believe, suppose, hope, expect等后可以用not来代替上文已出现过的宾语从句。如:
—Do you think it will rain this afternoon? 你认为今天下午会下雨吗?
—I hope not. We have an important football match. 希望没有雨,我们有个重要的球赛呢。
注意:I think(believe / suppose) not也可说成:I don’t think ( believe / suppose )so,但hope和expect等其它动词只能说:I hope / expect not. 不能说:I don’t hope /expect so.
二.否定结构的注意点:
1.当主句主语为第一人称(I, We) 时,谓语动词为think, believe, suppose时,其宾语从句的否定应当转移到主句上来,而构成反意疑问句时应根据从句的主谓来反问。如:
I don’t think it is a waste of time to discuss about it again, is it?
我认为再讨论这事是浪费时间,你说呢?
2.否定疑问句是将助动词与not的缩写形式提到句首而构成的疑问句,它可以表示惊讶、感叹、不满等较强的感情色彩。如:
Look at the flowers! Aren’t they beautiful? 看那些花!多美啊!(感叹)
Haven’t I told you not to be late again? 难道我没告诉过你不要再迟到吗?(不满)
Aren’t all balls round in the
3.双重否定表示肯定意义。
双重否定是指在同一个句子出现两个否定词,这时它表示的意义比肯定句更强烈。常见结构有:no/not…without; no/none…but, 肠补苍’迟 (help) but等。如:
There is no life without water. 有水才有生命。
There are no people but wishes for happiness. 人人都渴望幸福。
We couldn’t (help) but wait for him at the bus station. 我们只好在车站等他。
4.表示否定意义的代词和副词(短语)位于句首时,句中主谓要倒装,这类词语有:not until; never, hardly, scarcely, no sooner, little, few, nothing, in no case, on no account, by no means等。如:
Not until he told me did I know his name. 直到他告诉我,我才知道他的名字。
Hardly had he sat down when the bell rang for class. 他刚一坐下,上课铃就响了。
5.表示全部意义的词all,both,every,everything,everybody,everywhere,always,often,completely,wholly,entirely,all the time等与not 连用时,也表示部分否定。
Not all the people agreed to the plan. = All the people didn’t agree to the plan.
不是所有的人都赞成这项计划。(只有部分人同意)
若表示全部否定,则用对应的否定词,如:all – none; both – neither; everyone – no one; everything – nothing; always – never; both…and…- neither…nor…等。如:
No one in our class has seen the film. 我们班没有人看过这部电影。
Neither I nor Jim was present from the meeting yesterday. 吉姆和我昨天都没有去开会。
6.肠补苍’迟 与比较级或too连用时,不表否定而是肯定意义。如:
You 肠补苍’迟 praise him too much. 你再怎么表扬他也不为过分。
You 肠补苍’迟 be too careful when crossing the street. 过马路时越小心越好。
7.句型 too… to…常表示否定之意“太……而不能……”。 如:
The old man was too excited to say a word. 老人激动得说不出话来。
但若为“(only)too+ adj. (glad / pleased / happy)+ to…”结构,则表示肯定意义。如:
She was only too glad to be invited to the party. 她受到邀请参加聚会太高兴了。
8.连词since后接瞬间性动词时表示“自……以来”,而since后接延续性动词时,通常译为“自……不……以来”。试比较:
It is ten years since my father began to smoke. 我父亲吸烟有十年了。(since+瞬间动词began)
It is ten years since my father smoked. 我父亲不吸烟有十年了。(since+延续性动词smoked)
9.句型“prevent, keep, stop +宾语+from doing” 中from doing表示否定、禁做的事情。如:
We should prevent such mistakes from being made again. 我们要防止再犯这类错误。
短语warn sb. against doing sth. “警告某人不要做某事”,介词against也表示否定意义。该句型可以转换为warn sb. not to do sth。如:
The parents warned their son against playing with fire.(=…not to play with fire)
父母告诫他们的儿子不要玩火。
同学们,看来想说“不”也并非一件容易的事,以上的否定表达,你都会了吗?