走出书面表达误区

【趣味英语】春节小知 世界节日（1）Spring

书面表达一贯是学生棘手的难题,综合性很强,测试学生对知识的全面理解。学生之所以走入误区原因有二:其一,对英语知识一知半解,只知其一,不知其二;其二,对英美文化背景的不了解、思维定势及中英文差异。现笔者就学生最难走出的误区加以指点。

误区一:只知道单词的意思,却不知它的用法。

如:她在她妈妈旁边坐下。

误:She seated beside her mother.

正:She seated herself beside her mother.

正:She sat down beside her mother.

说明:“seat”作动词时,意为“坐下,就坐,使坐下”,是及物动词,后面须跟宾语或用被动语态。

又如:他们发现那位老人坐在书桌边。

误:They found the old man seating at a desk.

正:They found the old man seated at a desk.

正:They found the old man was seated at a desk.

正:They found the old man seating himself at a desk.

正:They found the old man sitting at a desk.

注:除了“seat”有此用法外,即一般只作及物动词,中学课本里还有很多，如:devote(致力于,献身,奉献),raise(抬起,举起,提高,饲养)等等。

如:他们献身于航天事业。

误:They devoted to the spaceflight cause.

正:They devoted themselves to the spaceflight cause.

正:They were devoted to the spaceflight cause.

误区二:受思维定势的干扰。

如:中国在科学领域发生了翻天覆地的变化。

误:China has taken place GREat changes in the science field.

正:GREat changes have taken place in the science field in China.

说明:误句中不知“take place”是不及物动词,只按思维习惯进行,所以出错。

又如:如今这样的事情能够被阻止发生。

误:Nowadays such things can be prevented from being happened.

正:Nowadays such things can be prevented from happening.

说明:“happen”为不及物动词,没有被动语态。

又如:他母亲病了三天了。

误:His mother has fallen ill for 3 days.

正:His mother has been ill for 3 days.

说明:误句中的“fall ill”是非延续性动词,不可接一段时间或表示延续状态。

又如:小偷被带进来了,双手被绑。

误:The thief was brought in,with his hands being tied.

正:The thief was brought in,with his hands tied.

说明:“tie”不能用进行时表达一个延续的状态。但可说:He is tying his shoes now.

又如:我的钥匙丢了。

误:My key is missed.

正:My key is missing.

说明:“miss”作动词没有丢失之意,意为“错过,想念”等,而“missing”在此作形容词“丢失的,不见的”。

又如:现在我想对你说实话。

误:I am wanting to tell you the truth now.

正:I want to tell you the truth now.

说明:“want, like, prefer”等属于人的情感动词,没有进行时、将来时、完成时。一般只用于现在时或过去时。

误区三:不理解句型结构。

如:我们一直盼望着的那一天终于来到了。

误:The day we had been looking forward to coming at last.

正:The day we had been looking forward to came at last.

说明:此句错误原因是对句型结构不理解,came为谓语动词。

又如:承认自己的错误并不可耻。

误:There is nothing to be ashamed in confessing one's errors.

正:There is nothing to be ashamed of in confessing one's errors.

说明:误句中不定式是nothing的定语,在意义上nothing又是不定式的宾语。因此需要用to be ashamed of短语。

比较:1) It's nothing to be proud of.这不值得骄傲。

2) Don't cry. There is nothing to worry about. 别哭,这没有什么可担心的。

又如,我们已经把意见告诉他了。

误:We have informed him our opinions.

正:We have informed him of our opinions.

说明:表示“告诉某人某事”,不能说inform somebody something,应说inform somebody of something,这是“inform”的句型要求。

比较:I have to inform you that I shall leave the city next Friday.我得告诉你我下星期得离开这个城市。

说明:inform somebody之后接that clause就不用“of”,但必须先接somebody才能再接从句,否则省略了somebody则为误句。