跳转至

Chapter 14

What, More? 什么，还有更多？ Verbs and Voice, Infinitives, and Passive Complements 动词与语态（voice）、不定式（infinitive）和被动补足语（passive complement）

Verbs, we've said, are regarded as the most important part of English sentences because they contain so much information. That information is reflected in the many forms verbs can take. Here, we examine more of those forms and the changes they cause in other parts of the sentence.

我们说过，动词被认为是英语句子中最重要的部分，因为它们包含了如此多的信息。这些信息反映在动词可以采取的多种形式上。这里，我们考察更多的这些形式以及它们在句子其他部分引起的变化。

VERBS HAVE VOICE: ACTIVE AND PASSIVE 动词有语态：主动语态（active voice）与被动语态（passive voice）

In Chapter 8 on complements, we discussed two classes of action verbs called transitive and intransitive:

在第 8 章关于补足语的内容中，我们讨论了两类行为动词，称为及物动词（transitive verb）和不及物动词（intransitive verb）：

INTRANSITIVE: He sang. TRANSITIVE: He sang a song. INTRANSITIVE: She wrote. TRANSITIVE: She wrote a novel.

We said that verbs are transitive when they have direct objects, as in the examples above. Linking verbs are never transitive.

我们说过，当动词有直接宾语时就是及物的，如上面的示例所示。系动词（linking verb）永远不是及物的。

Now we learn another thing: Transitive verbs---and only transitives---are capable of two voices: active and passive.

现在我们学到另一件事：及物动词——也只有及物动词——有两种语态：主动和被动。

With active voice verbs, the subject is the performer of the action and the direct object is the receiver of the action.

对于主动语态动词，主语是动作的执行者（performer），直接宾语是动作的接受者（receiver）。

The batter hit the ball. 击球手击中了球。

In passive voice verbs, the subject is the receiver of the action. The performer is deleted from the sentence, or it is shifted to the end of the sentence in a prepositional phrase:

对于被动语态动词，主语是动作的接受者。执行者从句子中删除，或移到句子末尾的介词短语中：

The ball was hit. 球被击中了。

The ball was hit by the batter. 球被击球手击中了。

In passive verbs, the main verb is always a past participle and the auxiliary just before the main verb is a form of be:

在被动动词中，主要动词总是过去分词（past participle），而紧接在主要动词前的助动词是 be 的一种形式：

You were made chairman by the club. She has been elected chairwoman. She is known to everyone in the club.

REVISING PASSIVES INTO ACTIVES 将被动句改写为主动句

It's often helpful to rewrite passive sentences as active sentences. It's easy to rewrite this passive sentence:

将被动句改写为主动句通常是有帮助的。改写这个被动句很容易：

You were made chairman by the club.

Simply shift the club to the subject position and you to the direct object position. In this case, chairman becomes an object complement.

只需将 the club 移到主语位置，将 you 移到直接宾语位置。在这种情况下，chairman 成为宾语补足语（object complement）。

The club made you chairman.

But what do we do when the sentence contains no performer of the action?

但当句子中没有动作的执行者时，我们该怎么办？

She has been elected chairwoman.

In cases like this, we must either locate a performer in the larger context, or leave the passive unchanged. Here are some more passive sentences, and their active voice counterparts:

在这种情况下，我们必须要么在更大的语境中找到执行者，要么保持被动语态不变。以下是更多被动句及其主动语态对应句：

PASSIVE: The news was heard by me on the radio. ACTIVE: I heard the news on the radio.

PASSIVE: The essay was graded by the teacher. ACTIVE: The teacher graded the essay.

PASSIVE: The room was refurnished by our landlord. ACTIVE: Our landlord refurnished the room.

THE PASSIVE COMPLEMENTS 被动补足语（passive complement）

Previously, we've discussed complements in active sentences. In particular, we've discussed transitive verbs and direct objects, indirect objects, and object complements.

之前，我们讨论了主动句中的补足语。特别是，我们讨论了及物动词和直接宾语、间接宾语（indirect object）以及宾语补足语。

Some passive verbs take complements, too, called passive complements. Let's begin with this active voice sentence:

一些被动动词也带补足语，称为被动补足语。让我们从这个主动语态句子开始：

  1. Dad gave Mom her present.

Here Mom is the indirect object; her present is the direct object.

这里 Mom 是间接宾语；her present 是直接宾语。

We can rewrite Sentence 1 in the passive voice like this:

我们可以这样将句子 1 改写为被动语态：

  1. Mom was given her present by Dad.

In Sentence 2, Mom is now the subject. We've made the subject in Sentence 1, Dad, the object of a preposition. And her present remains the direct object in Sentence 2. This can only be done with active sentences that contain an indirect object as well as a direct object.

在句子 2 中，Mom 现在是主语。我们将句子 1 中的主语 Dad 变为了介词的宾语。而 her present 在句子 2 中仍然是直接宾语。这只能对同时包含间接宾语和直接宾语的主动句这样做。

Here are more pairs of sentences---the first active and the second passive---with direct objects underlined and indirect objects in bold:

以下是更多成对的句子——第一个是主动句，第二个是被动句——直接宾语以下划线标出，间接宾语以粗体标出：

ACTIVE: Ed brought Ralph some hot soup. PASSIVE: Ralph was brought some hot soup by Ed.

ACTIVE: Dad showed Jimmy the door. PASSIVE: Jimmy was shown the door by Dad.

ACTIVE: Mr. Redden read the class a poem. PASSIVE: The class was read a poem by Mr. Redden.

When the direct object in an active sentence remains the direct object in the passive version of the same sentence, the object in the passive sentence is sometimes called a retained object. But we'll simply call it the direct object.

当主动句中的直接宾语在同一句子的被动版本中仍然是直接宾语时，被动句中的宾语有时被称为保留宾语（retained object）。但我们简单地称之为直接宾语。

Some sentences with object complements can also be made passive:

一些带有宾语补足语的句子也可以变成被动句：

  1. The club elected Ralph sixth vice-president.

Here Ralph is the direct object and sixth vice-president is the object complement. When we make the sentence passive, Ralph becomes the subject:

这里 Ralph 是直接宾语，sixth vice-president 是宾语补足语。当我们将句子变成被动句时，Ralph 成为主语：

  1. Ralph was elected sixth vice-president by the club.

In Sentence 2, the object complement of Sentence 1, sixth vice-president, is now a predicate nominative.

在句子 2 中，句子 1 的宾语补足语 sixth vice-president 现在是表语名词（predicate nominative）。

In the following examples, we will see object complements (underlined in the active sentences) become predicate nominatives or predicate adjectives in the passive sentences. The direct objects are in bold:

在以下示例中，我们将看到宾语补足语（在主动句中有下划线）在被动句中变成表语名词或表语形容词（predicate adjective）。直接宾语以粗体标出：

ACTIVE: We made Mom angry. PASSIVE: Mom was made angry by us. （表语形容词 / Predicate adjective）

ACTIVE: The chairman appointed Bob secretary. PASSIVE: Bob was appointed secretary by the chairman. （表语名词 / Predicate nominative）

ACTIVE: The class declared Ruthie the winner. PASSIVE: Ruthie was declared the winner by the class. （表语名词 / Predicate nominative）

As you may have noticed, all of the passive sentences you read are awkward and wordy. Active versions are often shorter and more direct than passives. Some of the passives might also be improved by simply deleting the prepositional phrases, as in Bob was appointed secretary.

你可能已经注意到了，你读到的所有被动句都别扭而啰嗦。主动版本通常比被动句更短、更直接。一些被动句可能通过简单地删除介词短语来改进，如 Bob was appointed secretary。

INFINITIVE VERBS 不定式动词（infinitive verb）

All verbs (except some of the auxiliary verbs) have an important form that we have not yet discussed: the infinitive form. In English, an infinitive verb is simply the first-person present tense of the verb (like buy, sell, cook, bake, talk, walk) preceded by the word to. In this context, to is called a particle and is simply part of the infinitive. All of these are infinitive verbs:

所有动词（除了一些助动词）都有一个我们尚未讨论的重要形式：不定式形式。在英语中，不定式动词就是动词的第一人称现在时（如 buy, sell, cook, bake, talk, walk）前面加上 to。在这种情况下，to 被称为小品词（particle），只是不定式的一部分。以下都是不定式动词：

to buy（买） to sell（卖） to hyperventilate（过度换气） to bake（烤） to talk（说话） to negotiate（谈判） to inflate（充气） to cook（烹饪）

All of these sentences contain infinitive verbs:

所有这些句子都包含不定式动词：

My son is learning to speak French. 她想要修一门课来学习在公开场合好好说话。

She wants to take a course to learn to speak well in public.

We need to meet to discuss the contracts. 我们需要见面讨论合同。

As you can see, infinitive verbs are important structures that we use every day. We'll discuss their uses in another chapter soon. For now, notice the difference between infinitive verbs and prepositional phrases beginning with to. In prepositional phrases, to is typically followed by a noun or pronoun, not a verb. These are prepositional phrases:

正如你所看到的，不定式动词是我们每天使用的重要结构。我们不久将在另一章中讨论它们的用法。现在，请注意不定式动词和以 to 开头的介词短语的区别。在介词短语中，to 后面通常跟名词或代词，而不是动词。以下是介词短语：

We're going to Oregon this summer. I'll mail postcards to my friends.

And these are infinitives, with verbs---not nouns or pronouns---after to:

而这些是不定式，to 后面跟的是动词——而不是名词或代词：

We're going to travel this summer. I'm ready to mail our cards.

PHRASAL VERBS 短语动词（phrasal verb）

Phrasal verbs are two-word verbs used as one word. The second word, called a particle, always looks like a preposition but without an object:

短语动词是被当作一个词使用的双词动词。第二个词，称为小品词，总是看起来像介词但没有宾语：

I'll look up the word. （我会查这个词。） I'll write out a check. （我会开一张支票。） We'll wait out the storm. （我们会等风暴过去。） She looked in on the kids. （她顺便看了看孩子们。） We signed up for a class. （我们报名了一门课。） They took off an hour ago. （他们一小时前离开了。） He sat in on the meeting. （他旁听了会议。） We have put up with this long enough. （我们已经忍受得够久了。）

Although the particle looks like a preposition, it cannot be the beginning of a prepositional phrase. Notice the differences:

虽然小品词看起来像介词，但它不可能是介词短语的开头。注意区别：

I'll look up the word. （短语动词 / A phrasal verb） I'll look up the chimney. （介词短语 / A prepositional phrase.）

Despite disappointment, they went on. （短语动词 / A phrasal verb） They went on the train. （介词短语 / A prepositional phrase.）

In some phrasal verbs, other words (especially direct objects) can appear between the main verb and the particle:

在一些短语动词中，其他词（尤其是直接宾语）可以出现在主要动词和小品词之间：

I'll look the word up. I'll write the check out. He built his confidence up. I'll check the information out.

There is another verbal pattern that may resemble a phrasal verb. Consider these sentences:

有另一种可能类似于短语动词的动词模式。考虑这些句子：

I've put up with you long enough. I'll put the book up on the shelf.

In the first, put up is a phrasal verb. In the second, put is the verb and up is neither a particle nor a preposition, but simply an adverb. (Compare I'll put the book down or I'll put the book aside.)

在第一个句子中，put up 是短语动词。在第二个句子中，put 是动词，而 up 既不是小品词也不是介词，而只是一个副词。（比较 I'll put the book down 或 I'll put the book aside。）

Don't confuse the term phrasal verbs with the similar term verb phrase.

不要将术语 phrasal verbs（短语动词）与类似的术语 verb phrase（动词短语）混淆。

POINTS FOR WRITERS 写作要点

1. When to use active and passive verbs. 何时使用主动和被动动词

Active voice sentences are often more effective than passive voice sentences. The active voice is usually more concise and direct. Compare these two sentences:

主动语态句子通常比被动语态句子更有效。主动语态通常更简洁、更直接。比较这两个句子：

Chris is reading The Lord of the Rings for the second time. The Lord of the Rings is being read by Chris for the second time.

In the first sentence, the subject is actively performing the action. The sentence is clearly about Chris, not the book, so it's a reasonable choice to make Chris the subject.

在第一个句子中，主语积极地执行着动作。句子明显是关于 Chris 的，而不是关于书的，所以让 Chris 成为主语是一个合理的选择。

But there are times when we do want to focus on the recipient of the action, as in this passive sentence, which we might see in our newspapers or hear in a broadcast:

但有时我们确实想要聚焦于动作的接受者，如下面这个被动句，我们可能在报纸上看到或在广播中听到：

A convenience store on Fifth Street was robbed last night. 第五街的一家便利店昨晚被抢劫了。

If the writer does not yet know who performed this action, the passive may well be the better choice here. (Of course, we might also write Someone robbed a convenience store . . .)

如果作者还不知道谁执行了这个动作，被动语态在这里很可能是更好的选择。（当然，我们也可以写 Someone robbed a convenience store . . .）

Consider this example:

考虑这个示例：

John F. Kennedy was elected President in 1960. 约翰·F·肯尼迪于 1960 年当选总统。

We all know that American voters, or a substantial number of them, elected Kennedy, and the writer may be intending to focus on Kennedy, not the electorate. The passive voice makes sense here.

我们都知道美国选民，或者说其中的相当一部分人，选举了肯尼迪，而作者可能意在聚焦于肯尼迪，而非全体选民。被动语态在这里是有意义的。

Although the passive certainly has its uses, prefer the active voice unless you have a good reason for the passive.

虽然被动语态当然有其用途，但优先使用主动语态，除非你有充分的理由使用被动语态。

EXERCISES 练习

14a. Rewrite the following passive voice sentences as active voice sentences, as in this example:

将下列被动语态句子改写为主动语态句子，如以下示例所示：

PASSIVE: I was given a prescription by my doctor. ACTIVE: My doctor gave me a prescription.

  1. Your letter was received by me.
  2. I was made happy by your letter.
  3. I was given instructions today by my supervisor.
  4. My last essay was given a C by my English teacher.
  5. I was seen at the mall by Cheryl.
  6. The mail was delivered by the postman at noon.
  7. After the symphony was played beautifully by the orchestra, the composer was praised by the critics.

14b. In the passive sentences above, locate, underline, and identify the passive complements: the direct object (DO), the predicate adjective (PA), and the predicate nominative (PN), as in this example:

在上面的被动句中，找到、画线并识别被动补足语：直接宾语（DO）、表语形容词（PA）和表语名词（PN），如以下示例所示：

PASSIVE: I was given a prescription by my doctor last night. (DO)

14c. Distinguish phrasal verbs from verbs followed by prepositional phrases, as in these examples:

区分短语动词和动词后跟介词短语，如以下示例所示：

I'll turn on the television. [Phrasal verb / 短语动词] That new car can turn on a dime. [Verb with prepositional phrase / 动词带介词短语]

  1. We'll turn off the highway at the next exit. Please turn off the radio.
  2. The news comes on at 10 pm. The gifts came on Christmas Eve.
  3. The pumpkin turned into a beautiful coach. We'll turn into this driveway.
  4. We will now take up the collection. They took the dresser up the stairs.
  5. He called out to her before she drove away. He called out the window.