小議英語(yǔ)中特殊的否定現(xiàn)象

肖鈺敏　肖　華

一、形式肯定，意義否定

1. “too ... to ...”結(jié)構(gòu)，表示“太……以致不能……”。例如：

We are too tired to walk any farther. 我們太累不能再往前走。

She is too young to go to school. 他太小還不能上學(xué)。

注意：如果too后形容詞表示主語(yǔ)的狀態(tài)、心理活動(dòng)、情感態(tài)度，如glad，easy，ready, anxious, eager， willing， happy， etc.，并與其后的不定式構(gòu)成固定搭配，這時(shí)too含有肯定意義，表示“very, extremely”的意思。例如：

They are too anxious to know the result of the exam.他們極想知道考試結(jié)果。

Mr. Brown was too eager to see you. 布朗先生極想見(jiàn)到你。

Im too happy to meet you.見(jiàn)到你非常地高興。

2. “……否定詞 + but + 肯定形式的謂語(yǔ)”，意為“沒(méi)有……不……”。but是否定意義的關(guān)系代詞，相當(dāng)于who / that ... not ... 或without doing。例如：

In their class there is no one but hopes to go to university.

= In their class there is no one who does not hope to go to university. 在他們班沒(méi)有不希望上大學(xué)的人。

There is nobody but makes mistakes.

= There is nobody who doesnt make mistakes.人人都會(huì)犯錯(cuò)誤。

There is no parents but love their own children.

= There is no parents who dont love their own children.沒(méi)有不喜歡自己小孩的父母親。

二、形式否定，意義肯定

1. “cannot ．．． too ．．．” 意為“無(wú)論怎樣……也不過(guò)分；越……越好”。此結(jié)構(gòu)中的not可以換成 hardly，never或scarcely; too可以換成too much , over或enough，其意思不變。例如：

You cannot be too careful. (= You cannot be over careful. / You cannot be careful enough．)你越仔細(xì)越好。

A man can never have too many friends．朋友越多越好。

You can hardly be careful enough in choosing friends.擇友時(shí)越小心越好。

Lei Feng is such a great man that we cant praise him too much.雷鋒是一位非常偉大的人，我們無(wú)論怎樣表?yè)P(yáng)他都不過(guò)分。

2. cannot help doing （= cannot help but do）意為“不得不……；忍不住……”。例如：

We cannot help refusing her offer. （= We cannot help but refuse her offer.）我們不得不拒絕她的建議。

We cant help thinking Lei Feng is still alive.我們總是認(rèn)為雷鋒還活著。

3. hardly / scarcely / rarely…when …以及 no sooner … than 意為“一……就……”。使用此句型時(shí)應(yīng)注意：①主句用過(guò)去完成時(shí)態(tài)，從句用一般過(guò)去時(shí)態(tài)；②hardly / scarely / rarely / no sooner放在句首時(shí)，從句采用部分倒裝語(yǔ)序。例如：

They had hardly arrived when they started to work. （= Hardly had they arrived when they started to work.） 他們一到就開(kāi)始工作。

He had no sooner had supper when he went out. （= No sooner had he had supper than he went out.）他一吃完晚飯就出去了。

4. “主語(yǔ) ＋ 否定謂語(yǔ) ＋ until + 從句”，意為“ 直到……才……”。

I didnt work until he came back.他回來(lái)我才開(kāi)始工作。

She didnt fall asleep until (it was) twelve.

= Not until (it was) twelve did she fall asleep.

= It was not until (it was) twelve that she fell asleep.直到十二點(diǎn)，她才睡著。

三、形式上否定主句，意義上否定從句

1. appear, seem, feel, look, sound, taste, smell等動(dòng)詞，否定形式在主句，但是否定意義轉(zhuǎn)移到表語(yǔ)部分。例如：

It doesnt seem as if it is going to rain.好像天不會(huì)下雨。

It doesnt sound that this story is true.聽(tīng)起來(lái)這個(gè)故事不是真的。

2. think, believe, suppose, expect, imagine, feel, guess, fancy, assume, reckon, 等動(dòng)詞后面賓語(yǔ)從句的否定詞轉(zhuǎn)移到主句中，即主句的謂語(yǔ)動(dòng)詞用否定式，而從句的謂語(yǔ)動(dòng)詞用肯定式。例如：

I dont think she will arrive on time. 我想她不會(huì)按時(shí)到達(dá)的。

I dont believe he will come. 我相信他不會(huì)來(lái)。

3. 含有否定詞的原因狀語(yǔ)從句的主從復(fù)合句，在形式上雖然是否定主句的謂語(yǔ)，然而在意義上則是否定該原因狀語(yǔ)，意為“并不因?yàn)椤薄＠纾?/p>

The mountain is not valuable because it is high．山并不因?yàn)楦叨哂袃r(jià)值。（山不在高）

Galileo was not ready to accept it just because Aristotle had said so．伽利略并不會(huì)因?yàn)閬喞锼苟嗟抡f(shuō)過(guò)某事如何如何就輕易相信它。

四、其它幾種特殊的否定

1. ... not ... enough to do系雙重否定結(jié)構(gòu)，既否定enough前面的內(nèi)容，又否定后面的動(dòng)詞不定式。例如：

He is not old enough to go to school.他年齡不夠大不能去上學(xué)。

注意： ... enough not to do 只用來(lái)否定不定式。

2. 在appear, seem, happen（碰巧），chance（碰巧）， pretend, expect, intend, want, wish, plan, tend 等動(dòng)詞后面跟動(dòng)詞不定式時(shí)，如果要構(gòu)成否定句，否定詞not既可以放在這些動(dòng)詞之前，也可以放在后面的動(dòng)詞不定式之前，意義完全相同，即否定后面不定式的內(nèi)容。例如：

I didnt happen to be there． （＝ I happened not to be there．）我恰巧不在那兒。

He did not seem to notice us. （= He seemed not to notice us.）他似乎沒(méi)有注意到我們。

They didnt pretend to see me when I went by． （＝ They pretended not to see me when I went by．）當(dāng)我經(jīng)過(guò)的時(shí)候，他們假裝沒(méi)有看見(jiàn)我。

She does not appear to appreciate your talents. ( = She appears not to appreciate your talents.)她好像不賞識(shí)你的才能。

3. 不定代詞all， both， every及 every的復(fù)合詞，副詞always， often， entirely與 not一起使用時(shí)，表示部分否定，意思是“并非都是”，“不是每個(gè)人都”等。例如：

Every man cannot solve the problem．并非每個(gè)人都能解決這個(gè)問(wèn)題。

I dont entirely agree with them．我并不完全同意他們的意見(jiàn)。

She isnt often late for school.她并非經(jīng)常上學(xué)遲到。

注意：

1) 當(dāng)all， both， every等詞和帶im-，in-， un-，dis-等表示否定意義的前綴的詞連用時(shí)，表示全部否定的意義。例如：

All their answers are incorrect．他們所有的答案都不正確。

2) 表示全部否定時(shí)，我們常使用no， not， nobody， nothing， never， nowhere， neither等詞。例如：

None of them can swim．他們都不會(huì)游泳。

4. “no + 形容詞的比較級(jí) + than …” 意為“和……一樣不……（兩者皆否定）”。例如：

Alice is no more diligent than Mary. (= Alice is not diligent, nor is Mary.)艾莉絲和瑪麗一樣不用功。

5. not more ... than意為“并不比……更……”（兩者皆肯定，只是程度不同）。例如：

She is not more beautiful than her younger sister. 她并不比妹妹靚麗。

6. “ no more …than …” 意為“與……同樣不”。例如：

He can no more siwm that I can fly.他不會(huì)游泳就像我不會(huì)飛一樣。