英语写作技巧：英语句子中的四种非连续成分

我们都知道，英语⼤多数陈述句都采⽤SVO这种线性结构(linear structure)，各成分之间的语法关系是靠语序来体现的，为了准确地表达句⼦中各成分之间的语法关系，避免歧义，⼈们在写英语句⼦时⼀般要遵循相邻原则(principle of adjacency)，即语法关系密切的两个成分应处于相邻的位置。但是，在实际运⽤中有时⼈们并不遵循这⼀原则，两个应该相邻成分之间被其它成分分隔，构成含⾮连续成分(discontinuous constituents)的句式。例如：

　　⑴A wild yell of jubilation to their surprise, went up suddenly from two dozen throats and pandemonium of joy ensued.　　--F. S. Fitzgerald: The Diamond as Big as the Ritz

　　⑵But here on the same road you might have seen among these heavy men a being lithe…　　--J. Conrad: Amy Foster

　　⑶Indeed, if readers find the introduction hard going, they should read just the last section, then plunge into the body ofthe book, and return to Chapter I when puzzles arise about the general nature of the field.　　--S. C. Levinson: Pragmatics

　　⑷As soon as they were gone, Elisabeth walked out to recover her spirits, or in other words, to dwell, withoutinterpretation on those subjects that deaden then more.　　--J. Austen: Pride and Prejudice

　　上⾯⼏个都是含⾮连续成分的句⼦，但⾮连续成分的构成情况各不相同。例⑴句⼦中的主语A wild yell of jubilation和谓语went up被状语to their surprise分隔，构成主谓⾮连续成分，例⑵中谓语动词might have seen和宾语a being被状语amongthese heavy men分隔，构成动宾语⾮连续成分。例⑶中的中⼼词puzzles和修饰语被分句的谓语arise分隔，构成名词中⼼词和后置修饰⾮连续成分。例⑷不定式动词to dwell和该动词词组的⼩品词分隔，构成动词副词⼩品词⾮连续成分。

　　在上⾯四种⾮连续成分中，最多见的是中⼼词和后置修饰语⾮连续成分，这种连续成分⽐较复杂。除上⾯例⑶讲的中⼼词和介词短语修饰语以外，还有以下各种情况。

　　1、中⼼词是句⼦的主语，其修饰语是关系分句，这个关系分句的主语⼜是关系代词，这种关系分句往往可与中⼼词分隔。例如：

　　Some things have been done that ought to have been done long ago.　　2、中⼼词是主语或宾语，同时被两个后置修饰语修饰，其中⼀个修饰语　　把中⼼词和另⼀个修饰语分隔。例如：　　I've got something important to say.

　　There is a man downstairs who wants to see you.

　　The enterprises and property in China of the Japanese aggressors and the chief traitors were confiscated.　　Is there anything you want that you have not?

　　从这⼏个例句看，造成⾮连续成分产⽣的可能是形容词，副词后置修饰语，介词短语后置修饰语,关系分句后置修饰语等。

　　3、中⼼词是主语或宾语，状语或插⼊成分把中⼼词和修饰语分隔。例如：　　There are a lot of people at the bus stop waiting for the bus.　　They found a room there to put up for the night.

　　\"Here is the man, \" he said, \"who told us the good news yesterday.\"

　　at the bus stop, there都是状语，he said是插⼊成分，它们把中⼼词和修饰语分隔，产⽣了⾮连续成分。

　　4、中⼼词位于句⾸，⽽修饰它的后置修饰语⼜需置于谓语之后，两者不得不分开。这种情况多见于疑问代词作中⼼词的句⼦中。例如：

　　What did he want to say about it?　　Who is there to be criticized?

　　研究上⾯所举的所有例句，我们可以发现，英语句⼦中的⾮连续成分主要由两个原因造成的，⼀个是插⼊语导致产⽣⾮连续成分，另⼀个是为了使句⼦结构平衡，防⽌句⼦产⽣头重脚轻⽽产⽣了⾮连续成分。

　　含⾮连续成分的英语句⼦的运⽤，有时与修辞因素有关，即运⽤⾮连续成分是为了提⾼英语句⼦的修辞表达效果。含⾮连续成分的英语句⼦主要有以下⼏种修辞作⽤。　　1、保持句⼦结构平稳

　　由于⽤⽂字传递信息的需要，构成句⼦的各种成分可能会较复杂地交织在⼀起，这就不可避免地会导致句⼦结构不平衡的问题，违背句⼦末端加重(end weight)的原则。例如：

　　News that the rebels threatened to blow up the city came.

　　这个句⼦语法上应该是对的，但修辞效果⽆从谈起，句⼦的主语很长，谓语部分只有⼀个词，太短，句⼦头重脚轻，失去平衡。现在我们来看下列⼏例：

　　When a subject was accused of a crime important enough to interest the king, public notice was given that on anappointed day the fate of the accused person would be decided in the king's arena.　　 --F. Stockton: The Lady or the Tiger

　　We watched on TV the two astronauts walking on the moon.

　　I know of a place on that mountain where we can find this kind of plant.

　　这⼏个都是含⾮连续成分的句⼦，由于⾮连续成分的运⽤，按正常语序的句⼦所产⽣的弊端随之消失。句⼦结构平稳⾃然，语义严密，修辞效果显⽽易见。　　2、避免句⼦意思混淆

　　使⽤⾮连续成分有时可以避免句⼦意思混淆，请看下列例句：

　　※As I approached the stream I saw a tall man hastening toward me beyond it.

　　※Once married, the church considers that a couple has signed up for a lifetime contrast.

　　这两个句⼦的意思混淆，不合逻辑，原因是beyond it和once married这两个成分在句⼦中的位置不当。现在我们把它们改成如下形式：

　　As I approached the stream, I saw a tall man beyond it hastening toward me.

　　The church considers that a couple, once married, has signed for a lifetime contrast.

　　这两个都是含⾮连续成分的句⼦，第⼀个句⼦中宾语和宾语补⾜语被分隔，第⼆个句⼦中分句的主语和谓语被分隔，但两个句⼦都意思清楚，完全合乎逻辑，⾮连续成分在某些情况下的优点，在此也可见⼀斑了。　　3、使⾏⽂精炼，结构紧凑，⾔简意赅。

　　使⽤⾮连续成分有时并⾮为了句⼦结构平稳，也不是为了避免句⼦意思混淆，⽽是为了使⾏⽂精炼，句⼦结构紧凑，语⾔表达⾔简意赅。这类⾮连续成分多数是插⼊型⾮连续成分，即插⼊成分把本来应该相连的两个成分分隔。例如：

　　I shall propose several sorts of formulations and propose that such sub-collection structures of terms are a resource inthe sensitivity to topic of the selection of place formulations.　　--E. A. Schlegloff: Notes on a Conversational Practice

　　从语法上讲in the sensitivity to topic完全可以省略，但句⼦所含的信息量会随之减少，⽽这⼀信息在交际中却是⼗分必要的。运⽤⾮连续成分我们不但不觉得句⼦罗嗦，⽽且还觉得⾏⽂精确，结构紧凑，⾔简意赅。再如：

　　With the establishment during the last century and the flourishing during the present of a modern tradition in Americanliterature, the authority of English opinion and usage has diminished.　　--A. Baugh et al: A History of the English Language

　　显然，在这个句⼦中，⾮连续成分的运⽤与句⼦结构平衡有否⽆关，during the last century和during the present的运⽤主要是为了增加信息量，使信息更有效地传递。它们的运⽤并不给⼈冗赘的感觉，⽽是⾏⽂清晰精炼，结构严谨，语义表达确切严密。

　　不过，使⽤英语⾮连续成分切忌弄巧成拙，以免引起不必要的误解。例如：　　The only person beside the teacher who knew the matter was the monitor.

　　在这个句⼦中，beside the teacher的位置会导致句⼦的意思产⽣歧义，因为who knew the matter可理解为修饰person，也可理解为修饰teacher，实际上beside the teacher是状语，应置句⾸：Beside the teacher the only person who knew thematter was the monitor.再如：

　　Who is the man reading a newspaper next to the woman?

　　该句中，next to the woman可理解为man的后置修饰语，也可理解为newspaper的后置修饰语，句⼦是歧义句，意思含糊不清。应该换⼀种含⾮连续成分的句⼦来表达：Who is the man next to the woman reading a newspaper? 这个句⼦没有歧义，⾮连续成分的运⽤使句⼦语义表达清楚，这才是⾮连续成分运⽤的⽬的之⼀。