因果關(guān)系是在英文寫作時(shí)最常用到的一種邏輯關(guān)系,然而表現(xiàn)因果關(guān)系的句子也最容易出現(xiàn)文法、修辭的錯(cuò)誤。這里我們就來(lái)分析一下表示因果關(guān)系的句子中容易犯的錯(cuò)誤,以及怎樣才是符合文法、修辭要求的作法。
接下來(lái),我們結(jié)合三個(gè)例子來(lái)進(jìn)行總結(jié):
狀況一:
X(不佳):The reason why he wouldn’t go to the wedding is because the bride was once his girlfriend.
他不愿參加婚禮的原因是新娘曾是他的女友。
這個(gè)句子的文法修辭問(wèn)題不止一處。
首先,the reason 和why 同樣表示“原因”,這種重復(fù)在修辭上不夠經(jīng)濟(jì),可省去關(guān)系詞 why,或者以連接詞 that 取代,成為:
X(不佳):The reason (that) he wouldn’t go to the wedding is because the bride was once his girlfriend.
這樣修改之后仍不理想,原因之一是 the reason 和 because 仍然重復(fù)表達(dá)“原因”,應(yīng)再精簡(jiǎn)。
如果把the reason去掉,成為:
X(不佳):He wouldn’t go to the wedding is because the bride was once his girlfriend.
如此雖然解決了重復(fù)的問(wèn)題,可是仍不理想,主要是 because the bride was once his girlfriend 這個(gè)子句 卻在be動(dòng)詞后面 作主語(yǔ)補(bǔ)語(yǔ)使用,這是文法上的錯(cuò)誤。
亦即,because 引導(dǎo)的副詞子句 不應(yīng)該放在be動(dòng)詞后面的補(bǔ)語(yǔ)位置,前者為果、后者為因的“因果關(guān)系”。
要表達(dá)這種關(guān)系,最直截了當(dāng)?shù)馗臑椋?
√ He wouldn’t go to the wedding because the bride was once his girlfriend.
或者:
√ The reason he wouldn’t go to the wedding is that the bride was once his girlfriend.
比較這兩句,可發(fā)現(xiàn)前者比較簡(jiǎn)潔(字?jǐn)?shù)較少),這是它的優(yōu)點(diǎn)。
后者雖然字?jǐn)?shù)較多,可是能夠發(fā)揮 加強(qiáng)預(yù)期的功能(強(qiáng)調(diào)他不去的原因何在)。
既然有特殊的修辭功能,就不能說(shuō)是冗長(zhǎng),因而也是一個(gè)可能的選擇。
狀況二:
X(不佳):The electric car is not yet a practical alternative to the gasoline car, the reason being that there are not many charging stations around.
電動(dòng)車還不是汽油車之外的實(shí)際選擇,原因在于充電站并不普 遍。
這個(gè)句子中,the reason being that... 是 because the reason is that 的簡(jiǎn)化。
它的主語(yǔ) the reason 與主要子句主詞 the electric car 不同,所以在簡(jiǎn)化時(shí)要保留。
這種處理方式在文法上是正確的,然而從修辭上來(lái)看,the reason being that...稍顯冗長(zhǎng),不如改為 because 比較簡(jiǎn)潔:
√ The electric car is not yet a practical alternative to the gasoline car, (the reason being…) because there are not many charging stations around.
狀況三:
X(不佳):The crop failed due to excessive rain in the final weeks before harvest.
農(nóng)作物歉收,因?yàn)槭粘汕白詈髱讉€(gè)星期雨水過(guò)多。
這個(gè)句子不佳,因?yàn)樵~類有錯(cuò)誤。
Due的詞類是形容詞,而英文的形容詞是用來(lái)修飾名詞的,只有兩種位置可以使用:
1. 名詞詞組中,例如 in due time(到了恰當(dāng)?shù)臅r(shí)間);
2. 補(bǔ)語(yǔ)位置,例如 The books are due.(書到期該換了)
在上面的句子中,用形容詞詞組 due to... 來(lái)修飾動(dòng)詞 failed 的原因,是誤把形容詞當(dāng)副詞用,屬于文法錯(cuò)誤。
可以這樣改:
√ The crop failed was due to excessive rain in the final weeks before harvest.