常見詞或詞組有: not, never, rarely, little, hardly, seldom, on no account, by no means, neither, nor …
因此,對于倒裝句“…not until the second of December did they kill their first elk.”來說,第一步先把句子變成正常語序,即把not的位置還原,第二步再理解句子。那么這個句子就變成“…they did not kill their first elk until the second of December。” “not…until”表示“直到……才”,因此句子意思為:他們直到第二年的十二月才殺死了第一批麋鹿。
2.當“only+狀語”位于句首時表強調(diào)使用倒裝。
備考資料例句:Only recently have investigators considered using these plants to clean up soil and waste sites…(練習題5-1 Minerals and Plants)
解析:該句是only+recently(時間狀語)位于句首引起的倒裝,因此該句變成正常語序為:“Investigators have only recently considered using these plants to clean up soil and waste sites…”,意思為:研究人員最近才考慮使用這些植物清理土壤和垃圾場。
3.為加強語氣“so/such…that”結(jié)構(gòu)中的so或such位于句首時用倒裝。
備考資料例句:“So admired were these pieces that they encouraged the development of earthenware made in imitation of porcelain and instigated research into the method of their manufacture.(練習題10-1 Chinese Pottery)
解析:該句是“so…that”結(jié)構(gòu)中的so位于句首引起的倒裝,因此該句變成正常語序為:“These pieces were so admired that they encouraged the development of earthenware made in imitation of porcelain and instigated research into the method of their manufacture.”意思為:這些藝術(shù)品受到極高的贊賞,于是他們鼓勵制陶來仿制瓷器,并激勵人們研究制作方法。
4.主語較長,為使句子平衡或強調(diào),倒裝表語或狀語
這種倒裝句通常是介詞短語、形容詞(短語)和分詞(短語)位于句首。
如:
By his sides is his wife who is very elegant and beautiful.(在他旁邊是他美麗優(yōu)雅的妻子)
Green are the clouds in the sky and faded are leaves on the ground.(碧云天,黃葉地)
Sitting in the class are students who come from all across the China.(坐在教室里的學生來自中國各地)
備考資料例句:Missing until recently were fossils clearly intermediate, or transitional, between land mammals and cetaceans.(備考指導 The Origins of Cetaceans)
解析:該句的主語是“fossils clearly intermediate, or transitional, between land mammals and cetaceans.”其中“intermediate, or transitional, between land mammals and cetaceans”(哺乳動物和海洋鯨魚之間過渡性)是“fossils”的定語。由于該句主語過長,為了使句子平衡,把表語“Missing until recently”置于句首引起倒裝句。該句變成正常語序為:“Fossils clearly intermediate, or transitional, between land mammals and cetaceans were missing until recently.”意思為“哺乳動物和海洋鯨魚之間過渡性的化石現(xiàn)在找到了。”
5. 如果虛擬條件句的謂語部分含有were, had, 或should, 可以把他們放到句首,省略連詞if,變成倒裝句。
備考資料例句1:In contrast, should another ice age occur, sea level would drop drastically.(練習題15-3 Glacier Formation)
解析:對于這種倒裝句的處理是:第一步,把if還原;第二部,理解句子。因此if還原之后該句變成:“In contrast, if another ice age should occur, sea level would drop drastically.”由if引導的從句“should occur”的使用可知,該句是對將來的虛擬。意思為:對比之下,如果再次發(fā)生冰川世紀,海平面將會大大下降
備考資料例句2:Their significance may have remained clear had the Chinese not come under foreign influence.(練習題10-1 Chinese Pottery 11題)