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六、名词所有格

105 所有格指名词加上“'”,如dog's,John's,teachers'。它们虽然由名词构成,却和形容词差不多。因此,名词所有格在本书中未列在名词一章中讨论,而放在形容词这一章中,作为一种特殊的形容词来考虑。

A.所有格构成法

106 1.单数名词的所有格一般在其后面加“'s”。

the boy's dog,the gentleman's hat,my father's friend,Smith's kind-ness,one day's trip

以-s结尾的名词,在其后面加“'s”。

the hostess's sons,the boss's secretary,Chambers's readers,St.James's Palace,King Charles's reign

以-es结尾的古代人名仅在后面加“'”。

Ceres'rites,Xerxes'fleet,Achilles'wrath

以-is,-es,-us结尾的古代人名仅在后面加“'”,但也可加“'s”。

Adonis'bane,Venus'image,Judas'betrayal,Atlas'daughter

以-ce,-ss结尾且后面跟有sake的词仅在后面加“'”。

for appearance'(or conscience',goodness',righteousness')sake

107 2.复数名词后一般仅加“'”。

My parents' friends were all rich.

The dogs' eyes look fierce.

又如the prisoners'camp,that wasps'nest,a fools'paradise,her girls'school(单数主体词);seven prisoners'camps,those writers's styles(复数主体词)。

例外情况:children's,men's,women's(这些是不规则的复数形式)

108 3.短语或其他词组在最后面加“'s”。

the king of England's crown,my son-in-law's house,the President-elect's speech,Alexanders the Great's conquest(头衔)(不要说the King's of England crown,my son's-in-law house)

his brother George's wife,Mr.Wang the headmaster's decision(同位语)(不要说his brother's George's wife,Mr.Wang's the headmaster decision)

(They borrowed)each other's books;some(or no,every)one's affair,somebody else's affair.(指示性代词)

The man you introduced to me's wife(is a teacher of English).(I for-get)what is his name's address.(包含从句的结构)

如果两个名词代表两个人,则有下面情况:

Wang's and Lee's houses=Wang's house and Lee's(各有一栋房子)

the seller's and buyer's rights

Wang and Lee's house(共有的房子)

the students and teachers'interest

her and her brother's friends(不好)=her friends and her brother's(较好)=hers and her brother's friends(文气)=her friends and those of her brothers(最好)

Mary's baby's face(不好)=the face of Mary's baby(较好)

John's friend's business(不好)=the business of the friend of John(较好)=the business of John's friend(最好)

B.名词所有格所指东西

109 名词所有格中的名词可以指人、各种东西等。最常见的有下面几种。

1.指人。

His Highness's health,my brother's job,John's desk

110 2.指动物,尤其是较大的、具有人的某些特点的动物。

the dog's tail,the horse's neighing,the lion's mane

111 3.指人格化的庄严的地方、集体或东西。

地方:the world's future,the country's good,the earth's surface,the city's population,the State's history,the globe's centre,India's policy,London's life,Honolulu's All Way Yacht Harbor

集体:the university's students,her sex's right,the Conservative's opinion,the church's doctrine,our bank's investments,the University of California's Music School

自然界的某些东西:the sun's rays,the mountain's brow,the ocean's roar,the river's bank,nature's work,the wind's sighing,the moon's rising

具有特别意思的某些事物(具体或抽象的事物):the brain's function,the book's importance,the car's history,the treaty's signing,a word's structure,Death's door,fortune's smile,duty's call,life's struggle,wisdom's ways,science's influence,the mind's development

注:其他代表无生命东西的名词不宜加所有格词尾“'s”,而应用of引出的短语来表示所有关系,如不能说the book's cover或the tables'legs,只能说the cover of the book或the legs of the tables。在有些情况下可用更简单的形式,如book cover或table legs。

112 4.表示时间、距离、价值、重量。

时间:two years'time,three months'duration,(a)seven years'war,(a)three days'absence,his five minutes'walk,a moment's notice,a good night's rest,today's news,yesterday's lessons,last week's meeting,our next month's journey,the week's(or year's)end

距离:a cable's length,a stone's throw,a needle's point,a hand's span,a hair's breadth,the razor's edge,(a)thirty miles'march,(a)two hours'walk(or flight,drive,ride,sail)

价值:a dollar's worth(of apples),thirty pounds'value

重量:a pound's weight,two tons'weight

113 5.表示家、商店、机构。这时,主体词常省略。

(1)家(住处):my uncle's,Mr.Eliot's,the shoe-maker's,Wang's,Schuman's

(2) 商店:the grocer's',the tobacconists,the carpenter's,the florist's,a large photographer's,a well-managed baker's,three grocers'(that are full of customers),Dr.Lee's',Robinsons(or Robinsons,Ro-binson Ltd.);Palmer's(or Palmer Company.--,Palmers the booksellers),Wallis'(or Wallis,Wallis's—Name in-s has 3 forms)

(3) 机构:St.Andrew's(Church),St.James's(Palace),St.Paul's(Ca-thedral),St.John's(College),Warner's(Cinema),St.Paul's (Hospital),St.Mary's(Abbey)

114 6.表示船只。

the ship's captain(or cook,doctor,cabin),the boat's crew(or head),the vessel's course(or departure)

115 7.在某些习用语中有名词所有格。

out of harm's way,in his mind's eye,to his heart's content(or desire,delight),for form's(or god's,mercy's,brevity's,pity's,shame's,art's,her)sake,his father's son(=he),everyone's mother's son(=every-one)

116 8.其他情况。

Mary's letter(=the letter FROM Mary)

Japan's history(=the history CONCERNING Japan)

Justice's battle(=the battle FORjustice)

Paris's painters(=the painters IN Paris)

Queen's College(=the College CALLED Queen)

Mary's party(=the party GIVEN by Mary)

John's dinner(=the dinner ENJOYED by John)

Charles's defeat(=the defeat EXPERIENCED by Charles)

C.名词所有格后主体词所指东西

117 名词所有格后的主体词可以表示各种不同的东西。

1.人或某动物所有的东西。

the boy's pencil,John's workers,Uncle's dog,my sister's old friend,the animal's master,the dog's wife

118 2.某人创造的东西或某动物制作的东西(某人或某动物由名词所有格表示,以下各节均如此)。

Shaw's plays,Disney's film,Webster's dictionary,Schubert's serenade,Shakespeare's Hamlet ,Dickens's David Copperfield ,Charlie Chaplin's City Lights ,John's exercise,Mary's cakes,the printer's error,a bird's nest,bee's wax

119 3.某人使用的东西。

beginner's lessons,a judge's wig,ladies'dress,children's hospital,the women's weekly(比较a lunatic asylum,a cow house,a mouse trap)

120 4.某人或某动物具有的东西(比如身体的一部分等),也可指某物的一部分。

John's face,my father's legs,the scientist's brain,the dog's eyes,goat's meat,the lion's heart.

He is at his wit's(or life's,journey's)end.He has English at his fingers'ends(or tips).He lives near the town's end(or the water's edge,the wood's edge,the city's centre,the hill's foot,the river's head,the mountain's top,the river's mouth,the mountain's side).They are at sword's points.

121 5.某人或某动物的某个(些)特点或状态。

John's folly,Mary's kindness,my dog's ability,the pig's laziness,Lee's attitude,aunt's bad luck(所含主体词多由形容词演变而来,如folly由foolish变来,kindness由kind变来,等等)

122 6.某人或某动物的动作(由名词或动名词表示)。

John's appearance(or decision,statement,progress,death,imagination,thought,arriving,jumping,sleeping)(主体词多由不及物动词转变而来,如appearance和decision分别由appear,decide变来)

123 7.某人或某动物承受的动作。

John killed Charles,and everyone worried about John's punishment (=the fact that John will be punished).

John's loss(or treatment,murder,praise,education)(主体词多由及物动词转变而来,如loss,treatment分别由lose,treat转变而来)

Help及其同义词也可以这样用,表示承受的动作。

He came(or hurried,ran,rushed)to Mary's help (or aid,defence,assis - tance,rescue ).

这类主体词也可表示某人或某动物的动作。

John says he must punish Charles,and we worry about John's punish - ment

如果表示一个无生命东西承受的动作,前面只能用its或their,而不能用名词所有格。

I have delivered the money,and John has received it. Its delivery and its receipt (不是the money's receipt)was witnessed by three persons.

承受的动作也可用动名词的被动形式表示。

John's being punished (or being murdered,being praised )was true.

D.名词所有格的特指与类别的作用

124 如果所有格中的名词表示某一特定的人、动物或其他特定的东西,这个所有格即有特指的作用(Specifying)。

my father's house,John's dog,London's population,yesterday's lessons(可以指出是“谁的”或“哪个的”)

如果表示某类人或东西,它就具有表类别的作用(Classifying)。

the doctor's degree,a fool's errand,printer's ink,the traveler's check,a driver's license,collector's items,Mother's Day,the bull's eye,a snail's pace,a cat's paw,death's door,sheep's eyes,their dog's life,a good night's rest(这时无法指出是“谁的”或“哪个的”)

表特指的名词所有格和表类别的名词所有格,其名词都可有复数形式。

my parents' friends,those children's habit,my relatives' houses,the prisoners' camp,a fools' paradise,her girls' school,the thieves'den,two thieves. dens

这两类名词所有格的重音有所不同。

125 表特指的名词所有格不像表类别的名词所有格那样和主体名词有紧密的联系,表类别的名词所有格常和其主体词构成一个词组。在某些情况下,表类别的名词所有格和主体词由连字号“-”连接起来,甚至写成一个词,有些甚至有特别的意思。

craftsman

salesman

townsman

tradeswoman

ratsbane

coxcomb(虚荣的人)

crow's-nest(船桅顶上的平台)

cat's-paw(供别人使用的工具,爪牙)

bull's-eye(靶心)

monk's-hood(一种植物的名称)

126 表特指的名词所有格大多可由介词of引起的短语代替,而表类别的名词所有格却大多不宜用of引起的短语代替。

her mother's friend=the friend of her mother

the dog's legs=the legs of the dog

his thirty years' work=his work of thirty years

the ten minutes'silence=the silence of ten minutes

但是,her mother's heart(慈母心肠)不能用the heart of her mother代替,our dog's life(猪狗般的生活)也不能由the life of our dog代替,the doctor's degree(博士学位)也不宜由the degree of the doctor代替。

127 表特指的名词所有格前的形容词(限定性或描绘性的)都修饰该名词所有格,而表类别的名词所有格前的形容词却修饰主体词,或者说修饰由名词所有格和主体词构成的整个短语。

(续表)

在少数情况下,形容词修饰后面名词所有格,并与之构成习用语。

an old wives .tale(an修饰tale,old修饰wives)

my seven years' service

the happy New Year's Eve (happy修饰Eve,而New修饰year)

her weary old maid's smile

those terrible madman's smiles

128 表类别的名词所有格更多说明品质,因此有时可用形容词代替。

a devil's (=devilish)trick

his woman's (=womanish)heart

my fool's (=foolish)errand

the snail's (=slow)pace

a giant's (=great)stride

a moment's (=momentary)delusion

129 有些名词所有格可以理解为特指的,也可理解为类别的。

E.名词所有格的位置

130 根据在句中的位置,名词所有格可分为5类。

131 1.放在主体词(即它所修饰的名词)前的名词所有格称为前置名词所有格(Pre-Possessives)。可以是特指的,也可以表类别。前面涉及的例子几乎全属于这类。

132 2.有些名词所有格所修饰的主体词可省略掉(因为这个主体词刚刚提过或即将提到),称为独立名词所有格(Absolute Possessives)。

My son is in England and John's is in Germany.(因为son刚刚提到过,省略以避免重复)

Mary's lessons are harder than Helen's

A boy's character is different from a girl's (or that of a girl ).

The dog's manner seems better than the cat's (or that of the cat ).

John's books are difficult. Mary's (or those of Mary )are easy.

John's is a good house .(省略的词有时在后面出现,较文气的用法)

Hitler's was a policy to conquer the world.

I prefer John's to Mary's handwriting

133 3.表示房子、商店或建筑物等的主体词可以省掉,名词所有格单独用,这时称为地点名词所有格(Local Possessives)。

I went to Uncle's before I stayed at John's .(房子)

I bought it at a grocer's (or the tobacconist's ,a large photographer's ).(商店)

I went to St.Andrew's (church), St.James's (Palace), Warner's (Cine-ma)and some other places.(建筑物)

Harrod's (or Longman's )is(or are)near at hand.(商店名称可看作单数,也可看作复数)

134 4.放在主体词及of后的名词所有格称为后置名词所有格(Post-Posses-sives)。在主体词前有限定性形容词修饰时,常可像下面这样用:

this friend of John's

any (great)work of Shakespeare's

no (serious)fault of the doctor's

Which book of my brother's?

three daughters of my dog's

a son of John's(常见)

(good) books of Mary's(少见)

that good dog of Mary's

all (strong)men of William's

such (short)legs of this animal's

What mistakes of my sister's?

so many tricks of this horse's

the son of John's(少见)

(good) wine of my uncle's(少见)

注:这时名词所有格中的名词必须指某一特定的人,主体词不能是专有名词。

这类用法常常表示“一部分”,如this friend of John's可以暗含John还有别的朋友,three daughters of Mary's说明Mary的女儿不止3个。但有时并无此种含义,如this Hamlet of Shakespeare's并不表示莎士比亚写了两本或更多的《哈姆雷特》。上下文可以表明是否有这种含义。

一般说来,John's son比the son of John's好,因为更简练,但John's most intelligent son似乎不如the most intelligent son of John's好,John's books for children似乎不及the books of John's for children。主体词若有一个短语和从句修饰,用后置名词所有格似乎比用前置名词所有格好。

在下面的用法中,“of+普通格名词”要比“of+后置名词所有格”好。

a good friend of my father(不是father's)(没有表示“一部分”的意图)

that play of Shakespeare(不是Shakespeare's)(没有表示“一部分”的意图)

a friend of my brother(不是brother's), Dr.Johnson (这时of的宾语后跟有一组同位语)

this friend of John's brother(不是brother's)(这时前面还有一个名词所有格)

Some friends of my sister(不是sister's) who knows the Mayor .(这时后面跟有一个从句)

every friend of my brother and or )my sister(这时后面跟有一个由and或or引起的短语)

all friends of my family (这时宾语为一集体名词)

135 5.放在系动词后,以主语为主体词的名词所有格称为主语名词所有格(Predicate Possessives)。

This house is my aunt's .(aunt's=aunt's house)

Everything is God's

His manner cannot be a gentleman's

名词所有格间或放在It is后及一个不定式之前,表示特权或义务,这是一种比较文气的用法,平常用得很少。

It is John's (obligation)to pay the rent.

It is John's (privilege)to use the house.

It will be Mary's to cook and obey.

It is man's to work and suffer.

It will be children's to enjoy what their parents have accomplished.

F.所有格还是普通格?

136 前面谈到名词所有格可有特指和类别两种作用。为了避免误解,一些类别的名词所有格可以去掉“'s”,成为普通名词。

名词所有格在指人时,偶尔把“'s”去掉。

her angel air

a pirate ship

a Peter Pan ride

the sick(作名词)ward

a mother heart

his baby face

the non-partisan view

that bachelor life

the retired(作名词)list

scientist eyes

指动物时,省掉“'s”时更多一些。

the rabbit hole

an eagle eye

his serpent tongue

the tortoise gait

that lion heart

the eagle noise

若指无生命的东西,通常都可省掉。

a country dance

our village church

the bed-foot(or-head)

a newspaper office

the finger-end

the space ship

the morning hours

the pin-point

the kitchen door

the boat-head

137 类别的名词所有格,如名词为复数,其“'”有时可以省略。

the ladies' waiting room=the ladies waiting room

the savings' bank=the savings bank

the servants' hall=the servants hall

138 特指的名词所有格和普通格名词间意义上的差别不难看出。

139 在表示地方的专有名词词组中,用法不是很统一。在以人名开头的这类地名中,有些用名词所有格,有些用普通格名词。

但若人名前有冠词the,就只能用普通格名词。

the Hudson River

the Johnson House

the Higgins Company

the Huntington Library

the Garrick Theatre

the Washington Monumentthe Albert Hall

如地名不是用人名开始,都用普通格。

Pearl Harbor

Waterloo Bridge

Petticoat Lane

Nanking Road

如名词所有格中名词为复数形式,通常不加“'s”。

All Souls College

the United States Navy

140 如果前面名词表示一段时间,而且是特指性的,可以用所有格形式,但这多见于书面语。

autumn's sunshine

Friday's party

December's snow

the morning's meeting

如果名词是表类别的,用普通格时更多些。

an autumn holiday

every January night

my morning lesson

her night attire

如果名词表示一段时间,两种形式都可以用。

如果名词表示一个时间单位,则只能用所有格形式。

an hour's notice

a moment's hesitation

下面三种形式意思差不多:

a trade union=a trade's union=a trades union

woman suffrage=woman's suffrage=women's suffrage

G.用of短语还是用名词所有格?

141 应当说John's pictures还是pictures of John?说the fly's wings还是the wings of the fly?对这个问题下面将详细讨论。为了方便,我们把John's,of John,fly's,of fly通通称作修饰语(Modifiers),把pictures和wings称作主体词。

142 如修饰语有下面情况,用介词短语比用名词所有格好。

a.表示无生命东西:the window of the house (不能说the house's win-dow),the colour of the car ,the leaves of the tree ,the price of glory

b.表示较低级动物:the head of the ant (不是the ant's head),the wings of the fly ,the habit of the snail

c.在科学论著或客观叙述中,表示家畜:The ears of the dog can hear what we can't hear。

d.表示时间:the sunshine of autumn ,the debate of Sunday ,the breakfast of that morning (Autumn's sunshine,Sunday's debate在书面语中用得多些)。

e.集体名词:the capital of the firm (比the firm's capital好),a member of this society ,some students of this class

f.“the+形容词”:the misfortune of the blind (不能说the blind's misfor-tune),the future of the young ,the mystery of the unknown ,the uprising of the oppressed

g.复数名词:the car of my brothers ,the books of his teachers (my brothers' car和his teachers' books比较文气,但表类别的名词所有格很常见,如a women's magazine,men's dress,a thieves'den)。

h.一系列名字:a friend of John,Richard and William ,the policy of Eng - land or the U.S .。

i.指示代词:the inside of this (or that ),the opinion of all (or some,both ),the house of each ,the good of all ,the tragedy of both (但可说somebody's task,anyone's duty,nobody's business,another's view,one's habit)。

j.代词并表示鄙视:the air of him ,the gait of her ,the faces of them ,the pride of you (his air,her gait等不表示鄙视)。

k.带冠词a的名词:the eyes of a child (比a child's eyes好),the love of a girl ,children of a poor mother (可参阅112,124节)。

l.有名词所有格修饰的名词:a friend of Mary's uncle (不要说a Mary's uncle's friend),the picture of John's dog

m.跟有定语的名词:the daughter of a millionaire comingfrom Paris ,the situation of the youngest member of the Kim family ,the death of John who has been a bankerfor twenty years ,the son of Mr.Johnson,manager of America Company

n.受到强调的名词:the works of Dickens (更强调Dickens's works中的Dickens),the rise and fall of the Roman Empire

o.为主体词(表示动作的名词)意义上的宾语:

I don't like the sight of (=to see)John(作意义上的宾语).(John's sight=John的视力)

I don't like the look of (=to look at)him.

The thought of (=To consider)this matter makes me shudder.

She will be the death of (=kill)William.

如主体词有下面情况,用介词短语比用名词所有格好。

p.表示画像之类东西:the portrait (or that effigy ,any likeness ,no im - age ,every bust of (=representing)Hitler(Hitler's portrait=the por-trait belonging to or drawn by Hitler)。

q.表示承受对象的动作:John's denial of his crime(John denies his crime),Mary's love of dogs,William's murder of a rich man(William murders a rich man),a rich man's murder of William(a rich man mur-ders William)。

r.用来表示一部分:a son (可能不止一个儿子)of Dr.Whitestone's, fol - lowers (可能指追随者中的一部分)of Mr.Kim's(Dr.Whitestone's son=his only son or the particular son you know;Mr.Kim's followers=all his followers)。

s.前面有一限定词: a (good) friend of John, some (interesting) books of Mary, any (great) play of Shakespeare, ten (exciting) stories of Mau-passant[比a John's(good)friend,Mary's some interesting books,etc.要好一些]。

143 如果主体词有以下情况,用名词所有格比用of短语好。

a.跟有一个同位语:the boy's teacher, Miss Shaw (the teacher of the boy,Miss Shaw);my teacher's book, Romeo and Juliet

b.跟有自己的修饰语:Johnson's statement about his firm ,Tolstoy's novels that are still read today

c.为一系列名词:John's wife and children ,Mary's praise or rebuke

d.受到强调:that gentleman's manners ,his son's great success ,(I request)John's pardon (or excuse )(在the manners of that gentleman中,manners不受强调)。

如果修饰语有下述情况,用名词所有格也是比用of短语好。

e.为一表动作名词意义上的主语,该名词后又跟有of短语:John's(意义上的主语) treatment (表动作名词)of the servant (意义上的宾语)(John treats the servant),the city's opinion of the mayor, Mary's praise of John,the student's summary of the story, John's opening of his new store。

f.为一表动作名词意义上的主语或宾语,而该名词后又不跟of短语:John's treatment(John treats others or others treat John),Mary's praise,David's support(or murder,promotion,judgment,condemnation)。

H.其他介词短语

144 有时其他不表示部分关系的介词短语可以用来代替名词所有格或of短语。

在表示同情或喜欢的名词后,for可用来代替of。

His opposition(or dislike,enmity,antipathy,objection,repugnance,men-ace) to Mary is untrue.(to可用来代替of,表示反对关系)

但在enemy,stranger,prey这类名词前常有a或no。

He is an(or no)enemy(or foe,friend) to justice.

He is a(or no)stranger(or party,accessory) to this affair.

He fell a victim(or prey,slave) to love,died a martyr to love.(比较:He became the victim,prey,or slave of love.)

To也可用在前面带有an或no的表示荣辱的名词后。

He is a(or no)credit(or discredit,honor,disgrace,blessing,curse,boon,calamity,ornament,stain,burden) to his family(or mankind).

To可用在同位语后面。

John,son(同位语) to Mr.Smith;Mrs.Lo,secretary to Dr.Ho;this card,a free ticket to the show

I.结束语

145 在本单元结束时有一个问题也许值得谈一谈。根据有关名词及形容词所做的讨论,一个名词可以至少有5种方式来修饰另一名词。其中有些是正确的,有些是错误的,有些只是在特定的上下文中是正确的,我们必须选择正确的形式。例如:

大家可以根据前面的讨论试做选择。 omJSlk44rrPUIL1xjkHV0hrk9J82M9h+Jy7ZhddcB7CV1hAAFmqEyr+gxlxnw4gW

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