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Transferred Negation
10让人“眩晕”的否定转移 |
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在学英语的过程中，很多人会将“我认为这不是个好主意。”这句话译为I think it isn't a good idea. 而看到这句英文时，很多人又会翻译成“我不认为这是个好主意”，但是我们从文字来看，前面是I think，而不是I don't think，所以，如果要表达“我不认为这是个好主意”，应该说：I don't think it's a good idea. 为什么大家会犯这个错误呢？其实这都是“否定转移”惹的祸。“否定转移”就是英语否定句形式上在句中某一部分（常在谓语部分），但在语义上却是否定另一部分的现象。
上面我们提到think这个词表达否定含义时用到了否定转移，其实像think这类表示主观意见和猜想的单词，会用到否定转移的单词还有很多，如：believe, expect,imagine, suppose, fancy，guess，should say等。这些词在句中作谓语时，其宾语从句的否定通常会转移到主句上，变成I don't believe /expect /imagine /suppose /fancy /guess /shouldn't say that...，会更加婉转、客气。下面来看几个例句：
I don't suppose she's at home. But I'll go and check.
我认为她不在家，不过我还是要去看看。
I don't believe you came here on foot.
我觉得你不是走着来的。
I don't expect Jim has eaten all the pizza．
我料想吉姆没有吃完所有的比萨。
另外，在含有表示看法的动词的句子中，并不是一定会发生否定转移，主要有以下几种情况。
1．当这类动词前有情态动词时，否定转移便不再发生。比如：
I can't believe that they want to lie to me.
我不敢相信他们竟想对我说谎。
You can't imagine who is coming.
你肯定想不到谁会来。
You mustn't think John is a kind-hearted person.
你千万不要以为约翰是一个热心肠的人。
2．当这类动词用了过去时，则表明说话人讲话之前“没有想到”或“没有料到”，也就不再发生否定转移。比如：
I didn't think I have seen you before.
我不觉得我以前见过你。
I didn't suppose he would win the game.
我没想到他会赢得那场比赛。
3．当这类动词前有状语修饰时，否定转移便不再发生。比如：
I never thought that I'd end up working here.
我从没想过自己最后会在这里工作。
They still don't believe that the flood would come.
他们仍然不相信洪水会来。
4．当这类动词用作插入语时，否定转移不再发生。比如：
Tom, I suppose, won't be against it.
我猜想汤姆不会反对。
5．这些动词与其他动词一起作并列谓语时，也不会发生否定转移，比如：
I believe and hope he won't do that.
我相信并且也希望他不会那样做。
表示感觉的动词很多，比如seem，feel，taste，sound等。在含有这类单词的句子中，如果要表示否定，则需要把否定词not由从句转移到主句上来，形成否定转移。比如：
English doesn't seem easy to learn.
英语好像不容易学。
It doesn't seem that he's telling the truth.
看来他没有讲真话。
It doesn't sound as if they know what to do.
听上去好像他们不知道该做什么。
The food doesn't taste fresh.
食物吃起来不新鲜。
I'm not feeling very well today.
我今天觉得不太舒服。
seem, prove, happen, appear这四个词与不定式构成复合谓语，形式上否定谓语，语义上否定不定式。下面来看几个例子：
❶ seem
He doesn't seem to be at home.
他似乎不在家。
He doesn't seem to have understood what I said just now.
他似乎还没有明白我刚才说的话。
❷ prove
The method doesn't prove to be well efficient.
这种方法经证明不是非常有效。
❸ happen
He didn't happen to attend that meeting.
他碰巧没参加那次会议。
❹ appear
My mother doesn't appear to be awake.
我妈妈似乎还没醒。
将否定时间状语从句的not转移到主句的谓语动词部分，形成否定转移，比如：
John is not arriving until the 10th.
约翰准备10号来。
I didn't get to the airport until the plane had left.
直到飞机起飞后，我才到达机场。
Don't get off the bus before it stops.
等公共汽车停了，再下车。
由because引导的从句或because of引导的介词短语在句中作原因状语时，其否定也常常转移，比如：I didn't go there because of his request. 这句话其实可以理解为：I went there not because of his request. 所以就可以翻译为“我不是应他的要求而去的。”
