在以上讨论中,宾语都在动词后边,或是紧跟动词(即 VO结构 ),或是动宾被分隔(即 V … O结构 )。在某些情况下,宾语会出现在动词之前,形成 O … V结构 。在此,我们仅讨论以下两种这样的情况。一种情况是 定语从句 ,被修饰的名词在定语从句中作从句动词的宾语。另一种情况是 不定式作后置定语 ,被修饰的名词作不定式动词的宾语。
我们来看考研真题例句:
真题 These unilateral developments differ in their specifics, but they are all designed to tax multinationals on income and revenue that countries believe they should have a right to tax, even if international tax rules do not grant them that right. (2020年英语一Text 4)
解析 首先,These unilateral developments就是指上文提到的各国准备修订新税法这种发展趋势。其次,that引导定语从句that countries believe they should have a right to tax,该定语从句由“主句(countries believe)+宾语从句(they should have a right to tax)”构成。believe后面省去了宾语从句的连词that。定语从句中的动词tax的宾语就是that指代的先行词income and revenue,二者相隔较远:… on income and revenue that countries believe they should have a right to tax , …。阅读时,根据定语从句结构的特点,读到… right to tax时要想到回上文去找动词tax的宾语。
注意,这句话中的两个动词tax采用了两种不同的结构用法:
一个是 tax somebody on something ,表示“对某人在某物上征税”。比如tax multinationals on income and revenue,意为“ 对跨国公司的收入和收益征税 ”。再比如You will be taxed on all your income.( 你的所有收入都要纳税。 )
另一个是 tax something ,表示“对某物征税”。比如Cigarettes are heavily taxed in Britain.( 在英国,香烟被课以重税。 )
另外,由even if引导的让步状语从句是修饰其前面定语从句的。
译文 各国这些单方面修订的新税法虽然在细则上不尽相同,但都是为了对跨国公司的收入和收益征税,各国都认为它们有权对这些收入和收益征税,尽管国际税法并没有授予它们这样的权利。
真题 It tells the fashion industry that it must take responsibility for the signal it sends women, especially teenage girls, about the social tape-measure they must use to determine their individual worth. (2016年英语一Text 1)
解析 本句关键是要理清从句关系和代词指代。
首先,涉及的从句包括:
1. 宾语从句: that it must take … worth是宾语从句,作tells的直接宾语(the fashion industry是间接宾语)。
2. 定语从句1——修饰signal: … signal (which/that) it sends women, especially teenage girls, about the social tape-measure,该定语从句省去了关系代词which/that,改为简单句相当于:
It sends women the signal about the social tape-measure.
由此可见,这是一个 双宾语句型 (send somebody something):women是间接宾语,the signal是直接宾语,而介词短语about the social tape-measure是修饰signal的,作后置定语。
3. 定语从句2——修饰tape-measure: … the social tape-measure (which/that) they must use to determine their individual worth,该定语从句省去了关系代词which/that,改为简单句相当于:
They must use the social tape-measure to determine their individual worth.
由此可见,先行词the social tape-measure作use的宾语。
其次,我们要理清该句中的代词指代关系:第一个It (tells)指代上文的ban;宾语从句中的代词it (must)和定语从句中的代词it (sends)都是指代the fashion industry;第二个定语从句中的代词they和their指代women。
译文 该禁令告诫时尚行业必须对其向女性——尤其是少女——传递的信息负责,这些信息关乎她们必须用何种社会标尺来衡量自身的价值。
这种宾语前置现象也往往会出现在不定式结构中,请看例句:
If I were abroad, I'd travel around the country as much as I could and try to find as many people as possible, not only to practice the language on but to have discussions with, and I'd hope to make some real friends.
解析 这个句子的难点是要找到介词on和with的宾语是哪个词,或者说与这两个介词有语义关系的词是什么。从结构上来看,这个句子有三处并列关系。
一是,两个并列主句I'd travel …, and I'd hope …。
二是,在第一个主句中有两个并列谓语travel … and try …。
三是,在第二个谓语部分try to find as many people as possible, not only to practice the language on but to have discussions with有两个并列的不定式短语to practice the language on和to have discussions with作定语,后置修饰people。作定语的不定式与被修饰的名词存在动宾关系,因此,在这两个不定式短语中, 介词on和with的宾语都是people ,即相当于说practice the language on people 和have discussions with people ,分别表示“与这些人练习语言”和“与这些人进行讨论”。由此可见,名词people与其相关的介词on和with被分隔得较远。只有理解到这一步,才能真正理解句子的逻辑结构和意思。
译文 我要是出国,会尽可能地周游这个国家,设法尽量多结识一些人,不仅以他们作为语言实践的对象,而且要和他们讨论问题。我希望结识一些真正的朋友。
请分析下面各句结构,重点关注其中的宾语前置现象,并把句子译成中文。
1. The kinds of interpersonal violence that women are exposed to tend to be in domestic situations, by, unfortunately, parents or other family members, and they tend not to be one-shot deals.(2008年Text 1)
2. In other words, whatever inborn differences two people may exhibit in their abilities to memorize, those differences are swamped by how well each person “encodes” the information. (2007年Text 1)
3. The only previous study analyzing causality, based on an area in Mexico that had instituted CCTs, supported the traditional view. There, as people got more money, some of them may have more cleared land for cattle to raise for meat.(2021年英语一Text 2)
1. The kinds of interpersonal violence that women are exposed to tend to be in domestic situations, by, unfortunately, parents or other family members, and they tend not to be one-shot deals. (2008年Text 1)
解析 该句难点在于知道be exposed to这个短语,因而可以判断出定语从句是that women are exposed to,介词to的宾语是前面的先行词The kinds of interpersonal violence。句子谓语是tend to be,不要因为误认为to tend是不定式结构,以致于找不到句子谓语。
另外,要知道该句中they指代的是The kinds of interpersonal violence that …,而不是women。
译文 女性所遭受的人际暴力往往发生在家庭环境中,不幸的是,施暴者多为父母或其他家庭成员,且这类暴力往往并非偶发事件,而是具有长期性。
2. In other words, whatever inborn differences two people may exhibit in their abilities to memorize, those differences are swamped by how well each person “encodes” the information. (2007年Text 1)
解析 这里的难点是要看到exhibit的宾语是前面的whatever inborn differences。具体来说,whatever引导一个让步状语从句,whatever后面接了名词短语inborn differences。与whatever inborn differences有关联的两个词是exhibit和in,还原后的结构是:two people may exhibit whatever inborn differences in their abilities to memorize,也就是说,whatever inborn differences是exhibit的宾语,in连接的介词短语作whatever inborn differences的定语。这里由于whatever引导词需要放在句首,而且后边要直接接名词短语inborn differences,造成了它们与exhibit以及in的分隔。
另外,在主句中,by后边带了一个how引导的宾语从句,一起构成介词短语,作方式状语修饰主句谓语are swamped。在宾语从句中,how well修饰宾语从句谓语动词encodes。
译文 换句话说,无论两个人在记忆能力上表现出怎样的先天差异,这些差异与他们各自“编码”信息的能力相比都显得微不足道。
3. The only previous study analyzing causality, based on an area in Mexico that had instituted CCTs, supported the traditional view. There, as people got more money, some of them may have more cleared land for cattle to raise for meat. (2021年英语一Text 2)
解析 第一句的主干是:The only previous study … supported the traditional view,主语中心词study后面接了两个后置定语:一个是analyzing causality,causality“因果关系”呼应文章上文所说的cause and effect;另一个是非限制性修饰的分词短语based on an area in Mexico that had instituted CCTs,其中that引导定语从句修饰area。
宾语the traditional view“ 传统观点 ”指的就是上文说的That's because economic growth can be correlated with environmental degradation, while protecting the environment is sometimes correlated with greater poverty,即经济增长与环境恶化有关,而保护环境有时带来更严重的贫困。
第二句就支持了这一传统观点。这里There指的是an area in Mexico。不定式短语to raise for meat后置修饰cattle,相当于用定语从句这样说some of them may have more cleared land for cattle that they could raise for meat。可见这里动词不定式to raise的逻辑宾语是前面的cattle,相当于说to raise cattle for meat。
顺便提醒一下,原文 may have more cleared land可能是疏漏,应该为 may have cleared more land,即这里cleared不是分词作定语,而是谓语may have cleared的组成部分,表示对过去的推测。
译文 此前唯一一项分析“贫穷与环保”之间因果关系的研究支持传统观点,该研究在墨西哥的一个实施了“有条件现金转移”救助计划的地区展开。在那里,随着人们得到更多的钱,他们中的一些人可能就会开垦更多的土地来饲养肉牛。