有了修饰语和连词, 那末我们说起话来, 就有趣多了. 林语堂博士所著的 “开明英文法” 中有一个例子非常恰当的说明修饰语及连词在英语造句中的重要性(第九章9:10节第210-211页).
他说 ‘Flood came’ 这短句是完全对的, 但是似乎欠缺少些甚幺, 例如: 对这 ‘洪水’ (flood)在何时何地发生, 水势大小, 泛滥得可怕不可怕, ……人都希望多知道一些. 修饰语及连词就加入给以描写, 说明句子间的关系, 以满足人的此一希望. 把简单的 ‘Flood came’ 写成如下面所描述令人难忘的洪灾景象.
(All of a sudden) and [1](without any warning) the terrible flood came, (a foaming, furious, thundering torrent), (that destroyed houses, streets and [2] whole villages), (drowning men, women children, cats, dogs and [3] cattle) and [4] (turning the whole region into a lake, dotted here and [5] there with tree-tops and [6] house-roofs with men and [7] women on them like drowned monkeys).
(中译: 突然间, 一点也没有预兆, 来了一阵可恐怖洪水── 一阵白浪滔天, 狂怒了似的响声如雷的激流──把房屋, 街道和一个个村落都毁灭了, 把男女和小孩, 猫狗和牛都淹死了, 全地变成了一片汪洋, 到处点缀着许多树顶和屋脊, 上面爬满了许多男男女女, 好象落汤鸡似的.)
用连词能连系起修饰洪水灾害的词汇 (括号内是修饰语), 把简单句子 ‘Flood came’ 修饰及关连成使人读后真是惊心动魄语句. 这七个 ‘and’及一个 ‘that’等连词如何关连那些修饰语句, 今说明如下:
1. 第一个and 连接All of a sudden 和Without any warning两修饰短语
2. ‘that’ 是从属连词, 用来连接独立句子flood came与从属子句. 说明其相互间的
关系.
3. 第二个and 连接从属子句的宾语houses, streets 和 whole villages.
4. 第三个and 连接前面的修饰分词短语中的名词men, women children, cats, dogs
和 cattle.
5. 第四个and 连接前后两个修饰分词短语.
6. 第五个and 连接后面修饰分词短语中的here 和there.
7. 第六个and 连接修饰介词短语中的宾语 tree-tops 和house-roofs.
8. 第七个and连接修饰介词短语中的宾语men 和 women.
编辑者忆起年青时曾背过的一篇由林肯綐統在1863年11月19日在盖兹堡国家公墓（Gettysburg National Cemetery）揭幕式中发表的演说, 被稱世上最著名的演说──盖兹堡演说(Gettysburg Address), 以不足三百字, 十个句子及在两到三分钟的时间, 说出他对所支持独立宣言的「凡人生而平等」之原则, 及他对这个国家以自由为理想具无比的信心. 最后, 他以虔敬的心, 说出在上帝的保佑之下, 及享有──民有、民治、民享的政府必定永世长存.
今将全文录下, 并说明最后一句连词的使用.
Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure.[2] We are met on a great battlefield of that war.[3] We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live.[4] It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.[5]
But, in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate—we cannot consecrate—we cannot hallow—this ground.[6] The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract.[7] The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here.[8] It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced.[9] It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us—that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom— and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.[10] (括号内是十句的每一句的号数)
But, in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate—we cannot consecrate—we cannot hallow—this ground.[6] The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract.[7] The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here.[8] It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced.[9] It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us—that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom— and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.[10] (括号内是十句的每一句的号数)
第十句, 林肯总统说出了心中为自由而战的确信. 一共是五个子句, 一个句独立子句 (It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us.), 其它四句都是以that开始的同位从属子句(appositive subordinate clauses). 其相互的关系配合得恰如其分.
连词与句子构造有密切的相关. 在前面讲 ‘句子’的种类. 而句子的结构却是由单词, 短语和子句所形成. 子句 (clauses)的结构如下:
独立子句(Independent clauses)及从属子句(Subordinate Clauses)
1. 独立子句是一群有主语, 宾语组合的词汇. 可以单独成立有完全的意念的句子. 故称为独立子句.
例如, John is a good boy.
2. 从属子句是一群有主语, 宾语组合的词汇, 不能单独成立为句子, 必须要依附独立子句才能有完全意念的句子, 故称为从属子句.
例如, when he came (从属子句 [意念不完全])
混合句(Compound Sentences), 复杂句(Complex Sentences) 和混合复杂句(Compound and Complex Sentences)
1. 混合句是由两个或以上的独立子句所形成.
例如,
独立子句 独立子句
混合句 The lion roared, and the ostrich ran.
(狮子怒吼和驼鸟逃跑.)
(狮子怒吼和驼鸟逃跑.)
2. 复杂句是由一个独立子句和一个或以上的从属子句所组成.
例如,
从属子句 独立子句
复杂句 Before the plane landed, we were waiting at the gate.
Because we were impatient, the wait seemed long.
独立子句 从属子句
We cheered when the plane came into sight.
3. 混合复杂句则是由一个以上的独立子句和一个或一个以上的从属子句所组合.
独立子句
Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation,
独立子句 从属子句
conceived in Liberty
(八十七年前, 我们的先辈在这个大陆上建立了一个崭新的国家. 这个国家以自由为理想, 以致力于实现人人享有天赋的平等权利为目标.
作业五十九
试分辨出下列各句中的独立子句, 并将对等连词指出.
1. Mary danced, John sang, and Luke played the guitar.
2. Rain was forecast, but the sky remained bright and clear.
3. Will you make your special meatballs, or shall we broil a chicken?
作业六十
试分辨出下列各句中的从属子句, 并将从属连词指出.
1. Before Washington Irving died in 1859, he had become a very famous American writer.
2. Because Irving New York
3. He traveled through New York State
4. After he had lived in Europe for many years, he returned to his beloved New York
5. Irving
retold old folk tales. (注: 编辑者在 ‘高中英文选’第二册[1932中华书局出版]曾读
过此文, 描写生动, 至今记忆犹新)
6. Although many authors today write short stories, Washington Irving probably used
the form first.
the form first.
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