英語主動語態(tài)與被動語態(tài)在什么情況下不能轉(zhuǎn)換

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英語中的語態(tài)（voice)是動詞的一種形式，它表示句子的主語和謂語之間的關(guān)系,。傳統(tǒng)語法中,語態(tài)可以分為兩種形式：主動語態(tài)（active voice）和被動語態(tài)（passive voice）,。從語法理論來說，主動語態(tài)與被動語態(tài)可以相互轉(zhuǎn)換（通常不會引起句子意義的變化）,；但在實際使用中,它們的相互轉(zhuǎn)換有時卻受到主語,、謂語、賓語以及語義,、語用,、語境、語體,、邏輯和慣用法等的限制,。本文在借鑒中外已有研究成果的基礎(chǔ)上,就主動語態(tài)與被動語態(tài)在某些情況下不能轉(zhuǎn)換的問題做一簡述。

一,、不能轉(zhuǎn)換為被動語態(tài)的幾種情況

主動句并不意味著一定要有一個相對應(yīng)的被動句不可,有時主動語態(tài)不能轉(zhuǎn)換為被動語態(tài),。這主要有下列幾種情況：

1.英國著名學者邁克爾•斯旺先生在2005年出版的《實用英語用法》（第3版）一書中指出，表示狀態(tài)的及物動詞不能用于被動語態(tài),。例如：

（1a）My shoes don’t fit me.

（1p）*I’m not fitted by my shoes.

（2a）They have a nice house.

（2p）*A nice house is had by them.

如果詞義有不同,，則可以用于被動語態(tài)：

（3a）They fitted new seat covers on their car.

（3p）New seat covers were fitted on their car.

（4a）You can have it just for asking.

（4p）It can be had just for asking.

表示狀態(tài)的及物動詞還有abide, befall, cost, fail, hold, lack, possess, resemble, suit, want等。在下面的句子中,也沒有相應(yīng)的被動語態(tài)：

（5a）He turned the corner.

（5p）*The corner was turned by him.

（6a）The gas entered the house.

（6p）*The house was entered by the gas.

句（5a）的賓語the corner并沒有受到動作(turned)的直接影響,也就是說不是動作的承受者,因此該句沒有與之相對應(yīng)的被動語態(tài),；句（6a）的動作（entered）是無意志的,因此也沒有與之相對應(yīng)的被動語態(tài),。但下面兩例的情況就不同了：

（7a）He turned the page.

（7p）The page was turned by him.

（8a）The thief entered the house.

（8p）The house was entered by the thief.

2.以反身代詞為賓語的動詞(即反身動詞)一般不能用于被動語態(tài)。例如：

（9a）He praises himself.

（9p）*Himself is praised by him.

但可以轉(zhuǎn)換為He is praised by himself.可以用作反身動詞的還有apply, behave, conduct, deny, enjoy, forget, help,， introduce,， occupy, pride, seat, teach等,。當動詞的賓語為相互代詞時,也不能用于被動語態(tài)：

（10a）We must help each other.

（10p）*Each other must be helped by us.

3.賓語前有與主語相同的物主形容詞時,一般不能轉(zhuǎn)換為被動句。例如：

（11a）The teacher shook his head.

（11p）*His head was shaken by the teacher.

句(11a)的意思是老師搖了搖頭(即自己搖頭),受動者為施動者身體的一部分,因而此句不能轉(zhuǎn)換為被動句,；此句的意思如果是老師搖他人的頭,就可以轉(zhuǎn)換為被動句：His head was shaken by the teacher.

把物主代詞改為定冠詞時,就可以用于被動語態(tài)：

（12a）The pilot ditched his plane.

（12p）The plane was ditched by the pilot.

4.缺乏實義或含義模糊的代詞it作賓語時,不能轉(zhuǎn)換為被動語態(tài),。例如：

（13a）We will battle it out together.

（13p）*It will be battled out together by us.

（14a）You will catch it for breaking the glasses.

（14p）*It will be caught by you for breaking the glasses.

以含義模糊的代詞it作賓語的動詞短語還有brave it, chef it, foot it, go it, hang it, lord it, make it, rough it, stick it, take it, walk it等。

5.主動句的賓語是與動詞的意義相同或相近的同源賓語時,通常不能轉(zhuǎn)換為被動語態(tài),。例如：

（15a）He began a good beginning.

（15p）*A good beginning was begun by him.

（16a）The wind blew a gale.

（16p）*A gale was blown by the wind.

但當它們具有及物動詞的語法意義時,就可以用于被動語態(tài)：

（17a）She laughed a merry laugh.

（17p）A merry laugh was laughed by her.

6.動詞的賓語是-ing分詞短語和不定式短語時,一般不能轉(zhuǎn)換為被動語態(tài),。例如：

（18a）I enjoy studying cognitive linguistics.

（18p）*Studying cognitive linguistics is enjoyed by me.

（19a）He likes to get up early.

（19p）*To get up early is liked by him.

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7.用作及物動詞的短語動詞(如“動詞＋介詞”、“動詞＋副詞”,、“動詞＋名詞＋介詞”等),，一般不能轉(zhuǎn)換為被動語態(tài)。例如：

（20a）We agreed with him.

（20p）*He was agreed with by us.

（21a）He broke in on our conversation.

（21p）*Our conversation was broken in on by him.

這種短語動詞還有admit of, belong to, give up on, join hands with, keep company with, set foot on, take example by, walk into等,。

但有些短語動詞也可以用于被動語態(tài),；這時要把它們看作一個整體，不能分開,，其中的介詞或副詞也不能省略：

（22p）The meeting will be put off till Friday.

（23p）The children are taken good care of by the teacher.

8.動詞和賓語的關(guān)系密不可分,構(gòu)成固定的動賓短語(或習語)時, 不能轉(zhuǎn)換為被動語態(tài),。例如：

（24a）The accident took place last week.

（24p）*Place was taken by the accident last week.

這種固定的動賓短語不少,如change color, do good, give way, keep sentry, kill time, lose heart, make a face, run a risk, set sail, take effect等。

二,、不能轉(zhuǎn)換為主動語態(tài)的幾種情況

同樣,被動句也并不意味著一定要有一個相對應(yīng)的主動句不可, 有時被動語態(tài)不能轉(zhuǎn)換為主動語態(tài),。這主要有下列幾種情況：

1.中國著名學者周海中先生在1986年發(fā)表的《英語語態(tài)轉(zhuǎn)換簡論》（下篇）一文中指出,某些句子結(jié)構(gòu)習慣上只用被動語態(tài),這時就不能轉(zhuǎn)換為主動語態(tài)。例如：

（25）She was confined on the 20th.

（26）All bodies are made up of atoms.

(27)My advice was thrown away upon him.

(28)The old man’s race of life was nearly run.

這種被動結(jié)構(gòu)還有be alleged, be bound up with, be done up, be grown over, be knocked up, be held up, be inclined, be lost on, be obliged to, be posted, be rumored to, be said to, be transported, be wound up等,。

2.以代詞it作形式主語的被動句,，一般不能轉(zhuǎn)換為主動句。例如：

（29）It is known that sound is a form of energy.

（30）It was rumored that the confidential documents had been found.

（31）It is observed that the situation of the country is getting better and better.

3.當被動句的施動者沒有表示出來時,不能轉(zhuǎn)換為主動句,。例如：

（32）Albert Einstein was born in 1879.

（33）Manfred was killed in the Second World War.

如果改成主動句時加上一個施動者(如they, someone等),就會有損原句的意思,。

（作者為英國倫敦大學博士后 黃靜妍  騰訊教育）