反意附加疑問(wèn)句：英語(yǔ)使用中應(yīng)注意的幾個(gè)問(wèn)題

漢風(fēng)唐韻

反意附加疑問(wèn)句在英語(yǔ)中十分常用,，是一種表達(dá)禮貌且婉轉(zhuǎn)的句型。它通常由“陳述部分+疑問(wèn)部分”構(gòu)成,，其表現(xiàn)形式為“肯定陳述+否定疑問(wèn)”或“否定陳述+肯定疑問(wèn)”,；其語(yǔ)用功能為提問(wèn)者對(duì)某事沒(méi)有把握，需要對(duì)方證實(shí),，以表示禮貌和尋求答案,。在口語(yǔ)中反意附加疑問(wèn)句的系動(dòng)詞be、助動(dòng)詞,、情態(tài)動(dòng)詞的否定形式一般用簡(jiǎn)略的形式,。例如：

He isn't a student, is he?

You are a teacher, aren't you?

Egypt is a lovely girl, isn't she?

The James brothers went to the party, didn't they?

在非正式場(chǎng)合，陳述部份可省略作主語(yǔ)用的代詞或助動(dòng)詞,。例 如：

Nice day, isn't it? (=It is a nice day, isn't it?)

Dutch, aren't you? (=You are the Dutch, aren't you?)

使用反意附加疑問(wèn)句時(shí),，除應(yīng)注意前后人稱(chēng)與數(shù)保持一致、時(shí)態(tài)與動(dòng)詞性質(zhì)保持一致之外,，還應(yīng)注意以下幾個(gè)問(wèn)題：

1.陳述部分含有情態(tài)動(dòng)詞must和may時(shí),附加部分的動(dòng)詞形式較為復(fù)雜,，是一個(gè)比較棘手的問(wèn)題。

1）當(dāng)陳述部分含有情態(tài)動(dòng)詞must時(shí),，要分兩種情況：若must表示“必須”或“有必要”,，則附加部分可用mustn't或needn't。例如：

You must leave at once, mustn't/needn't you?

不少語(yǔ)法書(shū)和教科書(shū)都說(shuō),，若陳述部分的must表示對(duì)當(dāng)前和過(guò)去的狀況推測(cè),，意為“一定”或“必定”時(shí)，附加部分不能用must,，而應(yīng)根據(jù)must后面的動(dòng)詞結(jié)構(gòu)采用相應(yīng)的動(dòng)詞形式,。例如：

He must be tired, isn't he?

He must have read it, hasn't/didn't he?

其實(shí)，陳述部分的must表示推測(cè)時(shí),，附加部分也能用must,。著名語(yǔ)言學(xué)家周海中教授在1984年發(fā)表的《英語(yǔ)附加疑問(wèn)句的一個(gè)問(wèn)題》一文中就給出了幾個(gè)實(shí)例：

So it must be all right, mustn't it? (P. Alexander: Death of a Thin-skinned Animals)

There must be someone else in the house, mustn't there? (K. Amis: One Fat Englishman)

I suppose it must have been that book, mustn't it? (N. Marsh: Final Curtain)

It wasn't — I mean, it must just have happened to be there, mustn't it? (J. Wyndham: The Day of the Triffids)

2)某些語(yǔ)法專(zhuān)家認(rèn)為，若陳述部分含有情態(tài)動(dòng)詞may時(shí),，附加部分不能用mayn't,，而只能用mightn't,。對(duì)此,周海中教授曾有著不同的看法，他認(rèn)為附加部分可以用mayn't,，并在1990年發(fā)表的《英語(yǔ)附加疑問(wèn)句的若干問(wèn)題》一文中給出了幾個(gè)實(shí)例：

I may come and see her tomorrow, mayn't I? (G. Eliot: Adam Bede)

We may say that we love each other now, mayn't we? (W. W. Collins: The Woman in White)

It may have been in your mind, mayn't it? (E. O'Neill: Strange Interlude)

2.陳述部分含有never,、 seldom、 hardly,、 rarely,、 barely,、 scarcely,、 few、 little等否定詞或半否定詞時(shí),都視為否定形式,， 因此疑問(wèn)部分用肯定形式,。例如：

He never said such a thing, did he?

You hardly ever came late, did you?

You would scarcely expect her to know that, would you?

Little progress has been made, has it?

另外，當(dāng)陳述部分含有nothing,、 nobody等復(fù)合不定代詞時(shí),，疑問(wèn)部分用肯定形式。例如：

He has nothing more to say, has he?

Nobody came yesterday, did they?

但當(dāng)陳述部分含有un-,、 in-,、 im-、 ir-,、 dis-等否定前綴構(gòu)成的派生詞時(shí),該部分視為肯定形式,，而疑問(wèn)部分用否定形式。例如：

It is impolite to do that, isn't it?

He was discouraged by his talk, wasn't he?

3.陳述部分的主語(yǔ)是不定代詞every one,、 everybody,、 someone、 anyone,、 neither等時(shí),疑問(wèn)部分的主語(yǔ)一般要用they,。例如：

Someone has left there, haven't they?

Neither of them complained, did they?

但在正式場(chǎng)合也可用he。例如：

Nobody knew it, did he?

Every one of the children likes this game, doesn't he?

陳述部分的主語(yǔ)為不定代詞one時(shí),，疑問(wèn)部分的主語(yǔ)一般也要用one,。例如：

One can't be too careful, can one?

但在非正式場(chǎng)合也可用he或you。例如：

One should do his duty, shouldn't he?

One doesn't act like that, can you?

4.陳述部分的主語(yǔ)是指示代詞that,、 this,、 these或those時(shí)，疑問(wèn)部分的主語(yǔ)應(yīng)分別用it或they,。例如：

This isn't a fast train, is it?

That was a very pleasant trip, wasn't it?

These are not story books, are they?

當(dāng)指示代詞such用作陳述部分的主語(yǔ)時(shí),，疑問(wèn)部分的主語(yǔ)要根據(jù)其概念而定，即可能是單數(shù)it也可能是復(fù)數(shù)they,。例如：

Such is life, isn't it?

Such are available, aren't they?

5.陳述部分的主語(yǔ)是I think (suppose,、 consider,、 believe、 guess,、 expect,、 fancy、 imagine,、 reckon,、 feel、 am afraid,、 dare say等)+賓語(yǔ)從句時(shí), 疑問(wèn)部分的主,、謂語(yǔ)應(yīng)與從句的主、謂語(yǔ)相一致,。例如：

I don't think he will come, will he?

I expect you can guess what I mean, can't you?

I'm afraid he's made a bad mistake, hasn't he?

有時(shí)相同的陳述部分可以有不同的反意附加疑問(wèn)句,但其語(yǔ)義不同,。例如：I think he is very stupid, isn't he? [我認(rèn)為他很愚蠢,不是嗎?](要求對(duì)方用“Yes”或“No”回答, 給以證實(shí))I don't suppose John will come to see us this evening, will he? [我想約翰今晚不會(huì)來(lái)看我們,是不是?]

6.陳述部分為祈使句時(shí),疑問(wèn)部分一般用will you、 won't you,、 would you,也可用can you,、 can't you和could you,它們不是真正表示疑問(wèn),而是表示請(qǐng)求。例如：

Don't forget to post the letter, will you?

Sit down, won't you?

Shut up, can't you?

以Let's開(kāi)頭的祈使句, 疑問(wèn)部分一般用shall we,而以Let us開(kāi)頭的祈使句,若意思是“允許我們”,不包括聽(tīng)者在內(nèi)時(shí), 疑問(wèn)部分用will you,。例如：

Let's go for a picnic, shall we?

Let us know your address, will you?

7.陳述部分的主語(yǔ)是動(dòng)詞不定式,、動(dòng)名詞或詞組時(shí)，疑問(wèn)部分的主語(yǔ)必須用it,。例如：

To adopt an attitude is to seek truth from facts, isn't it?

Writing the book has taken up all his spare time, hasn't it?

From Oxford to London is about 80 kilometers, isn't it?

當(dāng)陳述部分為感嘆句時(shí),，疑問(wèn)部分的主語(yǔ)一般也用it，而且只能用否定形式,。例如：

What a lovely day, isn't it?

How time does fly, doesn't it?

8.陳述部分的主語(yǔ)為“each of…”結(jié)構(gòu),，當(dāng)強(qiáng)調(diào)“各自”時(shí)，疑問(wèn)部分的主語(yǔ)用he,；當(dāng)強(qiáng)調(diào)“全體”而不著重“各自”時(shí),，則根據(jù)情況分別用they、 we或you,。例如：

Each of the successful candidates was presented with a certificate, wasn't he?

Each of the students in your class have an English-Chinese dictionary, haven't you?

Each of the students passed the examination, didn't they?

Each of us have been there, haven't we?

9.陳述部分的主語(yǔ)是I,，動(dòng)詞是am時(shí)，疑問(wèn)部分在標(biāo)準(zhǔn)英語(yǔ)中,，英國(guó)人常用aren't I,，而美國(guó)人則習(xí)慣用ain't I或arn't I。在很正式的書(shū)面語(yǔ)中,，疑問(wèn)部分也有用am I not或am not I的,，但較少見(jiàn)。例如：

I am interested in the story, aren't I?

Excuse me, I'm rather careless, ain't/arn't I?

I am good enough, am I not/am not I?

最后一提的是,，反意附加疑問(wèn)句在實(shí)際言語(yǔ)交際中主要行使人際功能,；在日常言語(yǔ)交際中,它具有疑問(wèn)句的表層結(jié)構(gòu),其疑問(wèn)部分可與陳述句,、感嘆句、祈使句等連用,；它在語(yǔ)氣上比較禮貌,、委婉,在語(yǔ)調(diào)上也比較悅耳、和諧,。

（作者為美國(guó)賓夕法尼亞大學(xué)訪問(wèn)學(xué)者 楊虹）(騰訊教育)