和谐英语

您现在的位置是:首页 > 英语语法 > 句子成分

正文

I don’t know也可以用作插入语

2017-09-07来源:和谐英语

I don’t know也可以用作插入语

■“I don’t know也可用作插入语”,这个命题对不对?

“特殊疑问句”,是说话人想从对方那里得到答案(这个答案不是Yes和No,而是具体的内容)。特殊疑问句中,最典型的放在特殊疑问词之后的插入语,就是Do you think。例如:

What do you think will happen next? 你认为接下来会发生什么?

Who do you think will win the first prize?  你认为谁会获得一等奖?

How do you think the war broke out?  你认为那场战争是怎样爆发的?

When do you think China will host the World Cup?  你认为中国何时会举办世界杯?

Where do you think we can get this machine?  你看我们在哪儿能搞到这种机器?

Why do you think most of children like cartoon?  你认为为什么孩子们喜欢卡通?

Which do you think is the best way to spend the money?  你们觉得花这笔钱最好的方法是什么?

之所以认定Do you think为插入语,是因为Do you think并没有改变特殊疑问句的意义,只是改变了句子原有的结构(实际上,当特殊疑问词作主语时,加了Do you think也没有改变句子语序,例如:What do you think will happen next? 去掉Do you think,语序不变:What will happen next?)。

如果以上所有句子都去掉Do you think,那么意思没有变化。Do you think只为强调说话人征求对方的看法而已。

除此之外,I don’t know也可以跟特殊疑问句连用,相当于一个插入成分。跟Do you think不同的是,特殊疑问句是它的宾语从句。例如:

A. What will happen next?

B. I don’t know what will happen next.

这两句在意思上没有什么差别:都是表达了“我不知道未来会发生什么”。只不过句子形式不同,句A是特殊疑问句,句B是陈述句。

■我们再看下面一组句子:

第一组:(含特殊疑问词what)

1. What will become of us if the war breaks out?  如果战争爆发我们会怎样?

2. I don’t know what will become of us if the war breaks out.

3. If the war breaks out, I don’t know what will become of us.

第二组:(含特殊疑问词who)

1. Who will care for him if his wife dies?  假若他妻子死了,谁照顾他?

2. I don’t know who will care for him if his wife dies.

3. If his wife dies, I don’t know who will care for him.

第三组:(含特殊疑问词when)

1. If we offer you the job, when will you be free to join us?  如果我们给你这个工作,你什么时候可以到我们这儿来。

2. I don’t know when you will be free to join us if we offer you the job.

3. If we offer you the job, I don’t know when you will be free to join us.

第四组:(含特殊疑问词where)

1. If I believe this thought, where will it lead me?  如果我相信这个想法,它将把我带往何处?

2. I don’t know where it will lead me if I believe this thought.

3. If I believe this thought, I don’t know where it will lead me.

第五组:(含特殊疑问词how)

1. How will he survive if he can’t beg? 如果他不能乞讨,他将如何生存?

2. I don’t know how he will survive if he can’t beg.

3. If he can’t beg, I don’t know how he will survive.

【分析探究】以上5组句子,分别含有特殊疑问词what, who, when, where, how。综合特点分析如下:

1. 句1,是一个含有if条件句的复合句,主句是特殊疑问句形式。

2. 句2,是在这个复合句之前加了I don’t know。这样,复合句变成了I don’t know的宾语从句。

3. 句3,如果说句2中的I don’t know还不算真正的插入语的话,那么,句3中的I don’t know放在了if从句之后、主句之前,就变成了地地地道的插入成分。再从If 从句和主句的意思关联看,I don’t know并非是If从句的主句,它与If 从句的内容毫不相干。如:If his wife dies, I don’t know who will care for him. 这个句子中,条件句If his wife dies跟主句who will care for him的意思有关,跟I don’t know无关。也就是说,If his wife dies是who will care for him的条件状语,不是I don’t know的条件。这再次证明了I don’t know是插入成分。

【题外话】“I don’t know也是一种插入语”,作者不惜篇幅去论证这个问题,旨在为了帮助网友正确理解一道试题,同时排除该题是“错综时间虚拟条件句”这个说法。

下面,是网上流传的一道英语试题:

Thank you very much indeed. If it had not been for your advice I really _____ what I should have done.

A.do not know      B.have not known     C.had not known      D. would not have known.

(答案:选A)

该题目的命题者,可能是出于猎奇的心理,或者说有点挖空心思。为了制造麻烦,选取了一个与虚拟句无关的插入语I don’t know 为选择题。

追根求源,这个句子来自《牛津英语用法指南》(261条,P 340 ),是if用法条目下If it had not been for的一个例句,Thank you very much indeed.这句话原来没有,是命题人加上去的。

因为这个句子的出处没有问题,而且颇具权威性,所以,有人拿来作为命题的题干,目的是给学生增加迷惑度。原句是:

If it hadn’t been for your help, I don’t know what I’d have done. 要不是你的帮助,真不知道我当时会怎么办。

如果把插入语I don’t know放在句首,则很容易理解:

I don’t know what I would have done if it hadn’t been for your help.

或者直接删去不用,句子意思仍然保持不变:

What would I have done if it hadn’t been for your help?

无独有偶,《柯林斯高级英语词典》上也有这样一句:If we had been spotted at that point, I don’t know what would have happened to us. 如果当时我们被发现了,我不知道会有什么后果。

如果把插入语I don’t know放在句首,则很容易理解:

I don’t know what would have happened to us if we had been spotted at that point.

或者直接删去不用,句子意思仍然保持不变:

What would have happened to us if we had been spotted at that point?

无论是真实条件句还是虚拟条件句,都是用来修饰主句谓语动词的,说明主句谓语动词发生的条件。If it hadn’t been for your help, I don’t know what I’d have done. 这个句子中,If it hadn’t been for your help肯定不会修饰I don’t know,它是修饰What would I have done的。因此,I don’t know只能视为“插入语”。

把I don’t know视为“插入语”,类似难题就会迎刃而解。