因果關系是在英文寫作時最常用到的一種邏輯關系,然而表現(xiàn)因果關系的句子也最容易出現(xiàn)文法、修辭的錯誤。這里我們就來分析一下表示因果關系的句子中容易犯的錯誤,以及怎樣才是符合文法、修辭要求的作法。
接下來,我們結合三個例子來進行總結:
狀況一:
X(不佳):The reason why he wouldn’t go to the wedding is because the bride was once his girlfriend.
他不愿參加婚禮的原因是新娘曾是他的女友。
這個句子的文法修辭問題不止一處。
首先,the reason 和why 同樣表示“原因”,這種重復在修辭上不夠經(jīng)濟,可省去關系詞 why,或者以連接詞 that 取代,成為:
X(不佳):The reason (that) he wouldn’t go to the wedding is because the bride was once his girlfriend.
這樣修改之后仍不理想,原因之一是 the reason 和 because 仍然重復表達“原因”,應再精簡。
如果把the reason去掉,成為:
X(不佳):He wouldn’t go to the wedding is because the bride was once his girlfriend.
如此雖然解決了重復的問題,可是仍不理想,主要是 because the bride was once his girlfriend 這個子句 卻在be動詞后面 作主語補語使用,這是文法上的錯誤。
亦即,because 引導的副詞子句 不應該放在be動詞后面的補語位置,前者為果、后者為因的“因果關系”。
要表達這種關系,最直截了當?shù)馗臑椋?
√ He wouldn’t go to the wedding because the bride was once his girlfriend.
或者:
√ The reason he wouldn’t go to the wedding is that the bride was once his girlfriend.
比較這兩句,可發(fā)現(xiàn)前者比較簡潔(字數(shù)較少),這是它的優(yōu)點。
后者雖然字數(shù)較多,可是能夠發(fā)揮 加強預期的功能(強調他不去的原因何在)。
既然有特殊的修辭功能,就不能說是冗長,因而也是一個可能的選擇。
狀況二:
X(不佳):The electric car is not yet a practical alternative to the gasoline car, the reason being that there are not many charging stations around.
電動車還不是汽油車之外的實際選擇,原因在于充電站并不普 遍。
這個句子中,the reason being that... 是 because the reason is that 的簡化。
它的主語 the reason 與主要子句主詞 the electric car 不同,所以在簡化時要保留。
這種處理方式在文法上是正確的,然而從修辭上來看,the reason being that...稍顯冗長,不如改為 because 比較簡潔:
√ The electric car is not yet a practical alternative to the gasoline car, (the reason being…) because there are not many charging stations around.
狀況三:
X(不佳):The crop failed due to excessive rain in the final weeks before harvest.
農作物歉收,因為收成前最后幾個星期雨水過多。
這個句子不佳,因為詞類有錯誤。
Due的詞類是形容詞,而英文的形容詞是用來修飾名詞的,只有兩種位置可以使用:
1. 名詞詞組中,例如 in due time(到了恰當?shù)臅r間);
2. 補語位置,例如 The books are due.(書到期該換了)
在上面的句子中,用形容詞詞組 due to... 來修飾動詞 failed 的原因,是誤把形容詞當副詞用,屬于文法錯誤。
可以這樣改:
√ The crop failed was due to excessive rain in the final weeks before harvest.