试论否定之隐含手段及其含义表达

1、.试论否定之隐含手段及其含义表达西南石油学院外语系 柯文雄*柯文雄(1966-), 男, 四川苍溪人, 四川南充西南石油学院外语系教师,邮政编码: 637001, 研究方向：大学英语教学和语用学，语义学。联系电话:, E-mail: wenx 摘 要：是否定词，未必有否定含义；不是否定词也一样未必都表示肯定的含义。隐含否定既可以通过词 动词（动词短语）、名词（名词短语）、形容词（形容词短语）、介词（介词短语）、副词、连词 ；还可以通过句子（修饰性疑问句、非真实条件句、习惯用法、比较级）以及委婉肯定来表达。隐含的否定随否定辖域和焦点的变化而变化,如有些句型结构和双重否定

2、（Double Negation）却表达肯定的含义。关键词：否定 隐含 辖域 焦点一、引言在英语中表示否定含义的词无处不在。它既可以由常见的否定词来表达，如：not, no, nor, neither, none, nobody, nothing, nowhere 等等。e.g. The two health insurance schemes have nothing at all in common. (这两个健康保险方案丝毫没有共同之处。) ，I have no more time to waste here.（我没有更多的时间浪费在这里了。）；也可以通过词的前缀来体现，如：illega

3、l, incorrect, uninterested, disagree, 等等。e.g. The whole process was rather an unpleasant experience.（整个过程相当令人不愉快。）（Unit 1, College English Book 3），Obviously he looked at me with an air of disapproval. （Unit 2, College English Book 2）（显然他以不以为然的神态看着我。），He is a total incompetent. （他是个全无用处的人）；还可以用词组来表明，

4、再如：in no case, under no circumstance, on no account 等等。e.g. In no case will you give up so easily. (无论如何你不应该轻易地放弃。)。以上三种形式均属于显形的否定，而在大多数场合，人们用隐含的形式表达否定含意，以达到交际的目的。二、隐含否定的手段我们时常用词汇手段来表达否定概念。如：动词（短语）、名词（短语）、形容词（短语）、介词（短语）、副词、连词、句子（修饰性疑问句、非真实条件句、习惯用法、比较级）以及用委婉肯定表达含蓄否定。（1）隐含否定的动词手段：bewilder, deny, doubt

5、, escape, fail, ignore, lack, miss, reject, wonder, exclude等。e.g. Joan's mother refused to consent to let her go abroad. 琼的母亲不答应让她出国。Ted wondered why he was wanted by the police, but he went to the station yesterday. 特德不知道为什么警察局要他去,但昨天他去了。The teachers failed me on the written composition. 教师们评我的

6、笔头作文不及格。（2）隐含否定的形容词（短语）手段：little, different, few, free, ignorant, absent reluctant, clear of, clear from, far from, free of, free from, foreign to等。e.g. The secretary was free from all blame for the errors.这些失误完全不能怪秘书。We tend to be reluctant to give our follows the warm sunshine of praise .我们不愿意向我们的

7、同胞撒下赞扬的温暖阳光。（Unit 10, College English Book 3） The box-office receipts fell short of the manager's expectations. 票房收入未达到经理的期望。What you are studying seems to be foreign to the main issue of our practical production. 你研究的东西似乎跟我们实际生产中的主要问题没有什么关系。（3）隐含否定的名词（短语）手段：lack, freedom, absence, reluctance, i

8、gnorance, denial, failure, want, refusal, zero, refusal, shortage, difference 等。e.g. The risk is close to zero 几乎没有什么风险。Ignorance of the law is no excuse. 不懂法律不能成为借口。Owing to the lack of time, we cannot do more than what we have done. 由于时间不够，我们只能做到这样。（4）隐含否定的副词手段：rarely, hardly, scarcely, barely, se

9、ldom, poorly 等。e.g. We could barely see the road in the fog. 我们在雾中几乎不能看清路。He is (looking) very poorly. 他身体好象很不好。The monitor is a person who seldom asks a boon of others. 我们班长是个不常请人帮忙的人。（5）隐含否定的介词（短语）的手段： beyond, without, past, except, against, above, beneath, in vain, out of the question, at a loss,

10、 off ones mind 等。e.g. It's quite beyond me why she married such a heavy smoker. 我实在无法理解为什么她会嫁给这样一个烟鬼。He's been without a job so long that he's past caring. 他失业了那么久,现在已经不在乎了。The police tried in vain to break up the protest crowds. 警察企图驱散抗议的人群,但没有成功。 （6）隐含否定的连词（短语）手段：unless, rather than, o

11、ther than, instead of, the last, let alone, to say nothing of, anything but, least of all, still/much less, few and far between 等。e.g. I'm not blaming anyone, much less you. 我根本就没有责怪任何人，更不用说你了。 He would be the last man to do such foolish things. 他决不会干这种蠢事。I will do anything but go there. 我决不到那里去

12、。（7）隐含否定的句子手段i. 修辞性疑问句在形式上是肯定疑问句，语义上隐含否定的概念。e.g. I know its wrong to say so, but how can I help it? 我知道那样说不对，可是我又有 什么办法呢？（其隐含意义：我不得不那样说）Whats the use of talking to her? She always turns a deaf ear to you. 她总是充耳不闻，对她讲那么些又有何用?（其隐含意义：没有必要对她讲）。ii. 非真实条件句（虚拟语气）e.g. I would be home with your help.有你的帮助我现在

13、也在家了。（其隐含意义你没有帮我，所以我现在还没有到家）If only I met you .要是我遇到你就好了。（隐含意义：我没有遇到你）iii. 比较级中隐含的否定：e.g. This is more than I can say. 这我无法用语言来表达。Doctors should know better than to distort facts and mislead patients. 医生应该知道不要歪曲事实，误导病人。.由before引导的状语丛句隐含否定： e.g. He will die before he shall disgrace himself. 他宁肯死而决不受侮

14、辱。Before I could say thanks the postman had turned around the corner.我还没有来得及说声谢谢邮递员已经走远了。v. 委婉肯定隐含否定：She lived and died a virgin. 她一生没有结婚。 e.g. All music is alike to Tom .汤姆没有音乐欣赏能力。vi. 习惯用语中隐含的否定：for what / as if I care （我才不管呢），catch me at it （我决不干那样的事）。三、否定含义的表达（1）否定句表达肯定的含义：在英语中有一些带有否定词的词组，句型，句子往

15、往具有肯定的含义。i. 词组如：no more than, no other than, none other than, nothing but, none but, in no time 等。e.g. It's none other than Tom! We thought you were in Africa! 是汤姆！我们以为你还在非洲！They finished the task in no time. 他们一下子就完成了任务。There were none other but the old and the sick at home .在家里的只是一些老弱病残的人。ii.

16、句型如：cant too/over, cant but, cant help, not until no sooner than, hardly/scarcely when等。e.g. You cant be too/over careful when you are driving.开车时你越小心越好。 This point cannot be overemphasized. 这一点无论怎样强调也不嫌过分。Nobody but Jane could do this puzzle.只有简才做得出这个字谜游戏。I had no sooner got back to the kitchen tha

17、n the door-bell rang loud enough to wake the dead. 我刚走回厨房,门铃又响了,响得足以把死人吵醒。We cant be thankful enough to his help.我们对他的帮助感激不尽。iii. 双重否定(Double Negation) 表示肯定。这是英语中常见的语言现象，往往带有强调的意义。e.g. There are no questions unanswered after a heated discussion.一番激烈的讨论之后所有问题都得到解答。The doctor left no stone unturned in

18、 their attempt to save the boy.医生竭尽全力挽救孩子的生命。He didnt deny the charges against him. 他接受了对他的指控。Its never too old to learn.活到老学到老。iv. 修饰性疑问句表肯定。如：e.g. Isnt that building beautiful! 那座大楼太漂亮了！ Who doesnt know the Sun rises in the east? 谁都知道太阳从东方升起。（2）否定转移，含义有别。隐含的否定随否定辖域和焦点的变化而变化。i. 否定的辖域是指否定词在英语否定句中影响的范