〔關鍵詞〕 whatever;用法;代詞;
形容詞;副詞
〔中圖分類號〕 G633.41
〔文獻標識碼〕 C
〔文章編號〕 1004—0463(2008)
10(A)—0064—01
whatever是由what和ever兩個詞合成的,具有這兩個單詞的詞性,即代詞和副詞,同時還具有形容詞的詞性。whatever可引導主語從句、賓語從句和表語從句等,通常不含疑問意義,在從句中作主語、賓語和表語等。
一、whatever充當代詞
1. 連接代詞
whatever充當連接代詞時,用于引導狀語從句,相當于no matter what,可以譯成“無論什么,不管什么”。例如:
(1)Whatever happens,I will support you.(=No matter what happens,I’ll support you.)
(2)Whatever your parents do,they do it for you.(=No matter what your parernts do,they do it for you.)
2. 關系代詞
whatever充當關系代詞時,引導主語從句和賓語從句,相當于anything that,可以譯成“凡是……的事情,任何什么”。例如:
(1)Whatever he said was right.(=Anything that he said was right.)
(2)You can eat whatever you like.(=You can eat whatever you like.)
3. 疑問代詞
whatever作為疑問代詞,相當于what ever,是what的強勢形式,用于加強句子的語氣,可譯為“究竟什么,到底什么”,常用于口語中。例如:
(1)Whatever do you mean by that?
(2)Whatever are you worried about?
二、whatever充當形容詞
whatever作為形容詞時,可以分為兩類。一類是起連接作用的關系形容詞,還有一類是充當定語,僅僅起限定作用的形容詞。
1. 用作連接形容詞
作為連接形容詞時,whatever用于引導表示讓步的狀語從句,相當于no matter what,譯為“無論怎么樣都”,其后必須緊跟名詞,起限定名詞的作用。例如:
(1)Whatever weather it is like,we will go.(=No matter what weather it is like,we will go.)
(2)Whatever actions you take,I will support you.(=No matter what actions you take,I will support you.)
2. 用作關系形容詞
用作關系形容詞時,whatever用于引導名詞性從句,限定名詞,相當于any或者all,可譯為“任何……的,全部……的”。例如:
(1)You may write on whatever subject you like.(=You may write on any subject you like.)
(2)Take whatever books you are interested in.(=Take all the books you are interested in.)
三、whatever充當副詞
whatever也可以當副詞,相當于whatsoever,在美國英語中有時等同于anyway的用法,可翻譯成“無論如何,任何”。
(1)We told him we’d back him whatever.(=We told him we’d back him anyway/whatsoever).
(2)I don’t think there is any evidence of that whatever.(=I don’t think there is any evidence of that anyway/whatsoever.)
whatsoever一詞的用法極為精妙,我們只有結合單詞的特征、語法規則及使用環境,才能正確加以運用。