英語中的十大“一致”

劉鵬

英語中存在著多種“一致”現象，這是其區別于漢語的顯著特點之一。它廣泛出現在單項選擇、完形填空、短文改錯和書面表達等題型中。英語中“一致”問題主要體現在以下十點：

一、主謂一致

這是最普遍最基本的一致。主要有三個原則：

1. 語法一致

語法一致指主語在數和人稱上與謂語動詞、助動詞在語法上保持一致。在這方面常犯的錯誤是第三人稱單數與謂語不一致。所以應保持人稱與數的一致。

例如：

a. There are some differences between the two words.

b. The boy goes to school by bike every day.

c. He has an hour for sports after classes every afternoon.

d. The teacher， with 6 girls and 8 boys of her class， ______ visiting a museum when the earthquake struck.

A. was B. were

C. had been D. would be

該題答案為A。

2. 概念一致

概念一致指主語的數和謂語動詞、助動詞在概念上保持一致。這種情況下只有吃透詞的含義，弄清語境，才能把握好主語的數。

例如：

a. My family is a happy one.（family 指“家庭”時，為單數。）

b. My family are watching TV now.（family指“家庭成員”時，為復數。）

c. Every possible means has been tried.（means受every制約，為單數。）

d. All means have been tried.（means受all制約，為復數。）

涉及概念一致的名詞主要有以下幾種：

（1）形復意單，為單數：the United States， news，physics， maths等。

（2）形復意單，為復數：trousers，glasses，scissors等。（由兩個對稱體構成一個整體。）

（3）形單意復，為復數：people，police，cattle等。

（4）形同意不同，數不同：politics意為“政治”，當“政治學”講時，為單數；當“政治觀點”講時，為復數。

（5）形復，意同，數不同：這類詞的數受制于表數量的定語，如：one works“一家工廠”，為單數；two works“兩家工廠”，為復數。

3. 就近一致

就近一致指一個句子中有兩個或兩個以上的主語，謂語要和它鄰近的那個主語一致。主要體現在there be句型和“neither ... nor ...”、“either ... or ...”、“not only ... but （also） ...”、“not ... but ...”等結構中。

例如：

a. There is a pen and two pencils in the box.

b. Are either you or he going to Beijing tomorrow？

二、主語和表語一致

主要指主語和表語在數上一致。

例如：

1. ... but after class we become strangers at once.

（stranger → strangers）

strangers要服從主語we，和we在數上保持一致。

2. The story is an example of human nature.

但是，當表示部分與整體關系時，主語和表語在數上可以不必一致。

例如：

There future theme parks are a good combination of fun and learning.

Are you saying under 1500 words is not a short story？

三、主語和代詞的一致

主要指在性別和數上一致，盡管不必把這個代詞譯成漢語，但這是英語中不言而喻的內在一致。

例如：

1. He does his homework until late into the night.

2. Mary stood there，holding her head high.

3. Tom went there himself.

4. Children wear their smart clothes on Childrens Day.

四、代詞與其指代的名詞/代詞/句子一致

1. He works hard at his lessons and does well in them.

2. Its easier to fall into bad habits than into good ones.

3. I， who am fond of music， often go to the concert.endprint

4. The boy does well in his lessons， which makes his parents happy.

五、名詞的性別和代詞一致

英語不同于漢語之處還表現在某些名詞本身有性別之分。

陽性：king國王，headmaster男校長，bull公牛，dog公狗等；

陰性：queen王后，女王，hostess女主人等。

例如：

1. The waiter is busy with his work now.

2. The actress often offers her extra income to the Hope Project.

3. The hero seldom thinks of himself.

4. Aunt Li usually closes her shop at the end of the day.

六、代詞和與之相關的“數”一致

某些代詞有明確的數量概念，動詞、數詞、名詞等應與代詞的數一致。

例如：

1. Neither / Either of my two brothers is an engineer.（neither / either“兩個”中的一個，為單數。）

2. Each of his hands is dirty.（each≥2，意為“每個”， 為單數。）

3. Any of us three has a bike.（any≥3，意為“任何一個”， 為單數。）

4. Both of my parents dont work as doctors.（both = 2）

5. I have four sisters. All of them are workers.（all≥3， 指“全部”。）

七、定語/限定詞與所修飾的中心詞一致

這種一致在漢語里直截了當，即不需通過詞形的變化來體現，但在英語中既靠不同的詞又需不同的詞性變化來表達。

例如：

1. Two girls share one room in our school.

2. These four students are from the south.

3. All the students watched the TV program “On Macaus Return”.

八、邏輯一致

主要指上下文和前后句在語義和數量等方面的一致，主要由轉折詞、連詞等體現出來。

例如：

1. “狗在打仗”譯為：A dog is fighting.（不可接受。fight這個動作應在同類中的兩個或以上，或不同類的雙方、多方中進行，才合乎情理。）

應改為：The / Some dogs are fighting against each other.

2. “參觀者在展覽大廳門口排好了隊”譯為： The visitor has lined up at the entrance to the exhibition hall. （不可接受。一般情況下，一個人是不需要排隊的。）

應改為：The visitors have lined up at the entrance to the exhibition hall.

3. Her uncle seemed to be acting rather strangely towards her. They had _____ quarreled several times.

A. still B. therefore

C. even D. certainly

該題答案為C。

由acting rather strangely到quarreled這個變化過程可知，這是一種遞進關系，even詞譯為“甚至”，合乎邏輯。

4. It was early autumn and _____ the trees had their leaves on.

A. so B. then

C. therefore D. generally

該題答案為C。由于early autumn，所以trees had their leaves on是順理成章的，并且and therefore相當于so。

5. I am trying to improve the situation since it doesnt work.

該句中的since應改為but，這是通過上下文的意思進行邏輯意義方面的改正。

九、動詞的形式/時態與時間狀語一致

動詞的形式與時間狀語有直接的關系，即：時間狀語決定動詞的時態。例如：

1. He joined the Party in 1982.

in 1982這類時間狀語是用于一般過去時的時間狀語。

2. She has lived here since she moved here 30 years ago.

一般過去時受“ ... ago”一類時間狀語的限制，所以用moved；現在完成時受“since ...”一類時間狀語的限制，所以用has lived。

3. By the end of last year he had mastered 2000 English words.endprint

4. By the end of next year I will have learned 3000 English words.

十、時態一致

主要有兩種情況：一是在含有時間和條件狀語從句的復合句中，如果主句是一般將來時，從句要用一般現在時或現在完成時；二是在含有賓語從句的復合句中，如果主句是一般過去時，從句要用相應的過去時態。

例如：

1. The number of deaths from heart disease will be reduced greatly if people _____ to eat more fruit and vegetables.

A. persuade B. will persuade

C. be persuade D. are persuaded

該題答案為D

2. Ill tell him the news as soon as he comes back tomorrow.

3. He said （that） he had already seen the film.

但是，如果賓語從句表示客觀真理，則時態不變：

The teacher told us in class yesterday （that） the earth goes round the sun.

鞏 固 練 習

1. Though the room was very dark，we took the photos in _____.

2. Uncle Wang told us about his travels. Then we had dinner with _____.

3. The wires were very old. The machines were connected with _____.

4. Please remember me to _____ wife.

5. In the terrible hurricane， nineteen people lost

_____ lives.

6. She _____ quiet enough，doesnt she？

7. They tried to put the satellite into the space， _____ the rocket failed.

8. The headmaster often _____ some advice to _____ students.

9. We were all very tired，but _____ of us would have a rest.

10. Most students today _____ their own ideas，and they _____ always depend on their teachers in everything.endprint