since究竟指向时间段的哪个点位(I)
■倪肖丁
费致德教授著《现代英语惯用法词典》(商务印书馆1981)指出:因为since后接时间段时,从该时段的终点算起,所以It is five years since the boy was a young pioneer意为“这个男孩不当少先队员已经5年了”。
徐广联主编的《当代高级英语语法》(精装版,华东理工大学出版社,2015)也认为She has written to me frequently since I was ill. 的意思是“自从我病愈以来,她常给我写信”。
薄冰教授《薄冰英语基本词汇习惯用法》(商务印书馆,2009)也指出:since引导的分句中的谓语动词如为持续性动词,表示过去时间的起点应从该动词所表示的动作或状态的结束时算起。如:How long is it since you were in Cairo? 自从你离开开罗以来有多长时间了?
显然,在since分句用延续性动词的一般过去时的情况下,上述三书的观点一致,都认为主句所描述的行为或状态的跨度应该从since分句中动词所表达的这段时间(比如was ill)的结束开始算起,也就是说since传达的信息是“从….结束以来”。我们不妨把这一论点称为“终点论”。毋庸讳言,终点论在国内基础英语教育界颇为流行。
按照终点论的这一逻辑,She has never come to see me since I lived in Xi’an 应该译成“自从我搬离西安,她就一直没来看过我”。但众所周知,She has never come to see me since I have lived in Xi’an应该译成“自从我住到西安,她就一直没来看过我。”于是,这两个句子中“她没来看我”这一状态持续的时间跨度就不一样了。假设“我”在西安住了五年,“她没来看我”的时间跨度就会有五年的差别。
但遗憾的是,这一差别实际上并不存在,而上述终点论也缺乏依据,是错误的。
根据英国语言学家Quirk团队英语专家的描述,since分句的动词如果是一个时间段,主句谓语动词表达的行为或状态所持续的时间跨度应该从该时间段的起点开始计算,无论分句是一般过去时还是现在完成时。所以上述两句中,“她没来看我”的状态都是从“我”入住西安开始算起,到说话时截止,时间跨度相等。
试比较下面两句:
(01) Since they have lived in London, they have been increasingly happy.
(02) Since they lived in London, they have been increasingly happy.
Quirk团队(CGOEL)认为:以上两例中,they have been increasingly happy的时间跨度是相等的(the span involved is the same),都是从入住伦敦(started living in London)开始,到现在(now)为止。不同的只是句(01)表示他们直至说话时仍住在伦敦;而句(02)表示说话时他们已不住在伦敦了。
又比如:
(03) He's been getting bad headaches since he has been in the army.
(04) He's been getting bad headaches since he joined the army.
(05) He's been getting bad headaches since he was in the army.
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