until后的特殊省略

（以下句子出自Corky Siemaszko 的文章Snapshots of New York’s Mood after 9/11）

Commentators called the attack a second Pearl Harbor, until now our most tragic hour.

译文：新闻评论员称这次袭击是第二次珍珠港事件，该事件时至今日一直是我们最悲惨的时刻。

请问老师，以上句子until后面是否省略了“it has been”?

完整句子应该是 Commentators called the attack a second Pearl Harbor, until now it has been our most tragic hour.

如果是省略了，为什么可以这样省略？

补充：until 省略的常见类型

按英语习惯，一些表示时间、地点、条件、方式、让步等的状语从句，若其主语与主句主语一致，且从句谓语包含动词be, 那么可将从句的主语和动词be省略.如下：

He is a man of few words, and seldom speaks until he is spoken to.

省略后为：He is a man of few words, and seldom speaks until spoken to.

http://www.yygrammar.com/Article/201203/2791.html

0 条评论
分类：状语从句

最佳答案 2017-05-09 09:36

Commentators called the attack a second Pearl Harbor, until now our most tragic hour.

译文：新闻评论员称这次袭击是第二次珍珠港事件，该事件时至今日一直是我们最悲惨的时刻。

请问老师，以上句子until后面是否省略了“it has been”?

完整句子应该是 Commentators called the attack a second Pearl Harbor, until now it has been our most tragic hour.

如果是省略了，为什么可以这样省略？

【答】不可以。这不是省略，原本就是这样表达。因为：

1. 在Commentators called the attack a second Pearl Harbor, until now our most tragic hour. 这句话中，our most tragic hour 是the attack 的同位语，不是“珍珠港事件”的同位语。我们把until now 的位置放在句末，就很清楚了：

Commentators called the attack a second Pearl Harbor, our most tragic hour until now.

2. 如果加上it has been 也可以，但是，需要在until 之前加并列连词and，让这一部分成为前句的并列分句。即：

Commentators called the attack a second Pearl Harbor, and until now it has been our most tragic hour.