曹老师您好,看到您前几天回复网友的问题one of后的定语从句的先行词。关于这个结构,我有两处问题。
我在《剑桥英语语法》第 506 页遇到“singular override”不知如何翻译和理解。这是问题 ①。
【Where it is the subject that is relativised, the expectation would be that the number of the verb would be determined by the antecedent, giving a plural verb in Type I, and a singular in Type II. In practice, however, singular verbs are often found as alternants of plurals in Type I:
[22] i He’s [one of those people who always want to have the last word].
ii He’s [one of those people who always wants to have the last word]. [Type I](含 i 和 ii)
iii He’s [one of her colleagues who is
always ready to criticize her]. [Type
II]
Examples
[i] and [iii] follow the ordinary rules, but [ii] involves a singular override.
It can presumably be attributed to the salience within the whole structure of
one and to influence of the Type II structure (it is in effect a blend between
Types I and II). But it cannot be regarded as a semantically motivated
override: semantically the relative cause modifies people. This singular
override is most common when the relative clause follows those or those + noun.】
问题 ②:《剑》这段的意思是不是:先行项是 those 或者限定词
those+复数名词时,关系分句动词用单数时最常见。而其他情况下,要从语义判断先行项是 one 还是 of
后的复数名词,才好确定关系分句中动词的单复数?
非常感谢!
override在《剑桥》这里指尽管主语为单数,谓语动词也用复数形式(plural override),或者尽管主语为复数,谓语动词也用单数形式(singular override)。例如:
Three days is not a long time. 主语为复数形式,谓语动词用is。这就是singular override。
A number of people are waiting. 主语的中心词为单数number,但谓语动词用 are,这就是所谓plural override.
国内英语语法书没有override完全对应的翻译。但类似于根据语义原则分别采用单数或复数谓语动词。国内语法书讲主谓一致时,有三个原则:语法一致原则,语义一致原则和就近原则singular/plural override类似于语义一致原则。
在 one of +特指限定词+复数名词+定语从句结构中,定语从句可能修饰one, 也可能修饰复数名词。国内语法书通常认为,如果one前有the very或the only修饰,则定语从句是修饰one的,从句谓语用单数。否则,定语从句是修饰复数名词的,谓语动词用复数。实际上,即使one前面没有the very 或 the only, 定语从句也有可能是修饰one的,此时谓语动词还是应该用单数形式。这都是语法一致原则。
ii He’s [one of those people who always wants to have the last word]. [Type I](含 i 和 ii)
该书的这个例句告诉我们,在实际语言应用中,尽管语义上定语从句修饰的是复数名词those people, 也有人用单数谓语动词wants. 这种用法的原因有二,第一是为了突出one, 第二是受了先行词为one而从句用单数谓语的影响。这个句子中的singular override就不能理解为根据语义原则用了单数,因为显然定语从句还是修饰those people的。我个人认为这种用法起初是一种错误,犯错误的人多了而被语法家们接受。这里并没有those后面要用或多用单数的意思,而是说单数谓语多见于先行词为those或被those限定的情况下。谓语用复数还是更为正确的。
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