《美国传统词典》中blame的释义2:
To find fault with; criticize: l can't blame you for wanting your fair share.
《韦氏大学英语词典》中blame的释义1:
to find fault with: censure the right to praise or blame a literary work
从观察来看,上述释义的blame(指责;批评)(而非"认为…负责,认为…是原因/根源,把…归咎于"之义),牛津,剑桥,朗文,韦氏高阶,柯林斯一般都将其置于否定句中解释。至于上述实例,《韦氏大学英语词典》是把blame置于肯定结构里解释的。
所以,我在想: be to blame和be to be blamed中的blame是否意义相同?第一个blame应该解释为to think or say that sb/sth is responsible for sth bad。而第二个blame是否可以解释为criticize,因为"某人应该负责"和"某人应该被指责",不是一个概念,被指责不代表一定要负责。
Bergen Evans这样解释blame:
At one time people who devoted themselves to making English grammar "logical" objected to the expression l am to blame on the grounds that what was meant was " I am to be blamed". But I am to blame, meaning" I am at fault", is standard English and has been standard for at least five hundred years. It is so well established that the unfamiliar form, I am to be blamed, can only be understood as referring to a future event. Logic is not popular as it once was and this issue seems to have died.
N.D.Turton and J.B.Heaton在Longman Dictionary of Common Errors中这样解释:
✔ Who is to be blamed for this?
L.G.Alexander在Right Word Wrong Word中这样解释:
Try not to criticize teenage children for their appearance.(Not*blame*)
(=express disapproval of)
补充几句be to be blamed的实例:
1. be to do something He is not to be blamed.(朗文词典)
2. Therefore, not a single individual is to be blamed for the impact of air pollution on rainforests and on the health of its inhabitants.(剑桥词典From the Cambridge English Corpus)
3. But Jordyn is not to be blamed for the breakup of my family.(Chelsey Sanehez,Harper's BAZAAR, 17July,2023)
也看了一下网站主页论坛母语者的说法,他们倒是认为be to blame和be to be blamed没什么区别。但是,他们的说法是否可靠,不确定。
关于be to blame和be to be blamed中的blame一词在含义是否有区别?还有be to be blamed在使用句式上是否有限制(如肯定句,否定句,疑问句)? 想听听各位老师的看法。
十分感谢,辛苦了。
谢邀!这个问题我曾经回答过https://www.cpsenglish.com/question/58140,这里借机介绍一下其历史来源。方便大家理解。其实你已经把其区别鉴别了出来。
大家经常讨论的He is to blame,The house is to let.等句子其实是英语历史的沉淀,是化石级现象(the only construction productively found with a to-infinitive in OE but not PE is the one in the PE fossil He is to blame. ... there is a connection between the rise of the ECM-construction and the loss of the he is to blame-construction.)。从历史上看,古英语时期被动式尚在发展初期,由于各种关系如词形,变位,语序等问题,应用很少,在被动义表达方面,主动式和被动式之间的区别不甚分明。比如古英语中的 be + past participle(过去分词)可表达三种语法意义:完成体、主动态和被动态。如“I was finished”对应的句子可理解为:I have finished(reading the book)(我已经读完了这本书),I finished(reading the book)(我读完了这本书)和 My life has been finished(我命休矣)。从历史上看,在古英语中,be + past participle 形式“独揽天下”,不论主动义或被动义均采用这一表达。但是,约从公元13世纪中叶开始, have-perfect(即 have + past participle)形式开始出现,该形式主要表达主动义,慢慢把be + past participle 所表达的主动义(如上举 I am finished)承接过来,使 be + past participle 的语法义缩小,只能分析为被动态。约从公元 15 世纪开始,have + been + perfect(即 have +been + past participle)开始在中古英语中站稳脚跟,进入公元 1800 年,进行被动(即 be +being + past participle 形式)已发展成熟 。这样主动被动界限分明,只是偶尔大家会遇到历史残留的纯表状态的be+过去分词情况。在这个古英语时期,除了以上可以表达被动语义的形式以外,还有就是be+to不定式,亦可表达主动及被动语义,除上面两个例子外,还可见ðas ðing sint to donne // those things are to do=those things are to be done‟ // heo is to clænsienne fram leahtrum-> she is to cleanse from sins=„she is to be cleansed from sins.但如今已不用的例子。至于其被动与主动的语义解释语法界也意见并不统一。
这个be to blame和 to be blamed的区别静心老师已经总结,我赘述一下:有观点认为I am to blame.是to不定式作表语,意思是I am at fault.意为我有过错,该受责备,语用上作定性说明,着眼我本身的问题。而I am to be blamed.是被动不定式与助动词be一起构成表将来情况的谓语。被动不定式表一个内含施动者语义的施动动作。句子相当于 I'm going to be blamed .语用上作定向说明。(这是易仲良老师的观点)下面我把以前回答问题整理的东东复制一下:
这个to blame 被当做习语对待,意思是“引起某事的原因”或“是某人的过错”,逻辑上有被动含义,但其实这个习语强调的某人某事是过错方,可以把 to blame这个不定式当做一个形容词看待,一般不表示将来。如,1) who is to blame?--"I"m to blame. 怪谁?--怪我。2)They were in no way to blame. 这绝不能怪他们。3) Nobody is to blame for it.这事谁也不怨。4)Which driver was to blame for the accident ? 哪位司机是此次事故的肇事者?5) A freak storm was to blame for the power outrage.停电的原因是一场反常的风暴。
to be blamed 意思有所不同,表示某人要被问责,责备,强调事件性动作性。但并不一定表示那真是他的过错,比如 1) Yes,somebody is to be blamed for Boracay's mess, they need someone to blame. 2) Defoe is scarcely to be blamed for using his new-found art upon gross themes.笛福用他新发现的艺术来描绘世俗题材,这不应该受到指责。3) You are to be blamed and punished.4) He is greatly to be blamed for his negligence.他粗心大意,应该受到严重指责。(某院报文认为张道真语法大全里“He is to blame(=to be blamed).”中这个to be blamed 不符合习惯用法,是错误的。其实不然)。to be blamed 是有将来性含义的是有将来时含义的。但是be to be blamed 用法不常见,主要表示被指责谴责这种行为,be to 有点像安排规定准备一样的意思,常见的用法有should be blamed,ought to be blamed,will be blamed.(当时的资料没留出处,抱歉)
这两个化石级例子到底可不可以用被动形式,我看到的是当然可以。除大家列举的例子外,最简单的比如对比性语境,强调动作事件含义时,He is to be blamed, not to be praised. 类似例子如The goods are to sell.对比语境下The flat is to be sold, not to be let.所以根据语义确定用法是基础。
一家之言,仅供参考。
首先,你的出发点可能就错了,导致后面的“宏论/宏问”成了无源之水,无本之木。中英释义,本无一一对应关系,想像去演唱会、电影院一样对号入座般的匹配中英释义,几乎是不可能的。所以所谓“......(指责;批评)(而非"认为…负责,认为…是原因/根源,把…归咎于"之义......”的表述,本身就存在问题。
其次,主流词典都将blame置于否定句中解释,不知道你这个结论是如何得出的(要么就是你没有表述清楚)。本站首页下面有很多主流词典的链接,不妨点进去看看,多多对比。
最后,我总觉得你的某种想法/思维/逻辑/观念是值得商榷的:你不是在询问某些语法术语或者语法理论,对于某个字或词的含义及其使用,你真的认为中国老师的解释要比母语者的解释更靠谱?这就好像,对于某位正在学习汉语的美国留学生而言,当他对于某个常用汉字或词组的含义或用法搞不懂的时候,他是应该问中文母语者,还是其它学中文的美国同胞呢?当然,本站高手甚多,觉得自己遣词造句超母语者的,不乏其人。所以以上看法,纯属:
一家之言,仅供参考;
勤查英英,必有所获!