Then I discoverd ,what was a news to me,that his wife was Tom's niece.
红字部分的评注性"what was a news to me"修饰的是整个句子,还是修饰从句"his wife was Tom's niece"?
根据语法书《现代英语语法》,评注性状语是修饰整个句子,如果是修饰整个句子的话,不就成了我发现这件事对我来说是个新闻了吗?
所以这个评注性状语的修饰对象应该是谁?是整个句子还是that后面的从句?
希望老师解答,谢谢!
Then I discoverd ,what was news to me, that his wife was Tom's niece.
赵俊英显然是按照现代语法分析这个句子的。因为传统语法并没有评注性状语(disjunct)这个术语. 该术语是夸克提出的。传统语法则简单地称这个what从句为插入语。
根据夸克《大全》,adjunct,subjunct, disjunct 和 conjunct是从句法上对状语进行的分类。而从语义上,状语则可分为时间状语、原因状语.....、除外状语、比例状语、评述状语等。
其中,评述分句 comment clause 是对状语分句的语义分类。在语法结构上,评述分句属于插入性disjunct (Comment clauses are parenthetical disjuncts.)。
需要注意的是,现代语法认为,主谓宾状等成分的划分是在分句clause的层次上进行的,而不是在句子sentence的层次上进行的。所以评述分句作为状语从句其本身是个分句成分,而不是句子成分。评述分句是说话人对自己说的话的评论,即作为分句,它是对它所附着的分句的内容进行评论。我们先看下面句子:
What was news to me, his wife was Tom's niece.
(= What was news to me was that his wife was Tom's niece. what从句作主语。)
(= His wife was Tom's niece, which was news to me. which从句为句子关系分句。)
很显然,作为评述分句,what从句是说话人对主句his wife was Tom's wife的评论。(注意不要用“修饰”这个术语。评注性状语并没有修饰功能。)
现在我们让 What was news to me, his wife was Tom's niece.这个句子作discovered 的宾语从句。陈述分句作用作名词性分句时需要由that引导。如果名词性that从句本身被状语从句修饰,that放在什么地方?这就要看该状语从句在句法结构上属于哪种状语。修饰性状语(adjunct)在结构上与其主句是一个整体,即结构上修饰性状语从句是主句的一部分。所以,that必须置于状语之前。例如:
I know that if we heat water to 100 ℃, it will boil.
评注性状语则不然。评注性状语在结构上不属于主句,是外围性结构(peripheral)。what从句作为评述分句,必须置于它所附着的分句之前。结构上它又不属于该分句,即that不能置于what分句之前,只能置于what分句所附着分句之前。于是就得到了下面的句子:
Then I discoverd ,what was news to me, that his wife was Tom's niece.
语法结构上,that从句为discovered的宾语从句,what从句为that分句的评注性状语。语义上what从句是that从句的评述分句。
所以,what从句作为评注性状语,是说话人对that从句内容的评论,与主句 I discovered无关。赵俊英说评注性状语“修饰”整个“句子”,从现代语法的角度来看,这种说法有二个不严谨之处:1 评注性状语并不修饰主句。修饰主句是adjunct的作用。2 评注性状语修饰的是主句 main clause, 而不是句子sentence。
本句中,what从句评论的是它所附着的that从句(that 从句是what从句的主句),而不是评论整个句子sentence。
题外话,我觉得这个句子稍作修改,读起来更为通顺。
Then I discoverd what was news to me — that his wife was Tom's niece.
用what从句作宾语,that从句作what的同位语。
Then I discoverd that his wife was Tom's niece, which was news to me.
what从句改为which引导的句子关系分句。
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