否定副词开头的倒装
如果把表示否定意味的副词(not、never, hardly )挪到句首来强调语气,就得使用倒装句。例如:
We don't have such luck every day.
(我们不是每天都能有这种运气。)
如果为了强调“不是每天”,而把not every day挪到句首,就要用倒装句。因为not和every day都是修饰动词的,而且not是用来作否定句的副词,和助动词do不能分开。一旦移到句首,助动词do也要往前移来配合否定句的需要,就成为倒装句:
Not every day do we have such luck.
再看一个例子:
I will not stop waiting for you until you are married. (除非你结婚,否则我会一直等你。)
同样的,如果把not until you are married移到句首来强调语气,就得把助动词will倒装到主语前面来配合否定句的要求:
Not until you are married will I stop waiting for you.
另外有一些副词,像hardly、barely 等等,虽然不是一般否定句用的not,不过功能与用法都类似,移到句首时也要倒装。例如:
I had hardly sat down to work when the phone rang. (我刚坐下来要做事,电话就响了。)
把hardly移到句首也是为了加强语气,这时就要倒装:
Hardly had I sat down to work when the phone rang.
不过,下面这个句子就不要倒装:
Hardly anyone knew him. (几乎没有人认识他。)
这是因为hardly虽然在句首,不过它是用来修饰主语anyone,句首是它正常的位置,没有经过调动,因而也不需要倒装。 同样的情形也见于only—字的变化。请看这个例子:
Only I saw him yesterday. (昨天只有我见到他。) Only原本就是修饰主语I,放在它前面是正常位置,不需倒装。
下面这个句子则不同:
I saw him only yesterday. (我见到他,不过是昨天的亊。) 如果把only yesterday调到句首来强调“不过是昨天而已”,意思是“不是更早以前的事”,也有否定的意味,所以可以视同表示否定的副词移到句首的变化,需要倒装: Only yesterday did I see him.
再比较一下这两个句子:
Gradually they became close friends.
Only gradually did they become close friends.
例1中的副词gradually放在句首,是语法上许可的位置,而且没有否定意味,不必倒装。可是例2中的only gradually 就带有强烈的否定意味,表示not at once或是not very fast,这时就得动用倒装句型了。
not only和but also配合时,如果选择倒装,变化比较复杂。请看这个例子:
He not only passed the exam but also scored at the top. (他不但及格了,还考了第一。) 句中的but是对等连接词。形成not only...but also的相关词组 (correlative) 时,严格要求连接的对称。上例中的passed the exam 和 scored at the top 都是动词短语,符合对称的要求。
如果要把not only 移到句首来强调语气,因为 not only是有否定功能的副词,所以要用倒装句型。先直接倒装成为:
Not only did he pass the exam but also scored at the top.(误) 前半句用倒装句是对的,错在对等连接词but的左右不对等。 左边he passed the exam 是从句,而右边的scored at the top 却是动词短语。
修正的方法是把右边的动词短语也改成能对称的从句:
Not only did he pass the exam but also he scored at the top.(不佳) 这样改过来,but的左右都是从句,满足了语法的要求,不过还是有缺憾。因为also和only—样都是属于focusing adverbs,是一种有强调功能的副词。许多学习者把but also连在一起来背,不知它有时也该拆开。在but右边的also不应用来强调he,而应用来强调scored at the top (而且还考第一),这样才能呼应左边not only did he pass...(不仅考及格)的语气。
所以最佳的作法是把also移到 scored的前面:
Not only did he pass the exam but he also scored at the top. 这样才算满足了所有的语法修辞要求。
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