(2001-12-31)

银幕英语

歧义句子竟有六个解法

● 姚普光

  英语虽是当今的世界语,但依然充斥着歧义句,含糊不清,往往一句两解,不太明确。

  英国近代两位文法大师 Jocobs 与Rosendbaum合著的 English Transformational Grammar 为我们提供了“一句六解”的例句,可说是当代歧义句子之中的最高纪录。

  请大家细读这句有史以来最多解法的话:

  The Seniors were told to stop demonstrating on campus.

  暂时不要往下看,动一动脑筋,看看能列出多少个解法。

  自我挑战,学思并重,也是提高中英语文水平的诀窍!

  语文巨擘 Jocobs 与Rosenbaum说:非英语国家的学生能揣摩出三解就已很棒了!你试一试,可能也会觉得趣味盎然。

这个句子的第1解:
  (1)The seniors were demonstrating and were asked, on campus, to desist.
  (高年级的学生在示威,校方在校园要求他们停止示威。)

第2个解法:
  (2)The seniors were demonstrating and were asked to desist on campus (although they could demonstrate elsewhere).
  (高年级学生在示威,校方要求他们停止在校园中示威(但可在其他地方示威)。

第3个解法是:
  The seniors were demonstrating on campus and were asked to desist.
  (高年级的学生在校园示威,校方叫他们停止示威。)

第4个解法是:
  People were demonstrating on campus, and seniors were asked to stop them.
  (有人在校园中示威,高年级生被要求去制止他们。)

第5个解法:

  People were demonstrating and seniors were asked, on campus, to stop them .

  (有人在示威,高年级生在校园中被要求去制止他们。)

第6个解法:
  People were demonstrating and seniors were asked, to stop them from doing so on campus (although they could do it elsewhere)
  (有人在示威,高年级生被要求去制止他们在校园中示威(但他们可在别处示威)。) (寄自香港)

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