高考命題失誤分類評析(7)

高考命題失誤分類評析(7)

三、語言的發展與分歧(2)

3.①—There were already five people in the car but they managed to take me as well.

—It ________ a comfortable journey.

A.can't be B.shouldn't be

C.mustn't have been D.couldn't have been

②I didn't see her in the meeting-room this morning.She ________ at the meeting.

A.mustn't have spoken B.shouldn't have spoken

C.needn't have spoken D.couldn't have spoken

③Jack ________ yet,otherwise he would have telephoned me.

A.mustn't have arrived B.shouldn't have arrived

C.can't have arrived D.need not have arrived

④Mary ________ be in Paris.I saw her in town only a few minutes ago.

A.mustn't B.shouldn't C.can't D.may not

⑤Susan ________ written a report like this.

A.can have B.mustn't have

C.can't have D.ought not have

評析:上面五道題的評分答案分別為DDCCC。傳統語法認為,表示對某事確有把握的推論或揣測,在肯定句中用 must,在否定句中用can't或couldn't,不能用mustn't。但在現代英語中,有些專家(如夸克等)認為mustn't可用於表示不可能的推測,意為“想必不,準不是”。這在美國英語中尤其常見。《Longman詞典》也持這種觀點。

下面是一些實例:

I can hear the Brown's phone bell ringing but no one is answering it.They mustn't be at home.我聽到布朗家的電話鈴在響,但是沒有人接;他們想必都不在家。(SEFC1A教師用書P.122)

Mr.Green mustn't have received my letter,otherwise he would have replied before now.格林先生想必沒有收到我的信,要不然他在這之前就早已回過信了。(SEFC1A教師用書P.126)

His absence mustn't have been noticed =His absence can't have been noticed.(《新編英語語法》第三版)

4.①—The experiment had failed!

—I suggest you ________ again.

A.try B.trying C.will try D.would try

②Jane's pale face suggested that she ________ ill,and her parents suggested that she ________ a medical examination.

A.be;should have B.was;have

C.should be;have D.was;has

評析:通常認為,suggest作“建議”講時其後的賓語從句的謂語動詞要用虛擬語氣(由should +動詞原形構成,should常可省略)。隨著語言的發展,這種情況下的從句也可根據語境使用其它形式。請看下面的佐證或論述:

I suggest that you don't ask him home for the vacation.(SEFC1A P.55)

Can you suggest how we might tackle the problem?我們怎樣處理這個問題,你能給出個主意嗎?(《牛津高級英漢雙解詞典》,第四版)

He said that he would not be long and suggested that we waited for him.他說他不會去很久,並建議我們等他。(《英語慣用法大詞典》,徐達山,王福禎,北京科學技術出版社)

I suggested that this is done forthwith.我建議此事應立刻去做。(出處同上)

Your niece in the shop suggested I might call and see you.你在商店的侄女建議我來拜訪你。(出處同上)

《英語慣用法大詞典》(徐達山,王福禎,北京科學技術出版社)認為suggest“一般作及物動詞,表示‘建議,提出(作為建議)’,其後接名詞、動名詞或名詞從句。從句中的動詞謂語多由should +動詞原形構成或用動詞原形。後接從句時,謂語有時也有其他形式。”例如:

I suggest that this is done forth with.我建議此事應立刻去做。

Your niece in the shop suggested I might call and see you.你在商店的侄女建議我來拜訪你。

He said that he would not be long and suggested that we waited for him.他說他不會去很久,並建議我們等他。

《賀氏英文法全書》(賀立民著,中國科學技術出版社)上冊中說:“在非正式的場合裡,suggest之後的that子句裡常用現在式或過去式。如:

(1)a.I suggested that he should sell the car.(正式)

b.I suggested that he sells the car.(非正式)

(2)a.I suggested that he should sell the car.(正式)

b.I suggested that he sold the car.(非正式)”

①,②題的標準答案分別為A、B。現在看來①題的答案也可是D。②題的第二個空格填had也是完全正確的。

5.The guard at the gate insisted that everybody ________ the rules.

A.obeys B.obey C.will obey D.would obey

評析:選項B是標準答案。但選項C也正確。原來認為, insist作“堅持要,一定要”解時,從句謂語動詞應用虛擬語氣;作“堅持說”解時,通常不用虛擬語氣。

但現在,insist後跟that從句,其謂語動詞用虛擬語氣和不用虛擬語氣的現象都比較常見。張道真先生在《現代英語用法詞典》insist條下引用的例句中後者還超過前者,即謂語動詞用虛擬語氣的佔5個,而謂語動詞用其它形式的卻佔了6個。茲引用三例為佐證:

And you insist you will marry her?(Dreiser)

My mother insisted that I went to bed and I had to go.

I must insist that you don't steal.(Macaulay)

其實,在很多場合下是很難分辨出作insist是做“一定要”解還是做“堅持說”解,如以上三例似乎作兩種意義解釋都能講得過去。實際上,在表示“建議、要求、命令、決定、堅持、認為”等動詞之後,that從句多用should +動詞原形型虛擬語氣;在美國英語中,should常常省去。如果從句陳述的是事實,則可不用should形式。請比較以下兩句:

She insisted that the students should talk English with him.

She insisted that the students talked English with him.

上面兩句都可譯為“她堅持要學生和他用英語談話”。第一句可能含有“學生不願意或沒有用英語與他交談”的意味;第二句則含有“學生那樣做了”的意味。

上題的答案若填C,句意為:門衛堅持要大家遵守規則(大家不遵守規則的可能性比較大)。若填D,句意為:門衛堅持大家要遵守規則(作為一項不可違抗的紀律)。

似乎答案D比C更有意義。

6.—Are the two answers correct?

—No,________ correct.

A.no one is B.both are not

C.neither is D.either is not

評析:所給正確答案是C,答案B、D也完全正確。現在讓我們把neither,both,either用作代詞的情況分析舉例如下:

neither意為“兩者都不”,用於肯定句中,表示否定的含義。例如:

Neither(one)is satisfactory。兩個都不令人滿意。(《牛津現代高級英漢雙解辭典》)

I like neither of them.他們兩個我都不喜歡。(出處同上)

both用於肯定句中,表示“兩者都”的意義;用於否定句中,表示“並非兩者都”的部分含意。例如:

Both are good.二者都好。(《牛津現代高級英漢雙解辭典》)

Both should make concessions.(張道真《現代英語用法詞典》)

Both candidates were not rejected.兩個候選人不是都失敗了。(費致德《現代英語慣用法詞典》)

either一般用於肯定句中,表示“(兩者中)隨便哪一個”的意思。同not連用在語法和意義上也是成立的。請看以下例句:

I will take either.(張道真《現代英語用法詞典》)

If you go ahead with this,I won't give either of you the slightest help.(出處同上)

I don't agree with either of you on many things.(出處同上)

最後兩句例中的either都是同not連用,表示“兩者都不(=neither)”的意義。

根據以上分析,本題的正確答案應該有B、C、D三個。將C放進去,全句表示“不,兩者都不對”的意思;將B放上去,全句意為“不,並非兩者都對”;將D放上去,全句也表示“不,兩者都不對”的全否定意思。

(段惠彬 原連載於《基礎教育外語教學研究》2002年第9-11期)

本文由書生小二郎原創。

小二郎在省重點高中從事英語教學20餘年,所帶班級高考重點率在93.5%以上,多名學生考入香港大學、北京大學、清華大學、浙江大學、北京外國語大學等名校,擅長指導學生短期內快速提高英語能力和考試成績。


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