《美国文学教程》中的若干语法表达问题(01)

挑刺书名：《美国文学教程》

出版单位：南开大学出版社

书    号：ISBN 7-310-00751-4

出版时间：1995年8月第1版

■1. However, the original sinfulness of a man’s nature could not be mitigated by nothing in his personal power, thus his redemption must be a free gift of God’s grace.（第2页第8-11行）

问题：这句话出现了双重否定not…nothing…，根据上下文，应将not去掉或把nothing改为anything。

■2. Different from the French and Spanish colonies which did not possessed a representative self-government（第5页倒数第8-10行）

问题：在否定句中，助动词did已经表示过去，因此其后的行为动词possess应该用动词原形。这是最基本的英语语法现象，可是作为高校教材，竟然多处出现此类错误，很难想象。

■3. This respect paid to essential civil rights began to take root during the colonial period, and bring about increasing changes in the social structure, while breaking down many sorts of special privileges.（第5页倒数第4-1行）

问题：从结构和意义上可以看出，动词短语bring about应该与began to take root形成并列关系，因此根据英语中的时态一致原则，也应该使用一般过去式形式，即brought about。

■4. As revolting movement became stronger and better organized, revolutionary legislatures were created in apposition [opposition] to the old regular legislature which were, under the control of the royal governors, composed of conservative men and property attached to the existing social order.（第22页第15-19行）

问题：既然此前的 legislatures 用复数，那么 the old regular legislature which were 中的 legislature 无论从结构平行还是语法角度考虑都应该使用复数形式才对。

■5. The Congress approved the violent apposition [opposition] of Massachusetts to the recent acts of British Parliament, and declared as an ultimatum that if military force were used against the people of the colony, “all America ought to support them” in resistance.（第23页第16-20行）

问题：这句话中的从句 if military force were used 显然存在主谓数不一致的情况。

(待续)

■本文摘自英语语言学博士黄卫峰教授著的《英语语言文化散论》（国防科技大学出版社）！如有兄弟网站转载本文，务请注明来源！