李小明

在英語(yǔ)學(xué)習(xí)中,中國(guó)學(xué)生由于受母語(yǔ)的影響,常常會(huì)不自覺(jué)地站在漢語(yǔ)的角度去思考所寫(xiě)英語(yǔ)是否正確,因此在英語(yǔ)寫(xiě)作時(shí)會(huì)不斷出現(xiàn)表達(dá)上的錯(cuò)誤,造成信息傳遞的梗塞,讓人感到不知所云。下面就一些常見(jiàn)錯(cuò)誤,探討一下英漢表達(dá)上的差異。

一、詞匯錯(cuò)誤

1.同義詞使用錯(cuò)誤

中國(guó)的物價(jià)低廉。(誤)The prices are cheap in China. (正)The prices are low in China.

cheap雖然能表示“便宜的”(反義詞為expensive, dear),但它所修飾的名詞應(yīng)是物品或服務(wù)。如:Fruits are cheap in autumn.要表示價(jià)格和費(fèi)用的低廉,需用low這個(gè)詞。它的反義詞是high。

2.詞義內(nèi)涵理解錯(cuò)誤

我身體很好,因此從不感冒。(誤)I have a good body so I never catch cold. (正)I am in good health so I never catch cold.

body指的是人的“身軀”“身體”(whole physical structure of a human being),而這句漢語(yǔ)中的“身體”指的是“健康狀況”(condition of a persons body),所以只能用to be in health,才能確切表達(dá)“身體好”。

3.搭配使用錯(cuò)誤

我們的老師教了我們很多有用的知識(shí)。(誤)Our teacher taught us a lot of useful knowledge. (正)Our teachers imparted/communicated a lot of useful knowledge to us.

teach表示“教”時(shí),是指?jìng)魇谀撤N知識(shí)或技藝的過(guò)程(to cause to know a subject或to cause to know how)。如:Mr. Li teaches us history. He is teaching his son how to swim.而impart或communicate的意思是“使某事物被人知曉”(to make something known to somebody)。所以teach knowledge不符合英語(yǔ)表達(dá)習(xí)慣。

4.詞性使用錯(cuò)誤

多數(shù)教師反對(duì)這個(gè)計(jì)劃。(誤)Most teachers against the plan. (正)Most teachers are against the plan.

漢語(yǔ)中“反對(duì)”可作動(dòng)詞用,而against在英語(yǔ)中只是個(gè)介詞,不能單獨(dú)作謂語(yǔ),需要和動(dòng)詞結(jié)合使用。

二、語(yǔ)法錯(cuò)誤

1.介詞使用錯(cuò)誤

1)前天我們坐她的車去北京。(誤)We went to Beijing by her car the day before yesterday. (正)We went to Beijing in her car the day before yesterday.

介詞by用來(lái)表示交通、傳遞等方式時(shí),后面必須接沒(méi)有冠詞或所有格修飾的名詞。如:to go by ship, to send sth. by post等。所以要強(qiáng)調(diào)“乘她的車”的時(shí)候,就要用介詞in。

2)我們學(xué)習(xí)英語(yǔ)非常重要。(誤)It is important of us to study English.(正)It is important for us to study English.

在It+be+adj.+for+sb. to do sth.句型中,介詞for前面的形容詞通常是對(duì)不定式所指的事給予評(píng)論。如:It isnt right for you to shout at your parents.(你對(duì)你父母大喊是不對(duì)的)。但在It+be+adj.+of+sb.+to do sth.句型中,介詞前面的形容詞通常是表示某人的特質(zhì)或性格等主觀的東西。

2.形容詞前、后置錯(cuò)誤

出席的人都同意他的建議。(誤)The present persons agreed to his plan. (正)The persons present agreed to his plan.

在英語(yǔ)中有些形容詞可置于名詞中心詞的前或后,其意義不變,但有的形容詞就不同。present置于名詞前時(shí),其意義是“現(xiàn)在的”。如:You can do it in present condition.只有當(dāng)它放于名詞后時(shí),才解釋為“出席的”“在座的”。

3.時(shí)態(tài)使用錯(cuò)誤

收到你的來(lái)信我很高興。(誤)I am glad to hear from you. (正)I wasglad to hear from you.雖然有些情況發(fā)生的時(shí)間不很清楚,但實(shí)際上過(guò)去某時(shí)發(fā)生的,應(yīng)當(dāng)用過(guò)去時(shí)態(tài)。漢語(yǔ)動(dòng)詞無(wú)時(shí)態(tài)變化,但英語(yǔ)中動(dòng)詞的時(shí)態(tài)變化卻很多。

4.動(dòng)詞非謂語(yǔ)形式使用錯(cuò)誤。

天氣很涼爽,我們決定去郊游。(誤)Being a cool day, we decided to go out for an outing. (正)It being a cool day, we decided to go out for an outing.

作狀語(yǔ)的分詞短語(yǔ)邏輯上的主語(yǔ)要與主句的主語(yǔ)一致,當(dāng)它們不一致時(shí),分詞短語(yǔ)應(yīng)有自己獨(dú)立的邏輯主語(yǔ),這種結(jié)構(gòu)語(yǔ)法上稱為獨(dú)立主格結(jié)構(gòu),多用來(lái)表示時(shí)間、原因、條件或伴隨情況。如:Later that autumn, his work finished, he prepared to return to his institute.

5.重復(fù)使用連詞的錯(cuò)誤。

因?yàn)樘鞖饫?所以我們必須穿上大衣。(誤)Because it is cold, so wehave to put on coat. (正)Because it is cold, we have to put on coat.

受中文“因?yàn)椤浴苯Y(jié)構(gòu)的影響,忘了英語(yǔ)中是不可以并用的。

6.對(duì)應(yīng)翻譯的錯(cuò)誤

有人認(rèn)為應(yīng)當(dāng)努力學(xué)英語(yǔ)。(誤)There are some people think we should study English hard. (正)Some people think we should study English hard.

一句英語(yǔ)中用了既非并列又沒(méi)有主從關(guān)系的兩個(gè)動(dòng)詞,這是在使用there be句型時(shí),按照漢語(yǔ)對(duì)應(yīng)翻譯常出現(xiàn)的錯(cuò)誤。如果要用there be 句型表達(dá)上述漢語(yǔ)句子,就要用動(dòng)詞非謂語(yǔ)形式或從句。

7.完整句式使用錯(cuò)誤

末班車開(kāi)走了,我們只得走回家。(誤)The last bus had gone, we had to walk home. (正)We had to walk home because the last bus had gone.

如果句子包含了兩個(gè)或兩個(gè)以上的主謂結(jié)構(gòu),其中一個(gè)或更多的主謂結(jié)構(gòu)應(yīng)充當(dāng)句子的某一或某些成分。充當(dāng)一個(gè)句子成分的主謂結(jié)構(gòu)稱為從句或從屬分句,由連詞引導(dǎo)。上述原句中缺少連詞,違背了構(gòu)成完整句式的規(guī)則。