英文写作中常见代词误用

代词(pronoun)用来指代上下文中提到的其他人或物,其主要功能是避免重复,使行文清晰连贯.然而,汉英两种语言的代词系统不尽相同,而且使用习惯也存在诸多差异,导致很多中国学生不能恰当地使用英语代词,造成一些误用.在英文写作中这种现象体现得尤其充分.本文拟对学生作文中常见的代词误用进行归纳和分析,以期引起学生注意并在写作中自觉杜绝它们.

1. 使用不足

研究表明,汉语倾向用名词重复以使上下文连贯,而英语则倾向于使用代词.这种差异往往造成中国学生在英文写作中大量重复名词,而少用代词,使作文读起来既不流畅也不精练.

[例1] The man is not a young man, but the man is not old. He is about forty-four or forty-five years old. The man is a good-looking man: tall, handsome, rather thin, with dark-brown hair just beginning to go GREy. The man is always well-dressed, but quietly in good taste.

例1中的划线部分如果用代词"he"来替代,整篇就精练得多.

[例2] Self-confidence is very important for us. With self-confidence we can do whatever we want to; without self-confidence we can achieve nothing.

例2中没有明显语法错误,但读起来颇似汉语结构:"自信对我们很重要.有了自信我们百事可为;没有自信则一事无成."很明显,学生受到了来自汉语结构的影响.可以改为:Self-confidence is very important for us. With it we can do whatever we want to, or else we can achieve nothing.

众所周知,汉语是意合语言,而英语是形合语言,即汉语注重意义的粘合,相对不注重语言形式,而英语则十分注重语言形式的完整性.这种差异容易造成英文写作中缺少物主代词,或整句缺少主语的现象.

[例3] People should not spend too much time on hobbies in order to avoid disturbing normal work and study.

[例4] Many international meetings on environment protection are held, at which scientists from different countries can exchange ideas and learn from each other.

[例5] The weightlifter grunted as he heaved the barbells into the air, then, with a loud groan, dropped them.

例3句意是"人们不应该在业余爱好上花太多时间,以免影响正常工作和学习".例4句意是"在召开的许多有关环境保护的国际会议上,世界各地的科学家们可以交流思想和互相学习".汉语中不使用物主代词不会引起误解,读起来也非常自然.然而,在英语中则应该加上物主代词,所以两句划线部分最好改为:"disturbing their normal work and study"(例3),"exchange their ideas"(例4).例5中划线部分为独立句子,形式上需要主语,所以应该在动词dropped前加上"he".

2. 过度使用

英语里喜欢使用代词,但并不表明没有限制.相反,使用代词过多,容易造成语义不清,或指代不明.

[例6] He introduced me to the pilot. He looked after him when he was in hospital. He really did a fine job, and nothing was too much trouble for him.

此例中,由于he/him所指对象不明,以致读者弄不清楚到底是谁住了医院,谁照顾了谁.如果是"pilot"住了医院,受到"He"的照顾,应该在第二句中重复"the pilot",将之改为:"...He looked after the pilot in hospital."

另外,汉语中常使用不定代词,没有具体所指,但学生在作文中往往下意识地将这些代词用"someone","some people"等表述出来,造成语义晦涩,且不符合英语表达习惯.

[例7] Yesterday, my friends and I went out for shopping. Someone had told me the bus would be crowded, so we got to the stop very early.

英语中不定代词someone主要用于强调"有人",尽管并不指明是谁.例7中显然没有强调意义(否则读者会追问到底是谁),所以使用someone使句子显得很不自然.故划线部分宜改为:Having been told the bus would be crowded, we got to the stop very early.

3. 转换不当

代词使用时要保持连贯性,不要任意转换,否则就会出现错误,这种错误在学生英语作文中相当典型.请看:

[例8] If you work hard, one will make rapid proGREss.

[例9] So long as you have the Internet access, anyone can receive distance education.

[例10] Whether one enjoys or resents advertisements, we are actually bombarded by them every hour of the day.

很明显,以上三句都出现了代词转换不当的错误.例8中的one应为you; 例9中的anyone可改为you;例10中的we are应为he is.归根结底,这种错误是受汉语影响所致,因为汉语对代词一致性的限制相对较弱(以上三例若直译为汉语,在语法上是可以接受的).

4. 性、数、格不一致

人称代词、反身代词以及相应的限定代词必须和它们照应的对象保持性、数、格上的一致.如第三人称单数中,当照应对象为阳性名词时,代词通常用he, him, himself, his;当照应对象为阴性名词时,代词通常用she, her, herself, hers;如果照应对象是表示无生命事物的名词,代词常用it, its, itself.代词的格分为三种,分别是主格、宾格和所有格,各有其相应的形式.

[例11] It was him that answered the question.(应为he,因为在从句中作主语,应用主格形式)

[例12] If a friend of you ask you to do a wrong thing,even to help him commit a crime, your best answer of course is "no"!(应为yours,此为双属格结构)

[例13] My friend and adviser have offered their help.(应为has...her/his, my friend and adviser,从结构上看,应为同一个人)

[例14] Either the workers or the supervisor will win their grievance.(应为his/her,以or或nor连接两个主语时,代词与其最近的词保持一致)

[例15] I can see that the baby has got his first tooth.(应为its,习惯上用it来指代婴儿)

5. 其他错误

1)因代词引发的粘连句式(run-on sentence)

[例16] In my opinion, people from different cultures can go with each other. We will consider it difficult at first, it's very natural.(可改为which is)

[例17] She had intended to become a biologist, however, she seemed more interested in medicine.(可将however前的逗号改为句号,并将h大写.)

[例18] He was shy, he usually refused invitations.(可将第二个he前的逗号改为句号,并将h大写.)

[例19] The number increased significantly once more, it jumped to the highest peak in 2003.(应为jumping)

显而易见,这种错误同样来自汉语的影响,没有注意到英语本身的句法特征.

2)关于反身代词的误用

[例20] I just want to teach oneself operating the machine.(应为teach myself,固定搭配中的反身代词应在实际语境中作相应的变化)

[例21] That morning, I got up, dressed myself and went out.(应为got dressed,三个动词使用相同结构显得更为自然)

3)代词位置错误

代词一般指代前文中已经出现的事物,但在有前置状语的句子中,英语习惯在前置状语中使用代词来后指句子的主语.

[例22] In John's speech, he talked much about the importance of self-control.(宜将John's换成his, 而将he换成John)

本文归纳了学生英文写作中常见的代词误用,可以看到,这类错误多是汉语代词系统和习惯用法在英语中负迁移的结果.学生在平时学习中,应注意多比较英汉在代词使用方面的差异,掌握正确的英语使用方法,有意识地消除汉语的负面影响,方能在写作中恰当、灵活地使用代词.