不定式主动语态表示被动意义

不定式主动语态表示被动意义

     He created his explosive to save lives — lives that were lost because other explosives were dangerous to use. (Passage A, Unit 1)
    这句中的to use是不定式的主动语态，但表示被动意义。

     英语中有两种语态：主动语态 (active voice) 和被动语态 (passive voice)。一般来说，主动语态表示主动意义，被动语态表示被动意义。然而，主动语态有时也可用来表示被动意义。

     不定式的主动语态表示被动意义往往用在SVC (adj. + inf.)句型，即 “主语+动词+主语补语”句型，其中的主语补语由 “形容词+不定式”构成。用于这一句型的形容词较常见的有easy, hard, difficult, good, comfortable, possible, impossible等。在这种情况下，不定式必须用主动语态表示被动意义，不可用被动语态。例如：
   Apples are good to eat.
    *Apples are good to be eaten. （*表示此用法不可接受。下同。）
   The story is hard to believe (相信).
    *The story is hard to be believed.
    This shirt is easy to wash (洗).
    *This shirt is easy to be washed.
    Those explosives are dangerous to use.
    *Those explosives are dangerous to be used.

     不定式主动语态表示被动意义不但可用于单词动词(single-word verbs), 如上例，也可用于多词动词(multi-word verbs)。英语中的多词动词有以下几种类型：动词+介词，动词+副词小品词，动词+副词小品词+介词，动词+名词+介词等。例如：
   The chair is comfortable to sit in.
    *The chair is comfortable to be sat in.
    The sick baby was difficult to look after.
    *The sick baby was difficult to be looked after.
    The light is impossible to turn off.
    *The light is impossible to be turned off.
    Money is difficult to save up.
    *Money is difficult to be saved up.
    He ran so fast and was hard to catch up with (赶上).
    *He ran so fast and was hard to be caught up with.
    The loud cry of that girl was hard to put up with.
    *The loud cry of that girl was hard to be put up with.
    This dog is easy to take care of (照料).
    *This dog is easy to be taken care of.

     这里要提示学生注意的是：上面提及的SVC (adj. + inf.)句型只是同类句型的一种。从语义的角度看，这种句型可分为以下几种类型：
   (1) Mary is hard to get along with. (= It is hard to get along with Mary.)
    (2) Mary is kind to wait for me. (= It is kind of Mary to wait for me.)
    (3) Mary is angry to hear the news. (= To hear the news has made Mary angry.)
    (4) Mary is quick to learn. (= Mary learns quickly.)

     从上面四例可看出，尽管它们都属于SVC (adj. + inf.)句型，但它们的意义是完全不同的。也就是说，它们虽然表层结构相同，但深层结构不同。在这四种类型中，只有第(1)种的不定式是用主动语态来表示被动意义的。其他三种都不表示被动意义，因此不属于本单元讨论的范围。请提示学生不要混淆。
   不定式的主动语态表示被动意义除了用于SVC (adj. + inf.)句型外，还可用于其他情况。例如：
    I have a lot of work to do.
    *I have a lot of work to be done.

     在上例中，因主语是施事者(agent)，因此不定式只可用主动语态。如果主语不是施事者，则主动或被动都可使用。例如：
    There is a lot of work to do / to be done.

    但请注意下面两句在意义上的区别：
    There’s nothing to do — I’m bored(使厌烦).　没事可做，真无聊！
    There’s nothing to be done — we’ll have to buy a new TV set.　毫无办法，看来只能买一台新的电视机了。