问英语｜英语常见问题解答

idea¹

问

（1）The idea that computers can recognize human voices surprises many people.

我知道句(1)中的 that 从句是同位语从句。但我不知道句(2)中的 how 从句是什么从句。

答

除了 that 引导同位语从句之外, wh-词(包括 how) 也可以引导同位语从句, 有时用介词 of(或 as to) 来表明这种同位关系:

We have solved the problem (of) who was at fault. 我们已解决了谁有过错的问题。
... had little idea of what they wanted to do ……不大知道他们想干什么
have no idea(of) how, what etc... 不知道如何,什么等等……
You can have no idea(of) how anxious we have been. 你可能不知道我们是多么焦急。
She had no idea at all as to what I ought to do with Mr. Ernest. 她一点儿也不知道我应当同恩斯特先生做什么。

但是,从惯用法上说,在上述句子里使用 of 或 as to 的情况是比较少见的:

You have no idea how worried we were. 你不知道我们是多么焦虑。
I have no idea where she's gone. 我不知道她去哪儿啦。
You have no idea how embarrassed I feel. 你不知道我感到多么为难。
She had no idea why she thought of him suddenly. 她不明白她为什么突然想到了他。
I have no idea when he will be back. 我不知道他什么时候回来。

练习

They have no idea at all ____.
1. A
  where he has gone
2. B
  where did he go
3. C
  which place has he gone
4. D
  where has he gone(全国高考)
I have no idea ____ he will come back.
1. A
  where
2. B
  when
3. C
  what
4. D
  that
I have no idea what ____ while I was asleep.
1. A
  happened
2. B
  had happened
3. C
  was happened
4. D
  has happened

idea²

问

《英语惯用法大词典》(中国科学技术出版社, p. 985) 上说:

“在 an idea of 和 no idea of 后面出现由 that 引导的从句时, that 从句前面的 of 通常省略。如:

I had no idea that she was unhappy. Steve had an idea that he met this girl somewhere before."

所谓省略,就是指省略的部分还原后,可得出符合语法的句子来。我的疑问是:在上面的句子里,如果把“省略的 of”还原,能造出符合语法的句子吗?

答

在 an idea 和 no idea 之后的 that 从句不能解释为省略介词 of 的宾语从句, 这一点是与 wh-分句完全不同的。大家知道, 介词不与 that 从句连用, 乃是介词的标准之一 (参见 in that $^{1,2}$ ), 因此, 决不会出现 an idea of that... 和 no idea of that... 这样的格式。上面的 that 从句是典型的同位语从句。

Where did you get the idea that she doesn't like you? 你是从哪儿得来她不喜欢你的想法呢？
My friends had no idea that something was wrong. 我的朋友们不知道出了什么事。

idea³

问

I had no idea it was going to be so expensive.

it was going...是个什么从句？它与 idea 有什么关系？

答

在正式语体里,上面的句子应写成:I had no idea that it was going to be so expensive.(我当时不知道午餐竟然会这么贵。)不难看出,that 从句是名词 idea 的同位语从句。但是,在非正式语体里,这个 that 是可以省略的。请对比:

I had no idea your husband had passed over. 我不知道你的丈夫已去世。
I had no idea this book was going to be so interesting. 我不知道这本书会这么有趣。
Madeleine had no idea that her parents were Jewish. (Hillary, Living History) 奥尔布赖特一直不知道自己的父母是犹太人。(希拉里，《亲历历史》)