present participle

上句中的现在分词短语 Hearing the sound 可分析为时间状语, 它相当于一个时间状语从句:

As(When) they heard the sound, many people ...

下面是类似的实例：

1. Hearing the news, they all jumped with joy. (When they heard the news, they ...) 听了这个消息他们都高兴得跳了起来。

2. Walking slowly across the grass he pointed the pipe at the lion and fired. 他慢慢地走过草地，把枪管对准狮子就射击了。

3. Coming out of the theater we found that it was quite impossible to get a taxi-cab. 走出剧院(时), 我们发现想找一辆出租车是不可能了。

上句中的现在分词短语 realizing that ... 是原因状语, 起着原因状语从句的作用: ... as (because) she realized that ...。这种用法是很常见的(注意它的位置的灵活性):

1. Not knowing her address, I can't write to her. 由于不知道她的住址，我没法给她写信。

2. Being sick I stayed at home. 我因病待在家中。

3. At last, being tired of waiting, we started off without him. (= as we were tired of waiting) 等得不耐烦了, 最后, 我们没带他就出发了。

4. Seeing the snake, the little girl drew back in horror. 一看见蛇，小女孩吓得直往后退。

5. Being a student he was naturally interested in museums. 作为一个学生,他自然对博物馆感兴趣。

6. Driving too fast, she fell from the motorbike and hurt ____ her legs.

A. two B. all C. double D. both(上海会考,93-15)

7. Seeing all the seats taken, I had no ____ but to stand at the back.

A. way B. turn C. choice D. time(同上,93-17)

分词短语 angrily pointing ... 在句中作方式状语,修饰 said。请分析下面的实例:

1. He came running towards us. 他跑着到我们这边来。

2. She ran screaming out of the room. 她尖声嚎叫着跑出了房间。

3. Hibernating in that way, the animal can sleep all through the winter. (SEFC, 3A, p. 68) 用这种方式冬眠，动物就可以睡过整个冬天。

4. They often amuse themselves telling stories. 他们经常讲故事来消遣。

5. Large animals jumped about on two legs carrying their young in a stomach pocket. (SEFC, 3A, p. 10) 有的大动物靠两条腿跳来跳去，肚子上有一个口袋，装着幼仔。请做下面的英语试题：

present participle $^{4}$

1162

1. He stood on one leg, ____ against the wall, while he took off his shoe.

A. lying B. leaning C. falling D. stopping(上海高考,92-25)

2. ____ by jeep, we visited a number of cities in South China.

A. Travelled B. Travelling C. Being travelled D. Having travelled

我国出版的教参和教辅材料对于 using rocks 有三种分析方法：

A. using rocks 作定语:

1. “句中的 using rocks 是现在分词短语,相当于一个非限制性定语从句……”(《教师教学用书》,1B,人教社,p.94)

2. “using rocks 是动词-ing 形式作非限制性定语。”(《导学大全·高中英语第一册》，上海远东出版社，p.350)

3. “using rocks 是现在分词短语,作定语……”(《随堂学·练·考丛书·高一英语》,龙门书局,p.338)

B. using rocks 作同位语:

1. “也可以把它看作 a way of printing 的同位语。”(《教师教学用书》, 1B, 人教社, p. 94)

2. “using rocks 是 a new way of printing 的同位语，……” [《中学生学习辞典》(高中英语)，广西师大出版社，p.149]

C. using rocks 作状语:

“分词短语 using rocks 在句中作状语, 表示伴随情况或方式。”(《课文注释》, p. 138)

我们认为，把 using rocks 看作是 a way of printing 的定语，是说不通的。大家知道，现在分词作定语时，它所修饰的中心词便是它的逻辑主语。我们能说 a way of printing 是 using 的逻辑主语吗？不难看出，using 的逻辑主语是句子的主语 people。我们也不同意把 using rocks 看成 a way of printing 的同位语的说法。大家知道，同位语的本质特点就是两个概念表示同一的人或事物或者把同位语改为表语时，句子在语义上仍能成立：

the Yangtze, the longest river of China the Yangtze = the longest river of China The Yangtze is the longest river of China.

而 a way of printing 和 using rocks 却不存在这种关系：

a way of printing ≠ using rocks

A way of printing is using rocks( × )

我们同意把 using rocks 看作是方式状语（而不是伴随情况状语），它表明人们是用什么方法发明了一种印刷方法。它可以回答 how 或 by what method 的问题。如果把 using 前的逗号改为 by，则句意保持不变。下面是一些类似的例句：

1. He earns a living driving a truck. (by driving) 他靠开卡车谋生。

2. They would be able to reply to our signals using similar methods. 他们将能用同样的方法回答我们的信号。

3. There will be a writer writing the text for the advertisement and a designer who will design it, using pictures or photographs and the text. 还有写广告词的作者以及广告设计者，后者利用图片或照片和广告词来进行设计。

把分词短语 begging for a meal 分析为目的状语更符合句子的本质: begging for a meal = in order to beg for a meal。要知道, 现在分词短语是可以用作目的状语的, 尤其是在美国英语里:

1. I bound the base of the tree with sticky tape, making it impossible for the ants to reach the aphids. 我用胶带把树干底部捆扎起来，使蚂蚁不能到达蚜虫那里。

2. Pappy ran out to the gate and told him not to come fooling (= to fool) around there no more. 巴比跑出到大门口去叫他不要再到这儿来游荡。(钱歌川:《英语疑难详解》, p. 237)

伴随情况状语的特点是:它所表达的动作或状态是伴随着句子谓语动词的动作而发生或存在的。上句中的 blocking 所表达的动作并不“伴随着”句子谓语的动作,而是后者所造成的结果。因此,应把它看作是结果状语(参见 participle $^{3}$ )。下面是类似的实例:

1. A lot of good land has gone with them, leaving only sand. (JEFC,3,新版 p.52) 许多好地和森林都消失了，留下来的只是沙漠。

2. The child fell, striking his head against the door and cutting it. 那孩子跌倒了，头碰在门上碰破了。

3. Her husband died ten years ago, leaving her with three children. 她丈夫十年前去世了，撇下她和三个孩子。

4. Then foreign settlers started to arrive, bringing with them new diseases which killed many Kooris and seizing the land on which the Kooris had lived for thousands of years. 接着，外国殖民者开始来到这里，带来了新的疾病，这种疾病夺去了许多古利人的生命。殖民者还掠夺了古利人生活了几千年的土地。

5. For where there are trees their roots break the soil up—allowing the rain to sink in—and also bind the soil, thus preventing its being washed away easily. 因为在有树木的地方，树根穿破了泥土（让雨水渗进土里），树根又把泥土凝集起来，从而使土不容易被雨水冲走。

这里的分词短语 making it ... 并非定语,而是结果状语,见 participle $^{3}$ 。

上题中的分词短语 preparing ... for the president 在句中作伴随情况状语。它表示分词短语所描述的情景是伴随着句子的情景而发生或存在的。它与方式状语不同，它不说明句子的动作方式，因此，不能用 how 来提问。含伴随情况状语的句子大都可以改写为并列句，基本含义不变：

1. He sat in the armchair, reading a newspaper. = He sat in the armchair, and read a newspaper. 他坐在扶手椅里读报纸。

2. Leaving the door open, Weber went to fetch his hunting boots drying outside. = Weber left the door open and went ... 门开着，韦伯去拿晾在外面的打猎靴。

3. All night long he lay awake, thinking of the problem. = All night long he lay awake, and was thinking of the problem. 他整夜躺在床上睡不着，思考着那个问题。

[附注]有时候,方式状语与伴随情况状语的区别不大明显,因而很难区分。因此之故,同一个例句有些英语著作将其列为方式状语,而另一些英语著作却将其列为伴随情况状语。遇到这种情况,不必大惊小怪。

这里的分词短语 adding that ... 虽与伴随情况状语有些相似,但严格地说,它不是伴随情况状语,因为它所表达的情景并不与句子的动作相伴而产生。实际上,它起着补充说明的作用,相当于一个并列分句,但比分句简洁明快:

... adding that he had enjoyed his stay here = and added that he had enjoyed his stay here 再如：My train starts at six, arriving in Chicago at ten. = ... and arrived in Chicago at ten.

分词作状语时,只能根据逻辑关系而不能根据语法特征来判定它是时间状语、条件状语或让步状语等。因此,有时会遇到很难判定其归属的情形。如果在分词之前加上 when, while, since, if, once, though, unless 等连词,就会很清楚地表明状语的性质。上句中的 when learning ...一看便知是时间状语。对于这种结构也可以作另外的解释:when learning 是省略了主语和助动词的时间状语从句。when learning = when (we are) learning。

1. While trying to open the can, I cut my hand. 在试图打开罐头时，我划破了手。

2. Be careful when crossing the street. 过马路时要小心。

3. If travelling north, you must change at Leeds. 如果到北方旅行,你必须在利兹换车。

4. Though understanding no Spanish, she was able to communicate with the other students. [“Though she understood no Spanish, …”] 尽管她不懂西班牙语，但是她能跟其他学生交流。

[参见participle $^{6}$ , once(conj.) $^{2}$ , when $^{29}$ ]

作“自从”解的 since 可以与分词短语连用,用作时间状语,以代替 since 引导的时间状语从句:

1. Since phoning you this morning, I have changed my plans. = Since I phoned you this morning, I have changed my plans. 从今天早晨给你打了电话,我便改变了计划。

2. Since arriving here, we have made many friends. 自从来到这里,我们交了许多朋友。

[附注]有的英语辞书将上面的 since 看作是介词。

现在分词的一般式有时也可以表示其动作发生在句子谓语动词的动作之前,但相隔的时间较短。例如：

1. Opening the drawer he took out a notebook. 他打开抽屉，拿出来一个笔记本。

2. Stepping carelessly off the pavement, he was knocked down by the bus. 他不小心离开了人行道，被公共汽车撞倒了。

3. Putting down my newspaper, I walked over to the window. (= After I had put down my newspaper, ...) 我放下报纸，走到窗前。

但是,当强调现在分词所表达的动作先于谓语动词的动作时,要使用现在分词的完成式(having done, having been done):

1. Having failed twice, he didn't want to try again. 已经失败了两次，他不想再试了。

2. Not having read the book, Mary could not answer the question. 由于没有看过那本书，玛丽回答不了这个问题。

3. Having read the Emperor's New Clothes, we all found it interesting. 读过《皇帝的新装》之后，我们都觉得很有趣。

4. Having been separated from other continents for millions of years, Australia has many plants and animals not found anywhere else in the world. 由于同其它大陆分离已有数百万年之久，所以澳大利亚有许多动植物是世界上任何其它地方所没有的。

5. The poor of the cities and the peasants in the country, having lived such a hard life for so long, took up their guns and knives and began to kill the rich nobles. 城市贫民和乡村里的农民由于长期以来过着非常艰苦的生活，拿起刀枪开始杀起富有的贵族来了。

6. They had come from England, having heard the strange news that Dr Manette, Lucie's father, was alive and was living in Paris. 他们从英国来是因为听到一个奇怪的消息——露西的父亲曼奈特医生仍然活在世上，而且还住在巴黎。

在做有关现在分词的试题时,除了注意时间关系(一般式和完成式)之外,还要注意主动、被动关系。现在分词有其被动形式:being done(一般式)和 having been done(完成式)。在上面的试题里,主语 he 与 warn 是被动关系,并且 warn 的动作发生在 didn't leave 之前,所以应当用现在分词的被动完成式:Having been warned。下面是现在分词被动式的实例:

1. Being done in a hurry, the exercises were full of mistakes. 这些练习题是急急忙忙做出的，错误很多。

2. Having been bitten twice, the postman refused to deliver our letters unless we chained our dog up. 邮递员被狗咬了两次,如果我们不把狗拴起来,他就不给我们送信了。

首先应当指出，sb. was seen to do 和 sb. was seen doing 的用法都是正确的。可见，上面的试题出得不大好，而该书所作的只能选 D 的解答是错误的。其次应当指出，上面两个结构的意义是不同的。前者表示：被看到的是整个动作或全部动作（the complete or whole action），而后者表示：被看到的是正在进行的动作（the action in progress）或动作的一个片断。因此，上题用 going 更符合事理。因为人们通常所看到的只是小偷正在进行的动作，而很少看到他们动作的全过程（警察监视的情况除外）[参见 see sb. do/doing, feel $^{2}$ , last(adv.)]。下面是关于 sb. was seen doing 用法的实例：

1. The thief was seen running away. 有人看到小偷逃走了。

2. She was seen going upstairs. 有人看见她上楼了。

3. They were afraid to be seen speaking to me. 他们害怕被人看见同我谈话。

这里只能选 A。见 see sb. do/doing, feel $^{2}$ , last(adv.)。

此试题出得不好,实际上,get sb. to do 和 get sb. doing 都是正确用法,并且在语义上并无明显区别,见 get sb. to do/doing。

有许多以-ing 和-ed 结尾的词,除用作分词之外,还可用作形容词,换句话说,英语里有许多形容词是与现在分词或过去分词同形的。例如,amusing, boring, convincing, changing, interesting, striking, surprising, terrifying, astonished, broken, convinced, delighted, disappointed, satisfied, tired, worried 等等。一般说来,这些同形的形容词和分词在语义上并没有什么明显的区别。在做这类题时应特别注意以-ing 结尾的形容词和以-ed 结尾的形容词在语义上的差别。在许多情况下,仍可把-ing 形式理解为具有主动意义,而把-ed 形式理解为具有被动意义:

a growing city(成长中的城市)→a city that is growing

an interesting book(有趣的书)——a book which interests readers

frightening stories(令人恐怖的故事)→stories which frighten readers

a broken window(打破的窗户)→a window which has been broken

a frightened girl(一个吓坏了的女孩)→a girl who has been (was) frightened

你读了上面的论述,一定会在上题中选 C。

见see $^{6}$ ，see sb. do/doing, feel $^{2}$ 。

这道考题虽然选自美国出版的 Six Practice TOEFL Tests (Arco Publishing Company, Inc. New York, p. 83), 但是, 我们认为, 在这里选任何一项都是错误的。标准答案规定选 D, 然而选 D, 分词 driving 的逻辑主语与句子的语法主语 the idea 不一致, 犯了语法错误。托福考试中多次反复出现的一道改错题可以证明我们的说法是正确的:

A few years ago, travelling through Italy, the idea of history of Florentine architecture

occurred to him. (TOEFL) (应改为: when he was travelling)

(参见下条)

关于这种句型,张道真教授编著的《实用英语语法》说:“间或可以用一个分词短语来解释整个一句话。”章振邦等主编的《新编英语语法》只是说“generally speaking, judging from... talking of..., assuming...等等已经成为固定用语”,而没有作进一步的解释。Oxford English 则作了如下的解释:当分词短语的逻辑主语可以理解为 one 或 people 时,则分词短语的逻辑主语可以与句子的语法主语不一致。例如:

1. Judging from his appearance, he can't be over forty. 从他的外貌来看，他不可能超过40岁。

2. Taking everything into consideration, you were lucky to escape. 从各方面考虑,你能逃离真是幸运。

3. Generally speaking, boys are more interested in such activities than girls. 一般说来男孩对这种活动兴趣比女孩子大。

上面的分词短语分别相当于“If one judges...”, “If one takes...”, “If one speaks...”。

A Comprehensive Grammar of the English Language (§ 15.59) 对于这种分词短语的逻辑主语与句子主语不一致的现象作了更为详细的阐述。作者们提出了四种情况：

A. 分词短语隐含的主语常常是 I:

Putting it mildly, you have caused us some inconvenience. 说得温和一些,你给我们造成了一些不便。

B. 分词短语隐含的主语是整个句子：

The siren sounded, indicating that the air raid was over. [“... which indicated that...”] (CGEL) 警报响起来了，证明空袭结束了。

如果选 C 的话,那么 There is... 分句和 it is... 分句是主从关系呢,还是并列关系呢?如果是并列关系,则其间缺少并列连词,如果是主从关系,则从句前无从属连词。因此,选 C 后的句子是不能成立的。选 D 后,There being no gravity 便成了独立结构,用来表示原因。类例:

1. There being nothing else to do, we went home. (Palmer) 由于没有其他事情可做,我们便回家了。

2. The shower being over, we continued to march. 阵雨过去之后我们继续前进。(《实用英语语法》)

3. Mother being ill in bed, I cannot go to school. 因母亲卧病在床我不能去上学。

4. A taxi being soon available, Dr Lowe was able to catch the train. (CGEL) 由于出租汽车很快就来了，洛博士赶上了火车。

不难发现,分词短语作状语时,其主语应与句子的主语一致(Being sick, I was absent from school yesterday.)，但是，在独立结构中，分词短语有自己的主语，如例(1)的 nothing else 和例2中的 shower。独立结构，无论在语法上，还是在语义上都处于从属地位，这样就使得另一个主谓结构处于中心的地位。(参见 absolute construction)