问英语｜英语常见问题解答

but for¹

问

（a）But for a half hour or so for lunch I am here all day. (Yeats)

(b) But for my brother's help I would not have finished the work. (LDCE)

句(a)(b)中的 but for 意义是否相同?

答

在句(a)中but for表示“例外”(除……之外)，在意义和用法上近似于except for，但没有后者用得普遍。在句(b)中but for表示“否定的条件”（要不是，如果没有），而且这种否定的条件是与事实相反的，因此，句子的谓语动词要用虚拟语气。请注意下列各句中but for在意义和用法上的区别：

But for John they all died. (CGEL) 除约翰外,他们都死了。
But for John they would all have died. (CGEL) 如果没有约翰,他们就都死了。类例:
But for the sun's heat, nothing could live. 如果没有太阳的热量,任何生物也不会存活。
But for the rain we should have had a pleasant journey. (ALD) 要不是那场雨,我们的旅游会是很愉快的。
But for the storm we should have arrived earlier. (PEG) 要不是那场暴风雨,我们本会早点儿到的。
But for your coming, I should have been very lonely. (McMordie) 如果那时不是你来了的话,我是会非常孤独的。

练习

“You finally made it, didn’t you?” “Yes, ____ your help, I would not have succeeded.”
1. A
  but that
2. B
  but for
3. C
  but if
4. D
  thanks to (TOEFL)
  
  . ____ the flood, the ship would have reached its destination on time.
5. A
  In case of
6. B
  In spite of
7. C
  Because of
8. D
  But for(全国六级,90.1-58)
He might have been killed ____ the arrival of the police. (此题出得不好, 见 except for)
1. A
  except for
2. B
  but for
3. C
  with
4. D
  for(全国六级,95.6-46)
____ the English examination I would have gone to the concert last Sunday.
1. A
  In spite of
2. B
  But for
3. C
  Because of
4. D
  As for(全国研考,91-16)

but for²

问

《英语语法词典》(四川人民出版社,1996,p.144)说:“介词短语 but for 不表示‘除……之外’的意思,而表示‘倘若没有;要不是’的意思。”

这种说法使我感到奇怪。难道介词短语 but for 就不能表示“排除”“例外”的意思吗？

答

许多英语著作都强调了上面的说法。但是,这是不正确的。其实,but for除了表示“倘若没有”之外,也可以表示“除……之外”的意思(参见except for/but for)。请看下面的实例:

But for John they all died. (CGEL) 除了约翰大家都死了。
But for a half hour or so for lunch I am here all day. (Yeats) 除了大约半小时的午饭时间之外,我整天都在这里。
But for you everyone has helped. (LEG)

除了你之外，大家都帮忙了。

but for³

but for/except for

问

《英语惯用法大词典》(中国科技出版社,1994年，p.266)说“but for 意为‘要不是’，用于虚拟语气。与此同义的 except for 用于直陈语气。”据我所知,except for 作“要不是”解时，也是应当与虚拟语气连用的。例如：She would leave her husband except for the children. (LDCE)

答

except for 表示例外,作“除了”解时,常常与陈述语气连用。例如:

Except for me, everyone was tired. (CGEL) 除了我之外，大家都很疲劳。
Except for John, all died. (CGEL) 除了约翰,其余的人都死了。
Except for John, the whole class passed the test. (DAI) 除了约翰, 全班同学都通过了考试。
Except for us/ourselves, the whole village was asleep. (CGEL) 除了我们之外, 全村的人都睡着了。

当 except for 表示否定的条件,作“要不是”解时,则如同 but for(参见 but for $^{1}$ )一样,也常常与虚拟语气连用。例如:

Except for you, I should be dead by now. (LDCE) 要不是你,我现在已不活在人世了。
Except for John they would all have died. (CGEL) 要不是因为约翰,他们大家都死了。

至于该书所说的“but for 意为‘要不是’，用于虚拟语气”，那也是不精确的，实际上，but for 也可以表示“除……之外”的意思，见 but for $^{2}$ ，except for/but for。