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倒装句有两种:
将主语和谓语完全颠倒过来,叫做完全倒装(Complete Inversion)。如:In came a man with a white beard.
只将助动词(包括情态动词)移至主语之前,叫做部分倒装(Partial Inversion)。如:Only once was John late to class.
英语句子的倒装一是由于语法结构的需要而进行的倒装,二是由于修辞的需要而进行的倒装。前一种情况,倒装是必须的,否则就会出现语法错误;后一种情况,倒装是选择性的,倒装与否只会产生表达效果上的差异。下面本文就拟从其修辞功能谈谈倒装句的用法。
一、 表示强调:
倒装句最突出、最常见的修辞效果就是强调,其表现形式如下:
1. only +状语或状语从句置于句首,句子用部分倒装。
eg.Only in this way can you solve this problem. 只有用这种方法,你才可以解决这个问题。
eg.Only after he had spoken out the word did he realize he had made a big mistake.只有当他已经说出那个字后才意识到自己犯了个大错误。
2. not, little, hardly, scarcely, no more, no longer, in no way, never, seldom, not only, no sooner等具有否定意义的词或词组位于句首,句子用部分倒装。
eg. No sooner had I got home than it beg.an to rain. 我刚到家就下起了雨。
eg. Seldom do I go to work by bus. 我很少乘公共汽车上班。
3. so / such...that结构中的so或such位于句首可以构成部分倒装句,表示强调so /such和that之间的部分。
eg.So unreasonable was his price that everybody startled. 他的要价太离谱,令每个人都瞠目结舌。
eg.To such length did she go in rehearsal that the two actors walked out. 她的彩排进行得那么长,以致于那两个演员都走出去了。
以上各例子都用倒装语序突出了句首成分,其语气较自然语序强烈,因而具有的修辞效果。
二、 承上启下
有时倒装可把前一句说到的人或物,或与前一句有联系的人或物在下一句紧接着先说出来,从而使前后两句在意思上的关系更加清楚,衔接更加紧密,起到承上启下的作用。
eg.They broke into her uncle's bedroom and found the man lying on the floor, dead. Around his head was a brown snake. 他们破门进入她叔叔的卧室,发现他躺在地板上死了。一条棕褐色的蛇缠在他头上。
eg. We really should not resent being called paupers. Paupers we are, and paupers we shall remain. 我们确实不应因为被称作穷光蛋而愤愤不平。我们的确是穷光蛋,而且还会继续是穷光蛋。
三、 制造悬念,渲染气氛
在新闻或文学创作中,有时为了内容的需要,或是为了强调,作者常常运用倒装来制造悬念,渲染气氛。如:
Hanging on the wall was a splendid painting. 墙上挂着一幅精美的图画。
再如朗费罗(Longfellow)《雪花》中的一节:
Out of the bosom of the Air,
Out of the cloud-folds of her garments shaken,
Over the woodlands brown and bare,
Over the harvest-fields forsaken,
Silent, and soft, and slow,
Descends the snow.
在这一节诗里 ,诗人就富有创意地运用了倒装。在前五行中 ,诗人堆砌了七个状语,状语连续出现而主语和谓语却迟迟未露 ,造成一种悬念效应。全节读罢 ,读者才对诗歌的主题恍然大悟 ,因而收到了不同凡响的艺术效果。
四、 平衡结构
英语修辞的一个重要原则是尾重原则,即把句子最复杂的成分放在句尾以保持句子平衡。在语言使用中为了避免产生头重脚轻、结构不平衡的句子,我们常采用倒装语序。
1. 以作状语的介词短语开头:当主语较长或主语所带修饰语较长时,为了使句子平衡,常将状语置于句首,句子用完全倒装语序。
eg.To the coal mine came a com-pany of PLA soldiers with orders from the headquarters to rescue the trapped miners.
eg.A company of PLA soldiers came to the coal mine with orders from the headquarters to rescue the trapped miners.
一个连队的解放军战士来到了那座煤矿,奉司令部之命解救受困的矿工。
eg.On the ground lay some air conditioners, which are to be shipped to some other cities.
eg.Some air conditioners lay on the ground, which are to be shipped to some other cities.
地上放着一些空调,等着用船运到其他城市去。
从例句中可看出, 采用倒装语序的A句结构平衡稳妥 ,读起来自然流畅,而采用自然语序的B句结构零乱, 读起来也别扭。因而,在主语较长时就应采用倒装语序以取得理想的表达效果。
2. 以表语开头的句子:有时为了把较长的主语放在后面,须将表语和谓语都提到主语前。
eg.Such would be our home in the future. 我们将来的家就是这个样子。
3. 以副词here , there开头的句子,也采用完全倒装来保持句子平衡。
eg.Here is the letter you have been looking forward to. 你盼望已久的信在这儿。
五、 使描写生动
有时为了使叙述或描绘更加生动形象,增加语言效果,可将表示方向的副词(如:down, up, out, in, off, on, away等)或拟声词(bang, crack等)置于句首,句子采用全部倒装的语序(主语为人称代词的句子除外)。
eg.Up went the rocket into the air. 嗖地一声火箭就飞上天了。
eg.Down jumped the criminal from the third floor when the policeman pointed his pistol at him. 当警察把手枪瞄准那个罪犯时,嘭地一下他就从三楼跳了下去。
eg.Boom went the cannon! 轰隆一声大炮开火了!
eg.Bang came another shot!砰!又是一声枪响!
以上句子简洁明快 ,生动逼真地描述了有关动作 ,令我们一览此类倒装的风采。但这种倒装句的修辞功能在语段中可以体现得更为清楚。
"Stop thief! Stop thief!" There is a magic cry in the sound. The tradesman leaves his counter, ... Away they run, pell—mell, helter—skelter, yelling—screaming, ...
"Stop thief ! Stop thief !" The cry is taking by a hundred voices, ... Away they fly, splashing through the mud, up go the window, out run the people. ( Dickens )
作者在段和第二段中分别用副词away, up和out位于句首引出四个倒装句Away they run , Away they fly, up go the window , out run the people。从而制造出一种紧张、急促的气氛 ,生动地刻画了一个紧张、混乱的捉贼场面。