英语中的同源宾语
同源宾语(cognate object/accusative)是与谓语动词语源相同的宾语,基本上为谓语动词的名词形式。同源宾语的一大特点是可以做不及物动词(intransitive verb)的宾语。由于同源宾语与谓语动词的音、形相似,通常起到了强调或其他特殊的作用。
常用的同源宾语
breathe a breath
With her family around her, she breathed her last breath.
在家人的陪伴下,她咽了最后一口气。
dance a dance
She danced a cheerful dance.
她跳了一支欢快的舞蹈。
die a death
Three workers died a gruesome death.
三名工人惨死。
The old man died a peaceful death.
老人平静地离世了。
dream a dream
She dreamt a sweet/terrible dream.
她做了一个甜蜜的/可怕的梦。
“Dream lofty dreams, and as you dream, so shall you become. ” ― James Allen
“怀有崇高的梦想,因你心怀梦想,你就会梦想成真。”——詹姆斯·爱伦
fight a fight
The solider fought a brave fight and died a heroic death.
那名士兵勇敢战斗,英勇牺牲。
grow a growth
The European market is expected to grow a healthy growth.
欧洲市场期待健康地增长。
The tree grew a century’s growth within only ten years.
这棵树10年就长成了100年的样子。
live a life
I’m living a dog’s life.
我悲惨地活着。
He lived an uneventful life.
他过着平淡无奇的生活。
sigh a sigh
She sighed a weary sigh.
她疲惫地叹了口气。
sing a song
The singer sings a song.
这位歌手唱了一首歌。
sleep a sleep
Sleep a sound sleep.
睡个好觉。
She slept the sleep of the just.
她睡得深沉。
smile a smile
She smiled an elegant smile.
她优雅地微笑着。
grin a grin
He grinned a silly grin.
他傻傻地笑着。
laugh a laugh
The boy laughed a hearty laugh.
那个男孩开怀大笑。
A scornful laugh laughed he.
他轻蔑地大笑。
talk a talk; walk a walk
He walked their walk and talked their talk.
他与他们一起走,一起交谈。
talk the talk, (not) walk the walk
言行一致/言行不一
You talk the talk, but can you walk the walk?
你这样说,但你能否这样做?
When it comes to recycling he talks the talk but he doesn’t walk the walk.
谈到回收,他说一套,做一套。
dead men tell no tales
死无对证
I think they killed him because he knew too much. Dead men tell no tales.
我认为他们把他杀了是因为他知道的太多了。只有死人才不会乱说话。
think a thought
Think a thought, and do something to make it real.
想个点子,并实现它。
还有更多
有些人认为只是少数不及物动词可以支配同源宾语。其实还有很多同源动词和宾语,也许并不常见,且需要特定语境才有意义。英语学习者可在学习过程中注意收集,并体会其含义。比如:
The monster bleeds green blood.
怪物流出了绿色的血。
同源宾语的被动语态
受某些学派影响,有些语法讲解认为带同源宾语的动词不可变为被动语态。但很多研究表明,同源宾语结构在某些情况下是可以被动化[1][2][3]的,如:
Marilyn Monroe’s smile was smiled by Mary.
玛丽莲·梦露的微笑被玛丽笑(表现)出来了。
That piercing scream was screamed by the murder victim.
那声刺耳的尖叫是(被)受害人发出的。
To find more: “I dreamt a dream.” 英语中的同源动词和宾语现象
References:
1. Kogusuri, T., 2011. Conditions on the Passivization of Cognate Object Constructions. Tsukuba English Studies, 30, pp.51-78.
2. Kim, J.B. and Lim, J., 2012. English cognate object construction: A usage-based, construction grammar approach. English Language and Linguistics, 18(3), pp.31-55.
3. 许明 and 董成如, 2014. 同源宾语构式对动词论元结构的增容: 认知语法视角. 外语教学, 35(4), pp.37-40.