在日常交际用语和书面表达中,插入语频频出现。英语中的插入语(Parenthesis)是插在句子中的一个词,短语或从句,通常被逗号、破折号或句子的其他部分隔开,它与句子的其他部分之间没有语法上的关系,因此,有的语法学家将其归为独立成分。
插入语在句中通常是对一句话的一些附加解释,说明或总结;有时表示说话者的态度和看法;有时起强调的作用;有时是为了引起对方的注意;还可以起转移话题或说明事由的作用;也可以承上启下,使句子与前面的语句衔接的更紧密一些。
插入语大致可分为以下10种类型:
1. 形容词或形容词短语作插入语
如:worst still, sure enough, strange, most important of all等。
Strange, there is nobody in the classroom. 很奇怪,教室里没人。
2. 副词或副词短语作插入语
如:personally, honestly, fortunately, luckily, for us, though, besides, exactly, surely, frankly, still otherwise 等。
Luckily for you, I happen to have the key.
你很运气,我正好带了钥匙。
3. 介词短语作插入语
如:of course, in short, as a matter of fact, by the way, on the other hand, in my opinion, in conclusion等。
In short, we should not stop halfway.
简言之,我们不能半途而废。
As a result, they suffered heavy losses.
结果,他们受到了严重损失。
On the contrary, we should strengthen our ties with them.
相反,我们还应加强和他们的联系。
4. 现在分词短语作插入语
如:generally speaking, judging from/ by …, talking of…, considering…等。
Considering his age, he did very well.
从年龄考虑,他干得挺不错。
Frankly speaking, I don’t like the job.
坦率地说,我不喜欢这份工作。
Talking of singing, will you go to the concert with me tonight?
说到唱歌,你今晚愿意和我一块去音乐会吗?
5. 过去分词短语作插入语
Painted white, we like the house better.
漆成白色,我们更喜欢这房子。
注意:之所以称它为插入语,是由于这种过去分词是独立的,没有逻辑主语。
6. 动词不定式
如:to be sure, to be frank(坦率地说),to tell you the truth(说实话),so to speak (可以说)等。
To be frank, I don’t quite agree with you.
坦率地说,我不太同意你的意见。
That’s a wonderful idea, to be sure.
这个主意好极了,的确。
To tell you the truth, I am not very interested in going to the show.
说实在的,我不太想去看演出。
7. 代词词组
如:all the same(尽管如此),all told(总共),all in all(总的来说)等。
His crew was reduced to twenty-four all told.
他的船员减少到总共二十四人。
All in all, her condition is greatly improved.
总的来说,她的情况有很大好转。
8. 从句
如:if so / not / any, if I may say so, if you don’t mind, as you know, as you say 等。
If I may say so, we know nothing about it.
正如我所说的,我们对它一无所知。
This man, as you know, is good for nothing.
正如你所说的,这个人是个废物。
9. 句子
如:I say /hear, I think /hope / believe, you know / see, what’s more, that is (to say), I’m afraid, do you think / suppose等。
It’s a great mistake, I think, not to accept their proposal.
我看,不接受他们的建议是个大错误。
The temple disappeared, no one remembers when.
谁也不记得什么时候这座庙就没有了。
The old man, it is said, was an artist but people hardly know anything about this side of his life.
据说,这位老人曾是个艺术家,可是人们对他这方面的生活几乎一无所知。
10. 用标点符号引导插入语
如:He was (strange as it seems)an excellent sportsman.
他(尽管还显得令人不解)是个出色的运动员。
He was -to me at least, if not to you-a figure that was worth having pity on.
至少我觉得如此,即使你不这样认为,他是一个值得同情的人。
英语句子里有时会插入一个与全句句意无直接关系的附加部分,这个部分就叫 “插入语”。插入语和句子的联系不是很紧密,一般可用逗号与句子隔开,起到对句子进行补充或附加说明的作用,表明说话人的态度,或解释说明整个句子。
语法上理解是这样的,它可以不充当句子的部分,它的对错不会影响这个句的对错
语法上理解是这样的,它可以不充当句子的部分