中英两种语言的结构有很大不同,词序便是其中一种。例如英语单数人称代名词(singular personal pronouns)的秩序是:You and I; he and I; you, he and I.You常常居前;I则殿后。复数人称代词(plural personal pronouns)的位置是:We and you; you and they; we, you and they.We常常在最前;they在最后。
后面这词序和中文的一样,但前面那种排列,却和中文的不同: “我和你;我和他;我,你,他”。我常在前;他常在后。
简简单单的人称代词的秩序,就有这么大的差别,其他更复杂的结构之间的差异,可想而知了。
现在试再举些其他词序的差异,以飨读者。 ① 要分清敌我→We must distinguish between ourselves and the enemy. ② 男女老少→men and women, young and old ③ 发展钢铁工业→develop the iron and steel industry
此外,中英文并列的词语有轻重之分。中文往往把重的词放在前,把分量较轻的摆在后;英语则恰恰相反:轻者在前,重者在后。例如: ④ 无地和少地的农民→Those peasants who have little or no land…… ⑤ 救死扶伤→Heal the wounded and rescue the dying. (扶也可译为“support”或“assist”) ⑥ 使人民经济有所增长,有所补充→We must help the people to supplement and expand their economy.
上述中英词序的差异,稍微不察,便会出错,在各别使用中文式英语时,难免感到句式不自然,不舒畅;因此要多多留意。
其实,不谈两种不同语言的词序,就英语来说,词序(word order)也是运用上的错误之一,只是不比其他几种常见错误普遍罢了。
⒈频率副词(adverbs of frequency),如:
⑦a. Jim always is happy.
b. Jim is always happy.
⒉倒装句(inverted constructions),如:
⑧a. Only by working hard you can become useful to the country.
b. Only by working hard can you become useful to the country.
⑨a. Seldom I have seen such an irrational person.
b. Seldom have I seen such an irrational person.
⑩a. Under no circumstances we will help those not wishing to help themselves.
b. Under no circumstances will we help those not wishing to help themselves.
⒊可分开的片语动词宾语(objects of separable phrasal verbs),如:
11a. - Take off your hat, please!
Take off it now !
b. - O.K. Let me take it off straight away.
⑦a-11a的词序都错;⑦b-11b的才对。