英语虽是当今的世界语,但依然充斥着歧义句,含糊不清,往往一句两解,不太明确。
英国近代两位文法大师Jocobs与Rosendbaum合著的English Transformational Grammar为我们提供了“一句六解”的例句,可说是当代歧义句子之中的最高纪录。
请大家细读这句有史以来最多解法的话:
The Seniors were told to stop demonstrating on campus.
暂时不要往下看,动一动脑筋,看看能列出多少个解法。
自我挑战,学思并重,也是提高中英语文水平的诀窍!
语文巨擘Jocobs与Rosenbaum说:非英语国家的学生能揣摩出三解就已很棒了!你试一试,可能也会觉得趣味盎然。
这个句子的第1解:
(1)The seniors were demonstrating and were asked, on campus, to desist.
(高年级的学生在示威,校方在校园要求他们停止示威。)
第2个解法:
(2)The seniors were demonstrating and were asked to desist on campus (although they could demonstrate elsewhere).
(高年级学生在示威,校方要求他们停止在校园中示威但可在其他地方示威)。
第3个解法是:
The seniors were demonstrating on campus and were asked to desist.
(高年级的学生在校园示威,校方叫他们停止示威。)
第4个解法是:
People were demonstrating on campus, and seniors were asked to stop them.
(有人在校园中示威,高年级生被要求去制止他们。)
第5个解法:
People were demonstrating and seniors were asked, on campus, to stop them .
(有人在示威,高年级生在校园中被要求去制止他们。)
第6个解法:
People were demonstrating and seniors were asked, to stop them from doing so on campus (although they could do it elsewhere)
(有人在示威,高年级生被要求去制止他们在校园中示威(但他们可在别处示威。)