know后面的复合宾语中不定式用不用to

“know +宾语+动词不定式”结构中,不定式带to还是不带to? 《薄冰英语惯用法词典》有话说,但是说对了吗?


know后面的复合宾语中不定式用不用to


倪肖丁


                            

《薄冰英语惯用法词典》(2009)介绍know后接带不定式的复合宾语时指出:

know用过去时或完成时,不定式以to be形式出现时,to不能省略。例如:

I have never known him to be too busy to study.

后面复合宾语中的不定式用其它动词时,不定式可带to,也可不带to(尤其英国英语中)。例如:

I never knew him (to) act without thinking.

I’ve known him (to) run faster than that.

很遗憾,《薄冰英语惯用法词典》的上述说法和例句都不够准确。

首先,在know用一般过去时的情况下,后续的复合宾语中动词不定式(无论是不是be))符号to都是不省略的。因此,《薄冰英语惯用法词典》的例句I never knew him (to) act without thinking用法失当,其中的to不宜省略。

其次,如果know用了完成体,其后不定式即使以to be形式出现,也有可能省略to。因此,其例句I have never known him to be too busy to study中,to也是可以省略的。

有关know后接含有不定式的复合宾语的问题,当代英语语法学者有相关的论述:

CGEL指出:只有当know用于完成体并具有特定语义时才跟无to不定式(Know takes a bare infinitival only in the perfect and with a special sense)例如:

I'd never known him (to) lose his temper before.

I know him to be thoroughly reliable一句中,to不能省略。

CGEL所称know特定语义指的是亲身的、直接的经历a matter of knowledge based on more or less direct experience),而不是通过间接途径获得的信息。

LEG也指出:The omission of to is only possible with the perfect form of know例如:

I've never known her (to) be late before.

I've never known her not (to) be late.

我们注意到,上述两句中不定式均以to be形式出现,但to却是可以省略的。这与《薄冰英语惯用法词典》所说的正好相反。

从其它英语书刊中见到的无to不定式用法也均与know的完成体相关。例如:

I have never known him tell a lie.  (ESI2004)

I have never known him be rude to anyone. (ESI2004)

In the most trying conditions I have never known him lose his temper. (HEG)

I have never known Tom (to) criticize anyone. IESS

I'd never known teachers (to) be more strict about any other school rule. (LEGP)

PEU的相关提示是:当Know 意为经历experience)”时,在I've never known + object + infinitive结构中不定式可以省略to. 例如:

I've never known it (to) rain like this.

PEU的上述表达似乎把省略to的用法限制在I've never known + object这种完成体的否定结构中。其实并非完全如此,因为在I have known...这种肯定句中,无to不定式也时有出现,尽管比例不高。例如:

    I have known it happen among savage peoples. LGSWE

    I have known John (to) give better speeches than that. (CGOEL)

在这一问题上,英国University of Essex语言和语言学系主任Andrew Radford 教授(2009)的相关说法值得关注。他认为:I have known you to have a tantrum I’ve never known you have a tantrum or your brother to have one either都是正确的;而I have known you have a tantrum只在某些地区方言(含英国)中出现,应被视为I have known you to have a tantrum的变体。

由此可知,动词know后跟含有无to不定式的复合宾语的惯用法是:

1. know须用于完成体形式。例如, I know her to sing on Sundays一句中,to就不能省略。

2. 只有当know表示亲身的、直接的经历之意时,to才可以省略。当know表示通过其它途径了解或确信该种情况时,to不能省略。例如,当你说I have (never) known Bill have a tantrum,你是在说自己(未)曾亲身见证过比尔勃然大怒发脾气。如果仅仅听他人说过,那是不可省略 to的。

3. 主要用于否定式 I've/I’d never known + object + infinitive结构中。在肯定句中通常用带 to的不定式,用无to不定式的可接受性(因地域因素而)受到一定的限制。

4. 省略to是英国英语用法,在美国英语中都用带to不定式。当know采用被动语态时也都用带to不定式。因此,无论何种情况下,用to不定式都是正确的。

5. 在符合上述条件下,不定式符号to都可以省略,与不定式是否为be动词没有直接关系。

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