词典词条 · 问答

transferred negation ¹

核心问题

I don't think she knows English.

我们班同学对这个句子有不同的理解。不知哪个理解是正确的。

(A)我不认为她懂英语。

(B)我认为她不懂英语。

词典解答

在没有语调的语境中,上面的句子可以作两种理解。这就是说,既可以把 not 理解为否定主句的,也可以把 not 理解为否定从句的。后一情况叫做否定的转移:位于主句中的否定词 not 被转移到宾语从句中去了。I don't think he is honest.I think he is not honest. 只有极少数动词才容许有这种否定的转移:think, suppose, believe, imagine, expect, calculate, reckon, be supposed to, seem, appear, feel as if, look as if 等。此类动词的否定式在很多情况下都是否定从句的。

  1. I don't think it's a good idea. [ = "I think it isn't a good idea." ] 我认为那不是一个好主意。

  2. I didn't think he was happy. (GCE) 我认为他并不幸福。

  3. I don't suppose that it is true. (=I suppose it isn't true.) 我认为那不是真的。

  4. I don't suppose that anyone will object to my absence. [ = 'I suppose no one will object...' ] (Leech) 我估计没有人会反对我缺席。

  5. I don't suppose I'll trouble you again. (Greene) 我认为我不会再打扰你。

  6. She didn't imagine that we would say anything. [“She imagined we wouldn't say anything.”] (CGEL) 她设想我们不会说什么的。

来源:英语常见问题解答大词典-9.md · 第 297320 行 · 原文哈希 3b81e2e34f