there is no question of 到底是指“没有疑问”,还是指“不可能”?
当 of 之后接动名词时, there is no question of 一般作“不可能”解(见 There is no + v-ing)。例如:
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There will be no question of anyone being made redundant. (ALD) 决不可能裁掉任何人。
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There's no question of our dismissing you. (= we certainly will not) (LDCE) 我们肯定不会解雇你。
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As far as he was concerned there was no question of betraying his own comrades ... (CCED) 至于他,他是决不可能背叛他的同志的。
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The hotel was so noisy that there was no question of getting a full night's sleep . . . (Cobuild) 旅馆里非常喧闹,要想整夜安睡是不可能的……
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There's no question of agreeing to their demands. (CIDE) 同意他们的要求是不可能的。当 of 之后接名词或名词从句时, there is no question of 就可能有两种不同的含义: “没有疑问” 和“不可能”。
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There is no question of his guilt. 他有罪,这是毫无疑问的。
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There is no question of escape. 逃跑,是不可能的。
下面的句子是有歧义的:
There is no question of his deep and lasting love for his wife.
(A) 他决不会对他的妻子有深切而永久的爱情。
(B)他当然对他的妻子有深切而永久的爱情。(见葛传槊《英语惯用法词典》,上海译文出版社,2002,p.469)
当 no question 之后接介词 about 和 that 同位语从句时, 则作“毫无疑问”解:
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He's competent — there's no question about that. (CIDE) 他很能干, 这是没有疑问的。
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There is [was/can be, etc.] no question that he is right [wrong, etc.]. (Palmer) 毫无疑问,他是[可能是]正确的[错误的]。
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There's no question about (= It is certain) whose fault it is. (CIDE) 究竟是谁的过错,那是毫无疑问的。