I can hardly imagine Peter ____ across the Atlantic Ocean in five days. A. sail B. to sail C. sailing D. to have sailed(全国高考,91-34) 标准答案为 C。但我对这种用法感到很陌生。
首先应当肯定选项 C 是正确的, 因为 imagine 的常见用法是 imagine + v-ing 或 imagine + 带逻辑主语的 v-ing。例如:
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Imagine going to a doctor with something wrong with your heart. (Crystal) 想象一下你的心脏出了毛病去看医生的情景。
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Can you imagine George cooking the dinner? 你能想象乔治做饭时的情景吗?
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I can't imagine my marrying a girl of that sort. 我难以想象我会娶那样的姑娘。
但是,就孤立的句子而论,选项 D 也是正确的。因为 imagine 也可以用在 imagine + 宾语 + to be/to have done 的结构中。CGEL 在 § 16.50 中明确指出,imagine 可以用在宾语 + to + 不定式结构中。下面是我们收集到的一些实例:
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I imagined her to be older. 我把她想象得更老一些。
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I imagine your daughter to be all grown up now ... 我想象你女儿现在已完全长成大人了……
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Imagine yourself(to be) on a desert island. (ALD) 想象一下你在一个荒岛上。
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I imagine them to have finished. (Evans) 我想象他们已经干完了。
如果选D,则上面试题的意思是:我几乎不能想象彼得在五天内就横渡了大西洋。
请做下面的英语试题:
“What is the most useful modern invention?”
"Can you imagine ____ without electricity?"
A. to live B. live C. living D. yourself to live(Michigan)