因果关系是在英文写作时最常用到的一种逻辑关系,然而表现因果关系的句子也最容易出现文法、修辞的错误。这里我们就来分析一下表示因果关系的句子中容易犯的错误,以及怎样才是符合文法、修辞要求的作法。

接下来,我们结合三个例子来进行总结:

状况一:

X(不佳):The reason why he wouldn’t go to the wedding is because the bride was once his girlfriend.

他不愿参加婚礼的原因是新娘曾是他的女友。

这个句子的文法修辞问题不止一处。

首先,the reason 和why 同样表示“原因”,这种重复在修辞上不够经济,可省去关系词 why,或者以连接词 that 取代,成为:

X(不佳):The reason (that) he wouldn’t go to the wedding is because the bride was once his girlfriend.

这样修改之后仍不理想,原因之一是 the reason 和 because 仍然重复表达“原因”,应再精简。

如果把the reason去掉,成为:

X(不佳):He wouldn’t go to the wedding is because the bride was once his girlfriend.

如此虽然解决了重复的问题,可是仍不理想,主要是 because the bride was once his girlfriend 这个子句 却在be动词后面 作主语补语使用,这是文法上的错误。

亦即,because 引导的副词子句 不应该放在be动词后面的补语位置,前者为果、后者为因的“因果关系”。

要表达这种关系,最直截了当地改为:

√ He wouldn’t go to the wedding because the bride was once his girlfriend.

或者:

√ The reason he wouldn’t go to the wedding is that the bride was once his girlfriend.

比较这两句,可发现前者比较简洁(字数较少),这是它的优点。

后者虽然字数较多,可是能够发挥 加强预期的功能(强调他不去的原因何在)。

既然有特殊的修辞功能,就不能说是冗长,因而也是一个可能的选择。

状况二:

X(不佳):The electric car is not yet a practical alternative to the gasoline car, the reason being that there are not many charging stations around.

电动车还不是汽油车之外的实际选择,原因在于充电站并不普 遍。

这个句子中,the reason being that… 是 because the reason is that 的简化。

它的主语 the reason 与主要子句主词 the electric car 不同,所以在简化时要保留。

这种处理方式在文法上是正确的,然而从修辞上来看,the reason being that…稍显冗长,不如改为 because 比较简洁:

√ The electric car is not yet a practical alternative to the gasoline car, (the reason being…) because there are not many charging stations around.

状况三:

X(不佳):The crop failed due to excessive rain in the final weeks before harvest.

农作物歉收,因为收成前最后几个星期雨水过多。

这个句子不佳,因为词类有错误。

Due的词类是形容词,而英文的形容词是用来修饰名词的,只有两种位置可以使用:

1. 名词词组中,例如 in due time(到了恰当的时间);

2. 补语位置,例如 The books are due.(书到期该换了)

在上面的句子中,用形容词词组 due to… 来修饰动词 failed 的原因,是误把形容词当副词用,属于文法错误。

可以这样改:

√ The crop failed was due to excessive rain in the final weeks before harvest.