英语中的补足语刍议

摘要： 英语中的补足语是补充说明作宾语的名词（或代词）的,表其身份、特征、状态、动作等，位于这一名词（或代词）之后，与这一名词（或代词）形成逻辑上的主谓关系，相当于汉语中的兼语，而使用频率又远高于兼语。大多数情况下，补足语是补充说明谓语动词后的宾语的，而有时却出现在非谓语动词、介词的宾语后对其加以补充说明，而且补足语的位置有时发生改变。

Abstract： Complement in English is used to replenish and explain the object or subject, indicating its status, characteristics, state or action. Its position is behind the object or subject, which and the complement of which are subject and predicate logically. It’s just like jianyu in Chinese, but is more frequently used, and it’s quite different from complement in Chinese. This paper is mainly to discuss its definition, usage and special usage.

关键词： 补足语；兼语；逻辑关系；形式宾语

Key words： complement; jianyu; logic relation; formal object

中图分类号：G42文献标识码：A文章编号：1006-4311（2011）01-0254-02

1补足语的定义

英语中的补足语分为宾语补足语和主语补足语两种。在SVOC句型中，谓语动词虽然有了宾语，但句子意义仍不完整，需要在宾语之后增加一个成分以补足其意义，这种成分叫做宾语补足语（object complement）。“宾语+宾语补足语”合在一起，被称为复合宾语（complex object），复合宾语的两个组成部分在意义上是一种“主谓”关系，即逻辑上的主谓关系。例如：（以下例句中斜体词是宾语，被加粗的部分是补足语）

①We elected Frank chairman of the students union.

②Do you think the boy diligent?

③Mother taught me to look after myself.

含有宾语补足语的句子都是主动语态的句子，当把主动语态变为被动语态时，原句中的宾语变成了主语，宾语补足语随之成为主语补足语。例如：

①We found him honest.―He was found honest.

②Jack asked you to wait for him at the gate.―You were asked to wait for him at the gate by Jack.

也有的语法学家把传统语法中的表语称作主语补语。例如：

Alice is a famous film star, and her husband is her agent.

为了更好地理解英语中的补足语，我们不妨与汉语中的补语作以对比。在汉语中，补语是附加在动词、形容词的后面，对这些动词、形容词起补充作用的成分。从语法角度讲，补语与谓语是补充与被补充的关系；从语义角度看，补语说明的成分不仅仅是谓语，也可同时说明主语、宾语、兼语。一般由动词性、形容词性词语、介词词组和副词“很”、“极”充当，说明动作、行为的结果、趋向、数量、时间、处所、状态或说明性质的程度等，补语前常有结构助词“得”。例如：

①听到这消息，他兴奋起来了。（动词）

②这部电视剧好极了。（副词）

③教室打扫得干干净净。（形容词）

④张师傅激动得拉住我的手。（动宾词组）

2补足语的表示形式

在英语中，名词词组、形容词词组、副词词组、介词词组、动词不定式、分词以及as结构和从句都可充当宾语补足语，说明宾语所表示的人或物的属类、性质、状态、动作等。

2.1 名词词组

①The young couples named their son Johnnie.

②One should never make public property one’s private possession.

能跟名词作其宾语补足语的动词通常有：name, call, elect, appoint, think, consider, make, find, nominate, leave etc.

2.2 形容词词组

①You should keep the classroom clean.

②The judge declared him not guilty and set him free.

能跟形容词作宾语补足语的动词通常为：make, keep, paint, dye, find, prove, think, consider, believe, leave, get (ready), set (free), cut (short), drive (mad), hold (responsible), boil (hard), shout (hoarse), beat (black and blue) etc.

2.3 介词词组或副词

①He always considers himself above others.

②Someone must have left the tap on, for the water was running over and flooding the bathroom.

可以跟这类宾语补足语的动词有: make, keep, think, consider, find, set, render, imagine, let, leave, see, ask, allow etc.

2.4 动词不定式短语

①The police warned people to be on guard against burglary during the festival.

②We believe all matter to possess weight.

该类动词常为：ask , tell, invite, wish, expect, advise, want, like, hate, prefer, intend, encourage, persuade, instruct, permit, order, command, request, warn etc.

另外，还需注意，在下列动词后作宾语补足语的动词不定式应省去"to": make, have, let, see, watch, notice, observe, hear, listen to, feel etc.

①I have never heard her complain.

②Suddenly we felt the atmosphere grow tense.

在这种情况下，如果要把句子变为被动语态，作宾语补足语的动词不定式必须加上to，变成主语补足语。例如：

①Brown saw Mary go out.―Mary was seen to go out by Brown.

②This kind of strong light makes my eyes ache.―My eyes were made to ache by this kind of strong light.

2.5 分词短语

①As he spoke, he observed everybody looking at him curiously.

②The television viewer is completely passive and has everything presented to him without any effort on his part.

这类动词常为：see, watch, notice, observe, hear, keep, find, get, have, feel etc.

2.6 as 结构（即由介词as和其宾语构成介词短语充当补足语，as后常跟名词、形容词、介词短语、分词等）

①We look upon him as our own brother.

②They regard this report as of great importance.

这类动词常为：regard, see, view, consider, describe, express, recognize, use, treat, interpret, guess, declare, acknowledge, refer to, look upon etc.

2.7 从句除上述词、词组充当补足语外，偶尔一个从句也可充当，表示宾语所指的人或物是什么或象什么。

①The car made the United States a nation on wheels, and it helped make the United States what it is today.

②We will make great efforts to make our university what your university is now.

3补足语在句中的位置

3.1 宾语补足语一般出现在句子谓语动词后的宾语之后（见上例），又如：

If you imagine millions and millions of electrons which make up an electric current revolving at high speed through the complete circuit, it may help you to get the picture of the current flowing through a closed circuit.

3.2 有时，宾语补足语出现在动词非谓语形式的短语中。例如：

①The buyers requested the sellers to keep them informed of the position of the vessel, the communications to be addressed to their agent.

②Tell him to write down any number between 50 and 100 without letting him see it.

③Seeing them satisfied, we were satisfied, too.

3.3 有时在介词(with 、without)的宾语后也会出现一个词或短语表示该宾语所指的人或物的动作、特征、状态等，那么，这个词或短语也可称为宾语补足语，即介词后的宾语补足语，通常由分词短语、不定式短语、介词短语充当，偶尔由一个形容词或副词充当。

①With the price of oil growing up, the economy of oil-producing countries is expanding at a high rate.

②Three days later, without another word exchanged on the subject, they started off.

③She left the country with no one to see her off.

④He stood there with his back towards the window.

⑤It’s rude to speak with your mouth full.

⑥She wore a fur coat with nothing underneath.

3.4 特殊位置的宾语补足语从上述例句可以看出，宾语补足语一般放在宾语之后，但有时会出现例外的情况。

（1）宾语为动词不定式短语、动名词短语或从句，而宾语补足语为形容词、名词（词组）等，这时应由代词it来代替宾语（被称为形式宾语），仍位于宾语补足语之前，而把原来的宾语（即真正的宾语）放在宾语补足语之后。例如：

①I consider it necessary to change our original plan right away.

②We found it useless learning a theory without practice.

③He soon made it clear why he had invited us to the party.

（2）有时宾语补足语没有紧挨着宾语，而在其间有一从句或其它成分插入。

①The computer has all the facts the problem needs stored in its memory.（定语从句插入）

②Scientists call Newton’s idea that gravitation reaches throughout the universe the law of Universal Gravitation. （同位语从句插入）

（3）有时宾语是一个较长的名词词组，而宾语补足语是一个形容词或名词，这时应把宾语放在宾语补足语的后边，以便使句子紧凑、平衡。例如：

Transportation developments have certainly been important ones, making possible a wider area for the city.

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