英语动名词的泛指逻辑主语初探

普通的英语语法书上都经常提到英语动名词的逻辑主语，经常用名词所有或物主代词来表示。但事实上，动名词的逻辑主语并非这么简单，它有着各种各样的表现形式。根据本人所收集到的大量的语言材料，动名词的逻辑主语可以分为前置逻辑主语、后置逻辑主语、间接逻辑主语和泛指逻辑主语四大类。前面三大类，本人均已有专文探讨，在此就不再重复。本文则专门探讨英语动名词的泛指逻辑主语。

当动名词是泛指一件事时，它是一个抽象的概念，其逻辑主语也是泛指的。就是说，这时动名词的逻辑主语是泛指一切人、任何人。我们把这类动名词的逻辑主语称为动名词的泛指逻辑主语(generic logical subject)。在这种情况下，句子的谓语动词通常是一般现在时。动名词的泛指逻辑主语主要见于下列场合：

1 带有动名词的句子是谚语

英语中有不少谚语都含有动名词结构。由于谚语本身就是对客观事实或客观真理的总结，所以它所包含的动名词其逻辑主语一般是泛指一切人，任何人。例如：

What is worth doing at all is worth doing well. 一件事如果值得做，就值得做好。

There is no end to learning. 学无止境。

There is no disputing about tastes. 品味无可争论。人各有所好。

Seeing is believing. 眼见为实。百闻不如一见。

Talking mends no holes. 空谈无补。

Talking pays no toll. 空谈无济于事。

It is no use crying over spilt milk. 牛奶洒满地，哭也捞不起。(作无益的后悔没有用。)

It is no use pumping a dry well. 枯井打水，空对空。

Lying is the first step to the prison-gates. 说谎是走向牢门的第一步。

Lying rides upon debtor's back. 债户嘴里无真话。

Deceiving those that trust us is more than a sin. 欺骗信任自己的人是罪上加罪。

Trappings do not make the horse； clothes do not make the man. 好马不靠饰，好人不靠衣。Quarrelling is the weapon of the weak. 吵架是弱者的武器。

Saying is one thing and doing another. 说来容易做来难。

Saving is getting. 节约能聚宝。

Learning is the eye of the mind. 学问是心灵的慧眼。

Learning makes a good man better and ill man worse. 好人越学越好，坏人越学越糟。

Dying is as natural as living. 生死由天定。

Living is an art. 生活是一种艺术。

Mere living is not good，but living well.仅仅活着不算好，要活得高尚才令人满意。

Suffering brings understanding. 苦难令人开窍。

Submitting to one wrong brings on another. 犯了一次错误，下次很容易再犯。

Always taking out of the meal- tub，and never putting in，soon comes to the bottom. 坐吃山空。

Appetite comes with eating. 胃口越吃越开。

A word spoken is past recalling. 一言既出，驷马难追。

Buying and selling，but winning and losing. 买卖有盈亏。

By reading we enrich the mind； by conversation we polish it. 读书使人充实，谈心使人清醒。

Eating and drinking takes away one's stomach. 多吃会腻，多喝必厌。

Gambling is an express train to ruin. 赌博是走向毁灭的特别快车。

Hanging and wedding go by destiny. 生死姻缘，命里注定。

Keeping is harder than winning. 创业不易，守业更难。

Teaching others teaches yourself. 教学相长。

2 带有动名词的句子是陈述某一客观真理或客观事实

有时，带有动名词的句子虽然不是谚语，但也是陈述某一客观真理或客观事实。这时，动名词的逻辑主语也是泛指性逻辑主语中。如：

Being electrocuted is no joke. 被电刑处死不是开玩笑的事。

It is difficult to make a decision without knowing all the facts. 不了解全部事实真象是很难作出决定的。

Reading poetry well needs a lot of practice. 要朗读好诗歌需要勤加练习。

Idling tires； working never does. 闲散令人厌倦，工作决不烦人。

Wagging tongues do no one good. 饶舌对谁也没有好处。

Without learning，life is but an image of death. 不学无术，虽生犹死。

Suffering frequently becomes instruction to men. 痛苦的经验常常成为人们的教训。

Pardoning the bad is injuring the good. 饶恕坏人，必伤好人。

Consorting with the wise will make you wise. 和聪明人交往你就会变得聪明。

Walking is good exercise. 走路是很好的运动。

Swimming develops the muscles. 游泳可以发展肌肉。

Reading aloud is very important in learning English. 学习英语朗读很重要。

Getting up early is a good habit. 起早是个好习惯。

Being made a fool is no proof that one is a fool. 一个人被愚弄决不证明他就是傻瓜。

It is rude looking down on others. 轻视旁人是粗野无礼的。

It is distressing being misunderstood. 被误解是令人痛苦的。

It is very foolish barking up the wrong tree. 把精力浪费在不该花的地方是愚蠢的。

Melting and boiling take place under certain conditions. 熔融和沸腾发生在一定条件之下。

Warming a solid converts it to liquid. 加热固体能使它变成液体。

It is quite useless cramming for examination. 考试临时抱佛脚是完全无用的。

It is shameful cheating at examination. 考试作弊是可耻的。

Preparing the lessons and checking the pupil's homework took a great deal of time. 备课和批改学生作业要花很多时间。

Children need loving. 孩子需要爱。

Singing is enjoyable 唱歌是愉快的。

3 表示禁止的揭示语

英语中有许多表示禁止的揭示语是以no(有时也有其他含否定意义的词)与动名词搭朽构成的。这些动名词的逻辑主语也是泛指一切人。如：

No smoking. 禁止吸烟。

No talking. 禁止谈话。

No joking. 禁止开玩笑。

No scribbling. 禁止涂写。

No spitting. 请勿随地吐痰。

No loitering. 禁止闲逛。

Cycling prohibited. 不准骑车。

Bathing prohibited. 禁止游泳。

No fishing here. 禁止钓鱼。

No parking here. 此处不许停车。

No overtaking. 禁止超车。

No tooting. 禁止鸣笛。

No waiting. 禁止(车辆等)在此等候。

No dumping. 切勿投掷(货物)。

No dropping. 切勿坠落。

No rough handling. 小心轻放。

4 动名词充当定语或构成合成词时

此外，还有一些其他场合，如动名词作定语或构成合成词时，动名词的逻辑主语一般也是泛指性逻辑主语。如：

There is a public reading-room there. 那里有一间公共阅览室。

There is a swimming pool at the foot of the mountain. 山脚有一个游泳池。

There are several dining-halls in the university. 这所大学有几间餐厅。

There goes the getting-up bell. 起床铃响了。

The writing course is difficult. 这门写作课很难。

Working method must be improved. 工作方法必须改进。

Drinking water must be clean. 饮用水必须清洁。

Sleeping-pill is harmful.安眠药是有害的。

The sleeping-car is very comfortable.这节卧车非常舒适。

参考文献

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收稿日期：2007-11-18