英语Stative vs dynamic由刀豆文库小编整理，希望给你工作、学习、生活带来方便，猜你可能喜欢“英式英语vs美式英语”。
静态与动态
引言
一般而言，英语和汉语的一个显著差异在于英语倾向于多用名词，因而叙述呈静态。相比较而言，汉语倾向于多用动词，因而叙述呈动态。作为有丰富形态变化的综合型语言，英语句子中的谓语动词要受很多形态变化规则的约束，使用时有很多不便，所以一般每个句子只有一个谓语动词。英语中常用含有行为和动作含义的普通名词、形容词、副词和介词短语表示动作。因此，汉译英时，译员可将汉语动词转译成英语名词、形容词、副词、介词，而在英译汉时，英语名词、形容词、副词和介词可转译成汉语动词。我们看下面一个例子：
[例1]We can nowhere find a better type of a perfectly free creature than in the common house fly.Not free
only, but brave.There is no courtesy in him;he does not care whether it is king or clown whom he tastes;and in every step of his swift, mechanical march, and in every pause of his resolute observation, there is 无论走遍天涯海角，也找不到像普通家蝇那样更为自由自在的生物了。苍蝇不仅无拘无束，而且胆大妄为。它可不讲什么谦恭礼让，也不管你是一国之君，还是一介草民，想叮就叮。每当它敏捷而机械地迈出一步，或者果断地驻足观察时，总是流露出一副自命不凡，不求他人，自信满满的神情，全然认为世界就是为苍蝇而创造的。
英语原文选自John Ruskin的文章The Freedom of the Fly。对比上例的原文和译文，不难发现下划线部分的英语原文中除了一个弱化动词“is”之外，没有第二个动词，然而却把苍蝇的动作描写得栩栩如生。汉语译文中，动词丰富，不但没有杂沓堆砌之感，而且叫人感到活泼、生动、流畅，这主要是动词使用所形成的效果。
再看一例：
[例2] The horticultural industry has the responsibility of providing much of the food for the maes in the
most efficient manner while at the same time allowing individuals to grow plants for aesthetic 园艺业一项卓有成效的重任是为大众提供大量的食物，同时又使园艺爱好者得以养花弄草，追
求天人合一，怡然自得的境界，达到健身养性的目的。
该例英语原文只用一个谓语动词（has），许多原来应该由动词表达的概念，除了用非谓语动词（providing, allowing, to grow）来表达外，还借助于名词和介词（enjoyment, relationship, well-being, through）。这不仅降低了动词出现的频率，而且削弱了动词所表达的意义，产生了动词的弱化与虚化。名词的频繁使用使英语的表达呈静态倾向。与此相比，汉语动词缺乏形态变化，使用起来十分自由、简便。汉语没有谓语动词与非谓语动词的形式之分，动词可以充当句子的各种成分，可以在句中多次连用，甚至重复、重叠，合成并用。为数不多的介词几乎都是用动词来代替的。因此，汉语大量的句子都不止使用一个动词。动词使用
频繁，必然使得汉语的表达呈现动态倾向。英语静态倾向的表现类型
1.1 名词化（抽象名词等）是英语常见的现象
名词化(nominalization)主要指用名词来表达原来属于动词（或形容词）所表达的概念，如用抽象名词来表达动作、行为、变化、状态、品质、情感等概念。S.Porter在 “Changing English”一书中曾指出英语“名词优势于动词”的倾向(preponderance of nouns over verbs)。这种名词优势往往可以使表达比较简洁，造句比较灵活，行文比较自然，也便于表达比较复杂的内容。试比较：
[例3]医生迅速到达，并非常仔细地检查了病人，因此病人很快就得救了。（比较：医生的迅速到达和
对病人非常仔细的检查导致了病人的快速得救。）
The doctor’s extremely quick arrival and uncommonly careful examination of the patient brought
about his very speedy recovery.（比较：The doctor arrived extremely quickly and examined the
patient uncommonly carefully;the result was that he recovered very quickly.）
[例4]他们违反在赫尔辛基达成的协议，在国内侵犯基本人权，因此受到了各地热爱自由的人们的谴
责。（比较：他们对在赫尔辛基达成的协议的违反和在国内对基本人权的侵犯受到了各地热爱
自由的人们的谴责）
The abuse of basic human rights in their own country in violation of the agreement reached at
Helsinki earned them condemnation of freedom-loving people everywhere.（比较：Freedom-loving
people everywhere condemned them because they violated the agreement reached at Helsinki and
abused human rights in their own country.）
1.2 用名词表示施事者(agentive noun)，以代替动词。
[例7] He is a good eater and a good sleeper.他能吃能睡。
[例8] He is a young and rapid writer.他是个笔头快的年青人。
[例9] He was a nonsmoker and teetotaller.他既不抽烟，也不喝酒。
[例10] He is a great farmer.他种地是把好手。
[例11] You must be a very bad learner, or else you must be going to a very bad teacher.你一定很不善于学习，要不然就是教你的人很不会教。
[例12] She is the best hater I’ve ever known.How she got to hate me so much!
我所认识的人当中，她最会记仇。她怎么变得这么恨我呢？
[例13] I used to be a fancier myself.过去我也常常有点喜欢胡思乱想。
[例14] That boy is a master complicator.那男孩可真会捣乱。
[例15] You’re all clock-watchers today!
你们今天老是看着钟表等待下班啊！
[例16] Since he lost his job, he’s been a loner.他失业以后，就很不合群了。
[例17] He was a clever man;a pleasant companion;a carele student;with a great propensity for running
into debt, and a partiality for the tavern.他是个聪明人，很好相处，可是学习不肯用功；他老是东挪西借，又喜欢上酒店喝酒。
[例18]最令人吃惊的是，事情拖了很久，大大超过了我原来设想的两周。
The greatest shocker was that things dragged on and on, far beyond the two weeks I had anticipated.[例19]石蕊试纸（Litmus paper）可用于检测溶液中是否含有酸。
Litmus paper can be an indicator of the presence or not of acid in a solution.1.3 用名词代替形容词作定语，尤其是在标题式短语(headline phrase)中
名词连用的短语结构简化，表达方便，词数少而信息量大，在现代英语里几乎俯拾皆是，报刊标题、科技英语里尤其常见。
[例20]January Crude Oil Output Beats Target
一月份原油产量超过指标
[例21]Figure control problem
保持身材问题
[例22]Job opportunity discrimination
就业机会歧视
在另一方面，过分堆砌名词(noun pileups)也可能导致语言失去活力，缺乏动态感，有时还会造成语意含混，甚至产生歧义。如：
[例23]A Chinese history teacher
[例24]A small car factory
[例25]An old man’s bicycle
1.4 名词优势造成介词优势
名词与名词之间往往要用介词连接，名词与动词、形容词等其它词类之间也常用介词连接。换言之，由于英语多用名词，必然也要多用介词，因而产生了介词优势。介词优势与名词优势结合，使英语的静态倾向更为显著。
英语常常用介词短语取代动词短语，即以“静”代“动”，如：
[例26]He is at his books.他在读书。
[例27]He has someone behind him.有人给他撑腰。
[例28]They immediately set out in pursuit of the enemy.他们立刻出动去追击敌人。
[例29]The machine is in operation.机器正在运行。
[例30]The smell of wild flowers came to us on the light breeze that was blowing.野花的芬芳乘着轻风向我们扑面而来。
[例31]说完这些话，她便走开了。
With these words she went away.[例32]小车迂回盘旋，穿过村庄，翻越峡谷，沿着一条因解冻而涨水的小溪行驶。
The car wound through the village and up a narrow valley, following a thaw-swollen stream.介词与名词结合，组成介词短语。成串的介词短语又常常与弱化动词（如be, seem, look, become等）和沉闷的名词连用。这类短语往往削弱或淡化(dilute)原来所要表达的动词、形容词、和其他词语的意义，使叙述曲折迂回(circumlocution)，因而增强了静态感。如：
give rise to(arouse)
make contact with(contact)
arrive at a decision(decide)
undertake a study of(study)
afford an opportunity to(allow)
conduct an investigation into(investigate)
of a kindly nature(kind)
of an unusual character(unusual)
due to the fact that(because)
on two separate occasions(twice)
1.5 动词的弱化与虚化
英语里最常用的动词正是动作意味最弱的动词――to be，其各种形式(包括must be, may be, should have been等)都缺乏动态感。由“it”或“there”与 “be”构成的句式，其静态意味更加明显。试比较：
[例33]There was a tropical storm off the east coast of Florida.佛罗里达东海岸有一场热带风暴。
A tropical storm lashed the east coast of Florida.一场热带风暴袭击了佛罗里达东海岸。
[例34]It was the finding of the committee that there had been many bribes paid by company managers to
foreign officials.委员会发现公司经理向外国官员行贿。
The committee found that many company managers had bribed foreign officials.委员会发现公司经理向外国官员行贿。
除了be之外, have, become, grow, feel, go, come, get, do, 等也是英语常用的弱式动词(verbs of feeble phenomenality)。
英语还常常把动词转化或派生成名词，置于虚化动词(如have, make, take, do等)之后作其宾语，如 have a look, take a walk, make attempts, pay visits, do some damages, put up a proposal等。这类动词往往显得虚弱而平淡无味(colorle)。试比较:
[例35]杰克与老板争吵之后便辞职了。
After he had a quarrel with his bo, Jack quit.After he quarreled with his bo, Jack quit.[例36]必须把“economic”和“economical”加以区别。
A distinction must be made between “economic” and “economical”.You must distinguish between “economic” and “economical”.[例37]联合收割机收割谷物。
The combine does the harvesting of the grain.The combine harvests the grain.1.6 用形容词或副词表达动词的意义
英语常用动词的同源形容词与弱化动词相结合的方式表达动词的意义，如：
[例38]He was unaware of my presence.他当时不知道我在场。
[例39]You should be supportive of my scheme.你应该支持我的计划啊。
[例40]John was very helpful.约翰帮了很大的忙。
[例41]我怀疑他是否还活着。
I am doubtful whether he is still alive.[例42]医生同情他的病人。
The doctor felt sympathetic with his patients.[例43]学生合作得很好，老师向学生表示感谢。
The teacher thanked the students because they are very cooperative.英语还常用副词来表达动词的意义，如：
[例44]The newspaper was down at six yesterday.昨天报纸六点钟付印。
[例45]Down with the old and up with the new.破旧立新。
[例46]He’ll be home in half an hour.他将在半小时内到家。
[例47]I’m afraid the president is out, but he’ll be in soon.恐怕总裁出去了，但是他很快会回来的。
总之，英语常常通过动词的派生、转化、弱化和虚化等手段，采用非动词的形式（如名词、介词、形容词、副词等）表达动词的含义，因而表达呈静态。与此相比，汉语则倾向于多用动词，其动态倾向的主要表现请看下一部分：汉语动态倾向的主要表现类型
2.1 动词连用是汉语常见的现象
汉语连动式和兼语式句子都包含着两个或两个以上的动词。中国的英语初学者常写出“There was a person was injured in a car accident”的错误句子，就是受了汉语兼语式句子的影响。但在汉语中，连动式、兼语式、把字式和被字式这四个句式还常常互相包孕套用，构成各式各样的多动词谓语句：
[例48]她想办法摆脱了困境。
He thought his way out of the dilemma.[例49]我去叫他们派一个会计到这儿来帮你算帐吧。
Let me go and ask them to send an accountant here to help you with your accounts.2.2 动词词组可以充当汉语句子的各种成分
汉语动词及动词词组，包括连动式词组、兼语式词组，无须改变形式就可以充当句子的各种成分。如此一来，就显得汉语句子处处都有动词了：
[例50](动词词组作主语、宾语)
To translate ideals into reality needs hard work.[例51](兼语式词组作表语)
Revolution is not a dinner party.[例52]他们喜欢乘火车旅行。（连动式词组作宾语）
They enjoy traveling by train.2.3 汉语动词可以充当助动词
[例53]
I’ve brought a dictionary.[例54]
He’s come to borrow books.[例55]他借钱去了。
He’s gone to borrow books.2.4 汉语动词还可以充当介词
严格说来，汉语的介词大多是由动词演变来的，因而仍然保留着动词的某些特征，如：
[例56]葵花朵朵向太阳。（动词）
Sunflowers turn towards the sun.[例57]（介词）
Wage a war against pollution.汉语没有形态变化，动词与介词常常难于区分，因而也常常互相替用。汉语动词可以用来代替介词，这就大大加强了汉语的动态倾向。
