徐 元

一个句子可以根据意思和语法结构分成若干部分,每一部分为一个意群。例如,Caroline was so angry at all that her husband had done that she left home一句可以分为五个意群:主语Caroline,谓语was so angry at,宾语all,定语从句that her husband had done,以及结果状语从句that she left home。可见,划分意群就是根据句法结构和逻辑关系对句子作断句。

在阅读时,即使你对词汇和句法掌握得很好,但若只着眼于孤立的词或短语,或者对短语、句式产生思维定势,导致错误地分隔句子的成分,就会造成意群中断,影响对句意的准确理解,从而对文章含义产生误解。所以,正确划分意群,可以有效提高阅读理解能力。

意群可以是一个词、一个短语,也可以是一个主句、各种从句或者并列句的一个分句等。阅读时遇到较长、结构较复杂的句子,可以先用“/”把它划分为一个个相对独立的意群,然后再确定意群间的关系,这样就可以快速简单地理清句意。

划分意群时应注意以下几点:①保持句子结构完整。如文首例句中,若把at all划为固定词组就破坏了句子的谓语成分。②弄清句子结构之间的关联。例如,文首例句中so是和第二个that构成so... that...句型。③注意句子的逻辑性。若把文首例句中at all划为固定词组,则句意为“卡罗琳是如此完全生气……”,不符合逻辑。④遇到选择题时,切忌受空格前的信息影响产生思维定势。如We should prevent pollution____________happily,答案可选from living和to live,若受prevent sb./sth. from doing sth.固定搭配的影响,选择前者就错了,这里选to live才符合句意。

另外,还应记住两点:首先,句子的每个成分,甚至每个词,在句中都有它应有的作用和地位,不会出现游离于句子之外、没有用途的成分;其次,一个单词如果属于某个意群,就不能随意把它划分至别的意群中去理解。

下面就以句子为例,具体分析如何划分意群。

例1He must capture the horse. He knew / better men than he / had tried. 他必须捕获那匹马。他知道比他强的人都试过了(也没成功)。

句中knew后省略了that; better men than he属于一个意群,是宾语从句的主语。若把he knew better划为一个意群,句子就不通了。

例2He told us all / what he had done / to his girlfriend / the day before. 他告诉我们所有人,他在前一天对女友做了什么。

若把all划入what he had done的意群中去,则这一意群出现语法错误,因为all后应该用that引导定语从句。把all划到he told us里,意为“他告诉我们所有人”。

例3For those / who prefer reading / the evening newspaper / offers the readers / the possibility of reading the news / others see and hear on TV. 对那些喜欢阅读的人来说,晚报带给他们一种可能,即读到别人从电视上看到和听到的消息。

句中两个动名词reading的意群划分是关键。第一个reading是不及物的,意为“阅读”,the evening newspaper不是它的宾语,而是另一个意群;第二个reading是及物的,the news是它的宾语。

例4The staff asked / that during June, July, and August / the working hours / be changed from 8:00 to 5:00 with an hour off for lunch / to 7:00 to 3:30 with a half-hour for lunch. 员工们要求在6月、7月和8月期间把作息时间从上午8点至下午5点,其间留一小时吃午餐改为从上午7点至下午3点半,其间留半个小时吃午餐。

be changed后的意群分隔容易混淆,同学们往往把视线停留在be changed from 8:00 to 5:00,导致看不懂下文。实际上,asked后的从句用的是虚拟语气,be 的前面省略了should;而changed from与句中第二个to搭配,意为“把……改变为……”。

从以上例子可见,阅读时,应多关注词语的搭配、非谓语动词的辨析、从句的分析及句子的逻辑关系等。对词语的理解、句法结构的分析应突破思维定势,坚持整体原则,即从意群的角度来分析。

【牛刀小试】

1. The best reason for the success of the TV program may be that it makes every child____________it____________able to learn.

A. watch, feel B. watch, feeling

C. watching, to feel D. watching, feel

2. I was looking forward to____________a new car and the day I was looking forward to____________at last.

A. buy, came B. buying, came

C. buying, coming D. buy, come

3. With everything she needed , she left the supermarket hurriedly.

A. to buy B. buying C. bought D. to be bought

4. The teacher told the girl he was speaking to____________down.

A. to sit B. sit C. sitting D. sits

5. I like listening to music, while what my sister enjoys .

A. to cook B. cooking C. is cooking D. is to cook

6. The old woman was said to be unable to read or write. Whom do you think she____________this letter?

A. had write B. had wrote C. had written D. had to write

7. Last week my grandpa sold the old house____________he used to live in his thirties.

A. which B. what C. when D. where

8. The teacher is reading the composition I have just finished____________any possible errors, if any.

A. correcting B. to correct C. corrected D. correct

9. Yesterday I got up too late____________the first bus.

A. and missed B. to miss C. so missed D. that I missed

10. Its dangerous to let children who are____________ride bicycles in the street.

A. not old enough to B. too young to

C. so young D. so old

【参考答案】

1. D (watching it为一个意群,相当于定语从句who is watching it;feel则与makes搭配,构成make sb. do sth.结构)

2. B (句意为“我一直希望买一辆新车,我所盼望的这天终于到来了”。buying属于look forward to doing结构,是一个意群;I was looking forward to是省略了关系代词的定语从句,修饰the day,这是一个意群)

3. C (句意为“(她)所需要的东西买好后,她匆匆离开了超市”。with everything bought是with的复合结构,其中插入了一个意群she needed,作everything的定语,将此意群划分出来,答案便一目了然)

4. A (he was speaking to是省略了关系代词whom的定语从句,为一个意群;to sit down是不定式短语作目的状语,为一个意群)

5. C (句意为“我喜欢听音乐,而我姐姐喜欢的是烹饪”。what my sister enjoys是一个意群。选B是受了固定搭配enjoy doing的影响)

6. A (句意为“你认为她叫谁写这封信的呢”。句中have sb. do sth.结构发生变化,sb.因被提问而移到句首变为特殊疑问词whom;do you think是一个意群,插入特殊疑问句中构成复杂特殊疑问句)

7. D(in his thirties是一个意群。若错误地将in划入he used to live,则会认为这个定语从句的谓语动词后跟介词,是及物的,导致错选A关系代词which作为定语从句的宾语)

8. B (I have just finished是修饰the composition的定语从句,为一个意群;动词不定式to correct是表示目的的状语。答题时,不能受finish doing结构的影响)

9. A (句意为“昨天我起床太迟了,并且错过了头班车”。句中got up too late和and missed the first bus各为一个意群。选B则是因为受固定搭配too...to...的影响)

10. C (who are so young是定语从句,为一个意群。let后跟不带to的动词不定式,故排除A、B选项;D选项不符合句意)