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Thursday, August 20, 2009

反身代名詞 Reflexive Meaning 的用法

【問題】“王先生和我本人都要到會的”一句,譯成英文Mr.Wong and myself will be present,為何不對?請將myself的用法詳為說明。
【解答】在古代英語中,曾經以me,him,them等單純代名詞,當作myself,himself,themselves來用,使之具有反身的意味 (Reflexive Meaning),如Shakespeare說的I have writ me here a letter.(我在此寫了一封信。)及Byron說的To their salutations he bends him slightly.(對於他們的敬禮,他略微彎身回答。)反過來具有-self的字,卻用於沒有反身的意思(non- reflexively)了,如I am inviting yourself and your wife.(我要招待你和你的太太。)所以問句中翻譯的英文句子,在古代是通的,但現代英語卻不許這樣說了,必須改為:
Mr. Wong and I will be present.
才可以。同樣They invited my wife and myself.句中末字也要改為me才合乎現代英語的語法。
現在且說這種-self代名詞的正當的用法又是怎樣的。
(1)用作及物動詞的賓語,句中主語和賓語為同一人或同一物時:
The child has burnt itself.(那孩子燙了自己。)
Jesus called himself the Son of God.(耶穌叫他自己為上帝之子。)
Don't excuse yourself.(不必道歉。)
(2)“及物動詞+反身代名詞=不及物動詞。時:
I seated myself(=sat down)beside him. (我在他旁邊坐下了。
Don't overeat yourself.(勿過食。)
I have enjoyed myself very much. (我玩得很愉快。)
(3)成為介詞的賓語時:
You must take good care of yourself.(你必須善自珍攝。)
The door opened of itself.(門自開了。)
He always lives by himself.(他總是獨居。)
You must do that for yourself.(你得自己做。)
He looked at himself in the mirror.(他對鏡自照。)
Our captors left us to ourselves.(俘虜我們的人讓我們自由行動,不加管束。)
(4)用於主語、賓語、補語的同格,以加強其意義,不加時意思也一樣。
The matter itself is very clear.(事情本身很明白。)
He wrote the letter himself.(他親筆寫的信。)
Napoleon himself could not do it.(拿破化本人也不能做到。)
Even the very gods themselves weep over the slavery of wisdom to folly. -Carlyle(見到賢人為愚人所酷使,鬼神也為之哭泣。)
The old gentleman is hospitality itself.(那老人客氣極了。)
(5)用於避免發生誤會時:
She asked for a ticket for herself.(她為她自己買了一張票。)如用for her則可能是指別人。
(6)在比較時,用有than,like,so,as時:
She is much taller than myself.(她比我高得多。)
The photo is not in the least like myself.(那照片一點也不像我。)
They are quite as well educated as myself.(他們和我一樣受過高深的教育。)
比較:(a)He himself did it.
(b)He did it himself.
(a)近乎文言,(b)為口語;(a)有點裝腔作勢,(b)有點回想(afterthought)意味,這是根據Jespersen說的。

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