due,due to,owing to,certain,sure,bound,confidentdue用于指时间,和动词不定式连用:
The race is due to start in ten minutes.
还有十分钟赛马就该开始了。
但due也可以单独使用:
The plane was due(in)at six.It is an hour overdue.
飞机应该是6点到,现在已误点一小时了。
due to(介词)意为“是……的结果”,“由于……”:
The accident was due to carelessness.
这起车祸是由粗心造成的。
owing to意为“由于……”,“因为……”:
Owing to his carelessness we had an accident.
由于他的粗心大意,我们出了车祸。
due to必须置于主语+动词之后,但英国人常常粗心大意地在句首应该使用owing to时错用了due to。
certain和sure与动词不定式连用,表达说话人的判断。bound也可用在此处:
Tom is certain/sure/bound to win.
汤姆肯定会赢。(说话人对此很有把握。)
但是主语+certain/sure+that从句结构则表达主语的判断:Tom is sure that he will win.
汤姆确信他能获胜。(汤姆对于获胜有十分把握。)
confident that如上面所说可代替certain/sure that,但confi-dent不能放在动词不定式之前。
sure,certain,confident均可放在of+名词/代词或动名词之前:Unless you’re early you can’t be sure of getting a seat.除非你早去,否则你不会有座位的。
bound后面可跟动词不定式,但不能跟that从句。
bound+动词不定式也有“有义务做”的意思:
According to the contract we are bound to supply the materials.
按照合同我们必须提供材料。
afraid(of),ashamed(of),sorry(for/about)
afraid of,ashamed of,sorry for/about+名词/代名词或动名词的例子如:
She is afraid of heights/of falling.
她怕登高/摔下来。
He was ashamed of himself(for behaving so badly)/ashamed of behavingso badly.
他为自己的无礼行为感到羞愧。
I’m sorry for breaking your window.
对不起,我打碎了你的窗户。(道歉)
I’m sorry about your window.
关于你的窗户的事我很抱歉。(道歉/懊悔)
I’m sorry for Peter.
我为彼得感到遗憾。(遗憾)
afraid,ashamed,sorry均可位于动词不定式之前:
She was afraid to speak.
她怕开口说话。(她没说话。)
I’d be ashamed to take his money.
我不好意思拿他的钱。(我没拿钱。)
I’m sorry to say that we have no news.
我很抱歉地告诉你,我们没得到消息。
或位于that从句之前:
I’m ashamed that I’ve nothing better to offer you.
我很不好意思,我没有更好的东西送给你。
She’s afraid(that)he won’t believe her.
她怕他不信任她。(担心)
I’m afraid(that)we have no news.
恐怕没有消息。(懊悔)
I’m sorry(that)you can’t come.
真遗憾,你来不了。
(关于这三种结构意思上的区别,参见第271节。关于I’mafraid not/so,参见第347节。)
anxious(about),anxious+动词不定式,anxious thatanxious(+about+名词/代名词)意为“焦虑”:
I’m anxious(about Tom).His plane is overdue.
我很(为汤姆)着急。他乘的飞机误点了。
be anxious(+for+名词/代名词)+动词不定式意为“急欲/希望”:
I’m very anxious(for him)to see the Carnival.
我非常希望(他)去看狂欢节。
anxious+that…+should结构可用于非常正式的英语中:
The committee is anxious that this matter should be kept secret.
委员会切望这件事保密。
fortunate(幸运的)和lucky(运气好的)既可和that从句连用,也可和动词不定式连用。二者在意思上常有不同。
It is fortunate/lucky that…常常意为“……是件好事”:
It’s lucky that Tom has a car.
真幸运,汤姆有一辆汽车。
It’s lucky that he passed his test.
真幸运,他通过驾驶执照考试了。(现在他可以自己开车去火车站/ 带着孩子去海边了等。)
It’s lucky for us that he has a car.
他有一辆汽车是我们的运气。(他能让我们搭车。)
主语+be+fortunate/lucky+动词不定式结构仍然强调主语的好运气:
He’s lucky to have a car.
他真幸运有一辆汽车了。(许多人没有。)
He was lucky to pass his test.
真幸运,他通过考试了。(他实际没有达到所要求的水平。)
is/are+fortunate/lucky+动词不定式的现在式主要与静态动词连用,如前面是was/were或后面用的是动词不定式的进行式或完成式,动词的选择范围则较广泛:
You were fortunate to escape unharmed.
你真幸运,毫发未伤地逃出来了。
You are lucky to be going by air.
你挺幸运的,能乘飞机走。
He is lucky to have sold his house before they decided to build the newairport.
他挺运气的,在他们决定要修建新机场之前把房子卖了。
it is lucky(幸运)/unlucky(不幸运的)…结构中可用任何动词的不定式:
It is unlucky to break a mirror.
打碎镜子是不吉利的。(会带来坏运气。)
fortunate(幸运的)和unfortunate(不幸运的)不能用于此处,但可用于上述其他结构。而且常用于较正规英语中。
下列形容词可单独使用或与一个名词连用:
I wasn’t lucky.
我不走运。
He’s fortunate.
他挺幸运的。
Thirteen’s my lucky number.
13是我的吉祥数。
He’s a fortunate man.
他是个幸运儿。
possible(可能的),probable(很可能的)和likely(很可能的)可与由it引导的that从句连用。likely也可与主语+动词不定式结构连用:
(a)It’s possible that he’ll come today.相当于:
(b)Perhaps he’ll come/He may come today.
今天他可能会来。
(a)It’s probable that he’ll come today.相当于:
(b)He’ll probably come today.
今天他大概会来。
在上述的两种情况下,(b)形式要比(a)形式更为常见,但如果想对句中的形容词加以修饰,用that从句会更合宜:
It’s just/quite possible that…
很可能……
It’s not very probable that…
不太可能……
以上两种形式对likely来讲是同样有用的:
It’s quite likely that hd’ll come today.相当于:
He’s quite likely to come today.
他今天很可能来。
is/are+主语+likely+动词不定式结构是非常有用的,因为它为may提供了一个疑问形式:
Is he likely to ring today?
他今天是不是可能打电话来?
当所指的事情比较明显时,possible,probable,likely后可不用that从句:
—Do you think he’ll sell his house?
—It’s quite possible/probable/likely(that he’ll sell it).
—你觉得他会把房子卖掉吗?
—很可能(他会把房子卖掉)。
aware(知道)和conscious(感觉到)与that从句或of+名词/代词或动名词结构连用:
—It’ll be dangerous.
—I’m aware that It’ll be dangerous./I’m aware of that.
—这将很危险。
—我知道这很危险。/我知道那一点。
I was conscious of being watched.相当于:
I felt that someone was watching me.
我意识到了有人在盯着我。
当conscious单独使用时,指身体的感觉:
I had only a local anaesthetic.I was conscious the whole time.
我只作了局部麻醉。我一直是有知觉的。