第七章 静态与动态
(Stative vs．Dynamic)
英语倾向于多用名词，因而叙述呈静态(stative)；汉语倾向于多用动词，因而叙述呈动态(dynamic)。R．Quirk等人对静态和动态曾作如下解释：
Broadly speaking, nouns can be characterized naturally as ‘stative’ in that they refer to entities that are regarded as stable．whether the are concrete (physical) like hou，table，paper，or abstract (of the mind)like hope，botany，length．At the opposite pole，verbs can be equally naturally characterized as ‘dynamic’：they are fitted (by their capacity to show ten and aspect，for example) to indicate action，activity and temporary or changing conditions．The relations between the open class can be summarized thus：
STATIVE noun ? adjective
DYNAMIC verb adverb
英语的静态倾向，主要表现在以下几方面：
一、名词化(Nominalization)是英语常见的现象。
名词化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．Potter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，也便于表达较为复杂的思想内容。试比较：
The doctor arrived extremely quickly and examined the patient uncommonly carefully; the result was that he recovered very speedily．
The doctor’ s extremely quick arrival and uncommonly careful examination of the patient brought about his very speedy recovery．
医生迅速到达，并非常仔细地检查了病人，因此病人很快就康复了。
Freedom-loving people everywhere condemned them becau they violated the agreement reached at Helsinki and abud basic human rights in their own country．The abu of basic human rights in their own country in violation of the agreement reached at Helsinki earned them the condemnation of freedom-loving people everywhere．
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。
美德英文运用名词化表达法(nominal style)可以使叙述较为准确，贴切，但也会使语言抽象、难解。O．Jespern指出：
It ems possible to express ideas with greater precision and adequacy by means of nouns than by means of the more pictorial verbs．…When we express by means of nouns what is generally expresd by finite verbs，our language becomes not only more abstract, but more abstru, owing among other things to the fact that in the verbal substantive some of the life-giving elements of the verb (time，mood，person)disappear．While the nominal style may therefore rve the purpos of philosop
hy，where，however，it now and then does nothing but disgui simple thoughts in the garb of profound wisdom，it does not lend itlf so well to the purpos of everyday life.
英美不少语言学者都指出英语有过分使用名词的习惯(noun habit)．名词使用多了，与之相随的介词(尤其是of短语)也必然增多，与此同时，富有活力和生气的动词也就相应减少，弱化动词be的各种形式成了hard workers和heavy-duty words，这就使英语的静态倾向更加明显。如；
The effect of the overu of nouns in writing is the placing of too much strain upon the verbs and the resultant prevention of movement of the thought．
这一句子充满了名词、动名词和介词，其唯一的谓语动词是“is”．这个软弱的动词必须拉动一个满载名词的主语，还必须推动两个满载名词的表语，这就使整个句子缺乏动态感。若将部分名词改为动词，即可分担句子的负荷，化静态为动态：
One who overus nouns in writing places too much strain upon the verbs and as a result prevents the thought from moving along．
写作时过分使用名词，势必给动词增加太多的负担，因而阻碍思路畅通。
过分使用名词会使文句冗长(wordy)、含糊(vague)，缺乏活力(1ifeless)，许多英语文体学家都反对滥用名词化表达法，主张通过多用生动活泼的动词来简化句子结构。试比较：
Integrated into the circulation of national life much more completely than any other modern literature，American belles—lettres also give a much more faithful and adequate picture of the entire civilization to which they belong than literature abroad, who very compliance with一or willful opposition to一traditions that have long lost their anchorage in the depths of their respective national civilizations, renders them unable to keep abreast of the rejuvenated spirit of their epoch．
这一句子使用了多个抽象名词，因而显得冗长、死板，若用动词代替这些名词，即可使句子轻松、活泼：
American belles—lettres circulate in the national life much more than other modern literat
ures do; they picture the entire civilization to which they belong more faithfully and adequately．The spirit of the times has become young again，and literatures abroad cannot keep abreast with it becau of certain traditions they comply with or willfully oppo．The traditions were once anchored in the depths of their national civilizations．but have 1ost that anchor— age long ago．
二、用名词表示施事者(Agentive noun)，以代替动词。
英语除了用抽象名词表示行为和动作(如realize—realization，complete—completion)等概念外，还常用含有行为和动作意义的普通名词代替动词。大量由动词派生(如以-er或-or结尾)的名词既表示施事者，又保留原来动词的意义。这类名词常常与前置形容词构成静态结构：
a hard worker—someone who works hard工作勤奋的人
a slow walker—someone who walks slowly走路很慢的人
牛王滩 a good thief—someone who thieves well很会偷窃的人
五海通航
a bad sailor—someone who often gets asick会晕船的人
汉语由动词加后缀构成的名词(如读者、教师、打字员、观察家、修理工)用来指人，不再表示行为或动作，因而英语这类名词往往要转换为汉语动词：
下载券1)He is a good eater and a good sleeper．(C．Eckersley)
他能吃能睡。
张爱玲胡兰成2)He is a young and rapid writer. (S．Coleridge)
预付货款 他是个笔头快的年青人。
3)He was a nonsmoker and a teetotaler．(E．Snow)
他既不抽烟，也不喝酒。
4)You must be a very bad learner，or el you must be going to a very bad teacher. (C．
Eckersley)
你一定很不善于学习，要不然就是教你的人很不会教。
白字组词状元游5)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?
6)I ud to be a bit of a fancier mylf．
过去我也常常有点喜欢胡思乱想。
7)That boy is a master complicator.
那男孩可真会捣乱。
8)You’re all clock-watchers today!
你们今天老是看着钟表等待下班啊I
9)since he lost his job，he’s been a loner．
他失业以后，就很不合群了。
1o)The computer is a far more careful and industrious inspector than human beings．
