A.小议too...to结构
《大学英语》第二册第十单元课文前面有这样一句话:Are we too quick to blame and slow to praise?看到这个句子,你一定会想到too...to结构,此句可以套用too...to结构来理解吗?下面我们就来学习有关too...to结构的情况.
一、too...to结构通常表示否定意义,意思是"太……不能","太……不会".例如:
It's too early for us to go yet.现在太早了,我们不会去的.
1.too...to结构相当于so...that...not.例如:
It is too late for us to catch the train.→It is so late that we can not catch the train.太晚了,我们赶不上火车了.
2.有时候,当too...to do结构中的do既可作及物动词,又可作不及物动词时,含有too...to结构的句子往往产生歧义.例如:
Tom is too selfish to help.→Tom is too selfish to help others.汤姆太自私了,不会帮助别人.→Tom is too selfish to be helped by others.汤姆太自私了,别人不会帮助他.
3. too...for也表示否定意义,相当于too...to,意为"太……不适合(不能)".例如:
He is too young for the work.=He is too young to do the work.他太年轻,不适合这份工作.
It's too cold outside for jogging.=It's too cold outside to go jogging.外面太冷了,不能去跑步.
二、too...to结构并不一定都表示否定意义,遇到下面几种情况时,too...to结构表示肯定意义.
1.当too前面有only, all, not, but, never, simply, just等词时,too...to结构表示肯定意义.例如:
I am only too pleased to see you.非常高兴见到你.
You know but too well to hold your tongue.你深知少说为妙.
2. 当too后面是 eager, anxious, pleased, kind, willing, inclined, ready, glad, quick等词时,too...to结构表示肯定意义.例如:
I am too eager to go there. 我太想去那里了.
3. too...to结构的否定形式表示肯定意义,有两种变法:
一是在too前加not,构成not too...to,通常否定整个too...to结构而表示肯定含义,意为"并不太……,所以能……".例如:
The article is not too difficult to translate.这篇文章并不太难,很容易翻译.
She is not too angry to speak up. 她不太生气,能够说出话来.
另一种方法是在不定式to do前加not,通过否定不定式而表示肯定含义,大致相当于so...that one can,意思是"太……一定能(不可能不)……"、"太……忍不住(不免)……".例如:
He is too clever not to understand the importance of this question.=He is so clever that he can understand the importance of this question.他太聪明了,一定能(不可能不)懂得这个问题的重要性.
She was too angry not to say what she thought.=She was so angry that she could not but say what she thought.她太气愤了,忍不住要说出心里的话.
看过上面的内容,我们再来看看《大学英语》第二册第十单元课文前面的这句话:Are we too quick to blame and slow to praise?这个句子当然可以套用too...to结构来理解,但它属于第二种情况,表示肯定意义.此句应译为:"我们是不是指责太快而表扬太慢了呢?"
练习:Translate the following sentences into Chinese.
1. He is too old to have the book completed.
2. It was too good an opportunity to miss.
3. He is too much of a coward to fight.
4. The river is too wide for us to swim across.
5. He is too ready to promise.
6. I am too glad to help you.
7. He has seen too much of the world not to do better.
8. The book is not too difficult to understand.
9. The wall is too high for her to climb.
10. He is too kind not to be stupid.
参考答案:
1. 他垂垂老矣,这本书写不完了.
2. 那是一个很好的机会,不应该错过.
3. 他太懦弱,不敢抗争.
4. 这条河太宽了,我们游不过去.
5. 他总是轻易许诺.
6. 我非常乐意帮助你.
7. 他深谙世事,知道如何做得更好.
8. 这本书不太难,很容易理解.
9. 这堵墙太高了,她爬不过去.
10. 他太善良了,难免有些愚蠢.
B.too...to 结构表示肯定含义的情况
【too...to 结构表示肯定含义的情况】
我们知道too...to结构一般表示否定含义,意为"太...以致于不能"
eg:He is too old to work.
但too...to在下列情况下却表示肯定含义:
⑴当too前或to前有否定词构成双重否定时.
eg:English is not too difficult to learn.
英语并不太难学.
He is too wise not to see that.
他很聪明,不会不懂这一点.
⑵当too后是glad,pleased,happy,delighted,satisfied,ready,willing,kind,apt,
good,true,easy,near,careful,well,early,delicious,eager,anxious等形容词或副词时.
eg:They are too anxious to leave.
他们急于离开.
He is too ready to help others.
他总是乐于助人.
与这些词连用时,too前还常加上only,all,but,just,simply等副词,意思不变,因为这些词加上too后与very同义.
eg:I'm only too glad to see you .
见到你非常高兴.
They are but too pleased to hear the news.
他们听到这个消息,非常高兴.
⑶与cannot连用时.
eg:You cannot be too careful(=You can never be careful enough) to do your homework.
你做作业越仔细越好(=无论怎样仔细也不过分).
⑷当不定式在句中作定语或真正的主语时.
eg:There are too many problems to be solved.
有很多问题有待解决.
It is too much to say that he is a fool.