雙重否定的用法與例句說明
正如漢語說的“沒有~不……”一樣,英語有時也可使用這樣“否定的否定”,即所謂的雙重否定。正如 (-1) × (-1) = (+1) 一樣,雙重否定的結(jié)果是肯定的。 如:
沒有人不同情那位意外的犧牲者。
There was no one who did not feel sympathy for the victims of the accident.
=Everyone felt sympathy for the victims of the accident.
一個家庭在日常生活中使用一輛以上的車子竝不特別稀奇。
It is not unusual for a family to have more than one car to use in daily life.
=It is usual for a family to have more than one car to use in daily life.
沒有人沒東西喫的。
Nobody had nothing to eat.
=Everyone had something to eat.
never...without...型雙重否定,其意爲(wèi):沒有~決不……;要~一定會……
The dog never crosses a street without stopping at the curb. 那衹狗每次要過街時,都會在人行道邊緣停下來。
雙重否定就內(nèi)容而言雖是表肯定的,但和原本就是肯定形者竝不完全相同。比方說,not unusual (竝非不尋常) 與usual (普通) 在感覺上就不完全相同,多了一點兒猶豫的情緒。
雙重否定用於表示肯定的內(nèi)容時,因形式上仍屬否定句,所以附加問句爲(wèi)肯定形。如:
No Japanese breakfast is complete without misosoup, is it? 沒有味噌湯的日式早餐就不夠完整,不是嗎?