“while”之我见

genimix

对于while这个连词，已经讨论了很多。

虽然while在词典中似乎是一个万金油似的连词(可表“转折”，可表“并列”，还可表示“当...时候”，还有“在...情况下”之类)，但我认为在GMAT中应当澄清为如下理解：

在GMAT中，while并不是标准意义上的上的转折连词或并列连词，我宁愿把它定义为“对照”连词。实际上while分句或短语，所表达的含义是与其所修饰的分句，呈“对照”关系。比喻地说，有点好比我们中国人春节对联的上下联这种关系（当然并不要求像中国对联那样对仗工整）。请大家仔细体会一下。“对照”与转折或并列是不等同的

我希望大家理解到，美国标准商务英语中，while就只有这一种“对照”的感觉，似乎是一种介于并列和转折之间的一种意味，因此有时可以用在表示“并且，而且”之类的并列场合，也可以用在表示“虽然”之类的若转折场合。

提醒一下，在GMAT中不要再翻出while是“当...时候”，“在...情况下”之类的用法。

AMBER513

感谢分享！               

yufupu

多谢！

nightmare177

while的 对比意思比较强，是一个弱弱的转折（个人感觉）

并且，似乎while的对比不像 and，but，yet，as well as， either。。。。。那样需要对称。

小球藻

连词连接的前后两句主语相同，后一句可以省略

t8chang

After several years of rapid growth, the health care company became one of the largest health care providers in the metropolitan area, while it then proved unable to handle the increase in business, falling months behind in its payment to doctors and hospitals.

A. while it then proved unable to handle the increase in business, falling months behind in its payment to

B. while it then proved unable to handle the increase in business and fell months behind in its payment to

C. but then it proved unable to handle the increase in business, falling months behind in its paying

D. but then proving unable to handle the increase in business, falling months behind in paying

E. but then proved unable to handle the increase in business, falling months behind in paying

弱弱的问一句，为什么E选项but从句没有主语它也对？能帮忙讲下主语为什么省略么？

joegmat

2008年后，GMAT SC的考试重心更偏重于逻辑含义的精确性，特别是含义表达的逻辑层次（即谁主谁次）。
这句不枉费我凌晨看帖！！！

aeoluseros

补：while引导的分句一般居于从属地位

-- by 会员 genimix (2009/12/17 11:44:38)

umm...关于这一条需要再讨论下...
Industrialization and modern methods of insect control have improved the standard of living around the globe while at the same time they have introduced some 100,000 dangerous chemical pollutants, having gone virtually unregulated since they were developed more than 50 years ago.  

(A) while at the same time they have introduced some 100,000 dangerous chemical pollutants, having  

(B) while at the same time introducing some 100,000 dangerous chemical pollutants that have  

(C) while they have introduced some 100,000 dangerous chemical pollutants at the same time, and have  

(D) but introducing some 100,000 dangerous chemical pollutants at the same time that have  

(E) but at the same time introduce some 100,000 dangerous chemical pollutants, having  

Key: B

逻辑含义上，这里while的前后的含义貌似并没有分主从。不过“一般”二字appropriately maintain the intergrity of expression.问题也不大。却是while引导的一般是从属地位。只是有些题目还是不能简单根据这句来判断，while的从属地位并没有although这种引导词引导的从句明显。

aeoluseros

赞，讲到了精髓之处，GMAT的SC就应该从这样的思考角度着手。

dogshead

有道理，谢谢