问一道PREP07的语法题~

UZH

]It is unclear whether chimpanzees are unique among nonhuman species in their ability to learn behaviors from one another, or if, when other animals are studied in as much depth, similar patterns would be found.

• Aif, when other animals are studied in as much depth, similar patterns would be found 分析该选项
• Bif other animals were studied with as much depth they would exhibit similar patterns <a  target="_blank">分析该选项</a>
• Cwould similar patterns be found in other animals if they were studied in as much depth <a  target="_blank">分析该选项</a>
• Dwhether similar patterns would be exhibited in other animals that were studied with as much depth <a  target="_blank">分析该选项</a>
• Ewhether other animals would exhibit similar patterns if they were studied in as much depth <a  target="_blank">分析该选项</a>
  

       请问E选项里的their和they不是指代同一个东西为什么可以算对呢？

+00L

首先，指代问题本就是相对优劣问题；其次，in their ability在第一个whether句子意群中，读者句义上自然会理解为指代chimpanzees，而第二个they在if从句中，读者根据if从句所修饰的主句，也会自然优先考虑平行指代主句主语，当读者尝试带入other animals往下读发现逻辑通顺时，根本不会脱离句义内容往前去找其他的代词或者复数名词。

作为一个真正的读者，并不是像我们中国学生做SC题一样，先去一个词一个词抠语法术语挨个找“名词”来确定指代对象的，我相信你在读中文的时候也是一样，只有读到某个代词让你产生困惑时才会去回头找。

基于这种根据前后句义读【内容】的原则，当读者读到第一个their的时候，就像中文里你听说这么一个完整问题【大猩猩们在它们从彼此间学习行为的能力上是否在非人类物种中独一无二的】时，你完全不需要停下来回头找“名词”，自然会讲their理解为指代大猩猩们，并顺利接受句义内容；

而在读or一分句时，就像你在中文里听到这么一个完整的句子【其他动物们是否会展现出相似的行为模式，假如它们也被研究得如此深入】，你也会很自然的将它们理解为指代其他动物们并逻辑顺畅，顺利接受句义。

SC句义优先的原则，并不是一句空话，正常的native读英文，就跟我们读中文一样，绝对不是先脱离内容去分析词性语法结构规则，再逐词套词典义项的。