又被一道题绊住……PREP笔记46.
The continental United States receives an average of 30 inches of precipitation a year; transpiration from soil and from plants returns approximately 21 of the 30 inches to the atmosphere, while the balance of 9 inches contributes to the flow of streams and rivers.
(A) transpiration from soil and from plants returns approximately 21 of the 30 inches to theatmosphere, while the balance of 9 inches contributes to the flow
(B) even though transpiration from soil and from plants returns approximately 21 of the 30 inches to the atmosphere, the remainder of 9 inches contribute to the flowing
(C) although transpiration from soil and from plants return approximately 21 of the 30 inches to the atmosphere, the balance of 9 inches contribute to the flowing
(D) with transpiration from soil and from plants to return approximately 21 inches to the atmosphere, the rest of the 9 inches contributes to the flow
(E) as transpiration from soil and from plants return approximately 21 of the 30 inches to the atmosphere, the rest of the 9 inches contribute to the flow
正确选项是A。我主要对这题的后面一个主谓一致很疑惑 the remainder\balance\rest of the 9 inches contributes....
而且我觉得PREP语法笔记里给的解释是错的。这个笔记的主人simply认为因为balance 是个单数所以和contributes正好主谓一致。但是我明明记得当表达 a fraction of sth的话，谓语动词的单复数应该是和这个of后面的sth一致的。翻了翻白勇的语法书，果然就是这么说的：
表示部分的词+ of + 名词n 谓语动词单复数由名词n来决定 Part of n \Some of n\ Most of n\ All of n\ … percentage of n\ The rest of n
他举的例子里就活生生地有the rest of 呢。
接着我又在一个极其牛逼的National Geographic style manual 的网址里面找到了类似的explanation:
【http://stylemanual.ngs.org/intranet/styleman.nsf/024cc3c609acdb0285256648004af446/f8c99840926e77378525668d0062e3dc?OpenDocument】 （这个网址不错哈！）
"A fraction may be singular or plural depending on the intention of the writer. Generally the object of the preposition of following the fraction governs the verb: Two-thirds of Nepal's population lives in these heavily farmed valleys; two-thirds of them live here."
那么基本上可以断定 the balance of 9 inches 这个短语里面决定谓语动词单复数的是9 inches. 9 inches看起来是个复数，在正确答案里面跟的却是一个单数verb contributes.于是我又开始了我的漫长探索之路……
在一个关于journal editing的网站里面发现了一个专门探讨 17 inches of snow should be followed by a singular verb or plular verb的文章。oh my god 这么贴合我的主题这也有点神奇了。但是作者的main idea也很神奇。我看完整天文章之后发现他想表达的就是：“你爱用单数就用单数，爱用复数就用复数。与其纠结这种搞不清楚的小细节还不如多关注一下更加明显的主谓不一致问题”。我被神奇地晕过去了。不过他其实说的还是很有道理的。作为一个资深编辑，他跟其他的很多资深编辑一起翻阅了各种style book，结果找不到关于这个的用法。他们又去查找了各种档案，结果找到了 many cases of both. 在付出了这么多心血而无法找到一个definitive answer之后他无奈地建议我们可以把17 inches of snow从主语的位置转到谓语去。这样就压根儿不会有主谓不一致的问题了。
不过接着我在另外一个教授的语法讲义里面又看到了一个 5 inches of snow。他go for singular verb. 而且还给出了一个听起来很专业的术语叫做“notionable agreement" 他的原话是
" what you have to consider is the notion or idea that the inches are a collective unit and therefore take a singular verb. we are not writing one inch of rain fell, then a second inch of rain, then an inch and a half, etc. we are referring to the entire amount: Five inches of rain has fallen. "
关于他这段话，我是这样勉强理解的：当用inch用来形容绳子的时候，我们是完全可以想象先来1 inch 绳子，再来1 inch绳子……反正就是一截一截地出来的感觉。但是如果你说先来1 inch的雨，再来1 inch的雨，那就囧了！我脑袋里的画面是一个天上的雨以一个高为1 inch 面积为不知道多少（我忘记了并且懒的去查）的薄立方体形状砸了下来。因为inch作为一个长度的尺寸的概念已经在人类的脑子里深深地扎根了。inch是一个仅仅针对雨水总量的计量单位。如果谓语动词用了复数形式就强调了individual inch而不是这个总量的概念。
不过这可能是个特例啦！白勇的语法书里说，当 数词+ 单位词复数+ of +不可数名词或者物质名词的时候，谓语动词就是用复数的。比如说 several million tons of stone were quarried in France. 这里如果是要强调individual tons of stone的概念应该也行得通。我是可以想象他们先挖1 ton的石头出来，再挖1 ton的石头出来。
关于同一个词一下子可以单数一下子又可以变成复数仅仅因为它强调总体或者单个这件事情实在太玄妙，每次一碰到我就囧的不行。还有好多不明白的地方。……但是我不准备纠结下去了。又浪费一下午的时间我心痛无比……如果谁有关于词的单复数方面的好一点语法总结就好了……
关于上面那道题目有什么想法的请告诉我……下面这道题目请大家帮帮我……
71．It may be another fifteen years before spacecraft from Earth again venture to Mars, a planet now known to be cold, dry, and probably lifeless.
a. again venture to Mars, a planet now known to be
B. venture to Mars again, a planet now known for being
C. will venture to Mars again, a planet now known as being
D. venture again to Mars, a planet that is known now to be
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发表于 2009-7-30 17:46:00
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