英语“三词动词”

当代英国语言学家Randolph Quirk等在A Grammar of Contemporary English一书中曾谈到“多词动词”(Multi-word Verbs)的用法,并把多词动词分为三种:ⅰ)成语动词(Phrasal Verb),例如:to turn down (an offer), to put up (a notice); ⅱ)介词动词(Prepositional Verb),例如:to look into (a case), to jump at (an opportunity); ⅲ)成语介词动词(Phrasal-prepositional Verb),例如:to put up with (somebody), to live up to (somebody’s expectations)。有的书(见English for Today, 1973; English Grammar Exercises, 1977,等)为方便起见,把上述第一、二种短语动词统称为“二词动词”(Two-word Verb),把第三种短语动词称为“三词动词”(Three-word Verb)。笔者拟着重对三词动词的结构、词义、用法等诸方面谈些粗浅的看法。