【问题讨论】（句子分析与翻译）（2）
2024-11-27 12:39:43 学考宝 作者：佚名
问题描述
【问题讨论】（句子分析与翻译）（2）
Water is to fish what air is to man.
为活跃英语答疑网的气氛，我出一道题目：分析本句的句子结构并译成汉语。欢迎各位专家老师和网友参加。
老师答疑
曾老师：
刘老师提出讨论的这个句式比较特殊，且在人教2007版高二英语上册P.21上也出现过：
A nest is to a bird what a house is to a man.
Honey is to a bee what milk is to a cow.
Smell is to the nose what taste is to the tongue.
......
▲关于这个句式，刘老师对陈老师的解答作了三个补充说明：
1. 句1 跟句2 是一样的结构吗？实际上，这是两种完全不同的结构。
2. 句3 中的连词as 能跟so 连用吗？
3. 句4 这种表达，能否提供出处？
其实，北京大学董桂枝教授的《英语特殊表现法例解》（P.58）对这四种句式就作了具体分析，我觉得很不错，在此贴上以供网友们参考：
Leaves are to the plant what lungs are to the animal.叶之于植物犹如肺之于动物。
Regulation is to a schol what the law is to a nation. 校规之于学校，犹如法律之于国家。
这个句型与下列句型相类似，试比较：
① A is to B what X is to Y
② A is to B as X is to Y
③ As X is to Y, so is A to B
④ What X is to Y, that is A to B
在①、②句型中，what和as都用作连接词，其后是从句，主句在前。①句型可译为“A之于B等于X之于Y”，其中what X is to Y是名词从句，是动词is的补语，动词is可以省去。②句型可译为“A之于B犹如X之于Y”。③、④ 句型与①、②句型次序相反，主句在后，从句在前。③句型可译为“正如X之于Y，A对于B也表示同一关系”。在④ 句型中，作为补语的名词从句放在句首，用that作同格词，这个that可省去。注意③、④ 句型的后半句，主语和动词的位置转换了。
其他类似的例子：
Air is to us as water is to fish. 空气对于我们，犹如水对于鱼一样重要。
Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body. 读书对于思想，好比运动对于身体一样重要。
What the voyage of Clumbus was to the world in the 15th century, the journey of the satellite, Lunik Ⅲ, might wel to the twentieth.哥伦布的航行对于十五世纪人们的意义，犹如三号月球卫星航行对于二十世纪人们的意义一样。
As the house is to the man so is the nest to the bird and the cave to the animal. 室之于人，犹巢之于鸟，穴之于兽。
= The house is to the man what the nest is to the bird and cave to the animal.
= What the nest is to the bird and the cave to the animal so is the house to the man.
Five is to seven what ten is to fourteen. 五与七之比等于十与十四之比。
【回复刘老师】
刘老师说得对，我也是这样认为的。
其实，董桂枝教授的“其中what X is to Y是名词从句，是动词is的补语”就已经说明是作表语；只不过没有明确地说②句型是状语从句，但从结构和意义上并不难判断。
陈老师：
【问题讨论】（句子分析与翻译）（2）
Water is to fish what air is to man.
为活跃英语答疑网的气氛，我出一道题目：分析本句的句子结构并译成汉语。欢迎各位专家老师和网友参加。
Water is to fish what air is to man.
参考译文：水对于鱼犹如空气对于人类一样重要。
句子语法结构分析如下：
主句主语：water
主句系动词：is
主句表语：to fish
引导类比状语从句连接代词：what
类比状语从句：what air is to man
从句主语：air
从句系动词：is
从句表语：to man
为活跃英语答疑网的气氛，我出一道题目：分析本句的句子结构并译成汉语。欢迎各位专家老师和网友参加。
首先，再次感谢刘老师给予第2道题来活跃气氛，虽然能力和知识水平都很十分有限，但是出于对于英语强烈爱好，决定再次尝试对以上问题做解答，如解答和分析有不妥之处，或者错误之处，还请刘老师及其他老师及网友指正，谢谢！
首先，以上句型结构属于一种“明喻”通常运用在谚语中.用来它把一种人或事物与另一种性质不同的人或事物来作比拟，从而更形象、更深刻地说明事理.可以归纳为以下结构
结构(1): A is to B what C is to D.其意思是“A对B而言正如C对D一样”。
（结构解析：其中what = as,作连词用,其意思“正如”、“好比”、“就象…一样”引导类比状语从句，其中主句为“本体”，从句为“喻体”介词to表示对比。)
Air is to us what water is to fish.=Air is to us as water is to fish.
空气对于我们犹如水对于鱼一样重要。
Air is to man what water is to the fish.
空气对于人类来说就象水对于鱼来说一样重要。
Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body,
读书对于精神犹如运动对于身体一样。
A book is to the mind what food is to the body.
书籍对于心灵犹如食物对于身体。
The pen is to a writer what the gun is to a fighter.
作家的笔犹如战士的枪。
A good book is to the mind what nourishing food is to the body
好书对于心灵正如营养食物对于身体。
Parks are to the city what lungs are to the body.
公园对于城市犹如肺对于人体。
结构(2) What C is to D, that A is to B.其意思也是“A对B而言正如C对D一样”。
（结构解析：what引导的从句放在句首时,从句后面的主句前必须添加that,其句式是“What..., that...”。）
What exercise is to the body, that reading is to the mind.
读书对于精神犹如运动对于身体一样。
What food is to the body，that a book is to the mind.
书籍对于心灵犹如食物对于身体。
What thegun is to a fighter，that the pen is to a writer．
作家的笔犹如战士的枪。
What nourishing food is to the body，that a good book is to the mind．
好书对于心灵正如营养食物对于身体。
What lungs are to the body，that parks are to the city．
公园对于城市犹如肺对于人体。
结构(3)(Just) as C is to D , so A is to B 其意思也是“A对B而言正如C对D一样”。
(结构解析:as引导的从句放在句首时, 从句后面的主句前常添加so一样, 其句式是“As..., so...”。此外, as放在句首时,常用just来强调。形成了“Just as..., so...”句型。)
What exercise is to the body, that reading is to the mind.
= Just as exercise is to the body, so reading is to the mind.
读书对于精神犹如运动对于身体一样。
(注意:结构(1)能与结构(2)互相转换。)
What blood vessel is to a man’s body, that railway is to a country.
= Railway is to a country what blood vessel is to a man’s body.
铁路对于国家好比血管对于人体一样。
王老师：
1. A is B as C is to D.（A之于B，犹如C之于D。）
Air is to man as water is to fish.（空气之于人，犹如水之于鱼。）
反过来说：Water is to fish as air is to man.（水之于鱼，犹如空气之于人。）
2. A is to B what C is to D.
Air is to man what water is to fish.（人需要空气就如鱼需要水一样。）
反过来说：Water is to fish what air is to man. （鱼需要水就如人需要空气一样。）
主：Water
谓：is
表：to fish
状语：what air is to man
