2013年1月7日星期一

古德明: As discussed、將會




問:以下一句,As discussed二字是什麼文法結構,discussed的主詞(subject)是什麼?──As discussed, the personnel department is to be restructured(正如我們談過,人事部將改組)。

答:As之後,往往接一過去分詞(past participle,即ed形式動詞),而把as和分詞之間的主詞和動詞be(即iswas等)略去,例如:(1Things do not happen asthey have beenplanned(事情沒有按計劃那樣發生)。(2Asit wasexpected, he won the election by a landslide(他一如所料,競選大捷)。As it was expectedit,是指「競選大捷」這回事;正如讀者示下那一句,Asit has beendiscussedit,是指「人事部改組」這回事。換言之,那「as+分詞」的主詞,不一定和主要子句(main clause)相同,但總是指主要子句所說的事。

問:Will beto be有什麼分別?

答:The personnel department will be restructured是一完整句子,但The personnel department to be restructured卻不是完整句子,須補上主要動詞:The personnel department is to be restructured

也許,那位讀者應問的,是「will / would+動詞」和「is / are / was / were to+動詞」的分別。按「will / would+動詞」只是簡簡單單說將會發生的事;「is / are / was / were to+動詞」則是說根據計劃、命令等要發生的事。所以,The personnel department is to be restructured有「將按計劃改組」含義,用will則沒有這含義。