英语人称代词主宾格的交替

　　本文首发于解放军外语学院学报《教学研究》1988年第4期

　　英语中，人称代词的语法形式取决于它们在句子中各自发挥的语法职能--作主语或主语补语（即"表语"）时，用主格；作动词或介词的宾语时，用宾格。这是传统语法的定则。试看如下：

　　1）He didn't want to leave this house. (主语)

　　2）Was it you that broke the window? (主语的补语)

　　3）My friend told them about that. (动词的宾语)

　　4）John passed by, giving her the ticket. （动词现在分词的宾语）

　　5）That's enough for me. (介词的宾语)

　　然而，随着语言的发展，英语格(case)的语法体系正处于逐渐瓦解之中。现代英语，尤其在口语场合，人称代词主格与宾格之间的交替现象层出不穷，比比皆是。莫怪乎，语法大师O. Jespersen大为感叹地说："这是英语中最为纠缠不清的问题之一。"言下之意，该现象约定俗成，无可否认，它以惯用法的资格业已在现代英语语法中占据了一席之地。

　　人称代词主格与宾格的交替现象主要表现在如下方面：

　　一、以宾格代替主格

　　1. 在省略句中，只表达作为主语的人称代词场合。例如：

　　6A）Does any of you know where Tom lives?

　　B）Me.

　　7A）Someone will have to answer for it?

　　B）Not you or me.

　　8A）Who's for a game of tennis?

　　B）Him.

　　9A）I'm in love.

　　B）Me too.

　　10A）You ought to do it.

　　B）What, me?

　　11A）Who cleaned the room for me, Jane?

　　B）Them three.

　　2. 在省略句中，作主语的人称代词与非限定动词连用场合。例如：

　　12）Me married? I don't think.

　　13）What! Me (to) play him at chess? No!

　　14）Me (to) appease a chap like him? Nothing doing!

　　15）Him (to) teach English?

　　3. 人称代词作为系动词be后的补语场合。例如：

　　16A）Who is knocking at the door?

　　B）It's me.

　　17）If I were her, I would take the advice.

　　18）Imagine yourself to be me.

　　19）This is me, Winston Churchill, speaking himself to you.

　　20）Our navy is no more superfluity to us: it is s.

　　21）This is me all the time and all over.

　　22）I don't like the script It just isn't me, if you know what I mean.

　　句19）与句20）分别是两位著名的英国前首相丘吉尔及麦克唐纳正式演说中的措辞。

　　必须进一步指出，在口语中作为主语补语的人称代词大有喧宾（格）夺主（格）之势。有时候用上主格显得呆板别扭，用上宾格反而潇洒自如。而在某些场合，更是使人觉得似乎不用宾格简直不行。比如对着一张相片，你一定会这么说：

　　23）Which is I? Oh, I see, that's me!

　　这里，that's me看来在习惯上远比that's I更站得住脚。

　　说到底，这种主语补语的宾格形式并非今而有之。早在16世纪它便与主格形式并行于口语之中。直至18世纪，两者也还是自由通用的。就在后来所兴起的规范语法（prescriptive grammar）思潮的影响下，人们开始无视本族语的语言实际，生搬硬套拉丁语法，才对其采取排斥、否定的态度。如今，现代英语主张立足于语言实际，重视口语的价值，恢复并承认其应有的合法地位。

　　值得注意的是，上述种种用法中的人称代词宾格几乎总是位于句末。

　　4. 人称代词作为断裂句(cleft sentence)的中心成分场合。例如：

　　24）It's him that is a genius.

　　25）It's me that he gave the book.

　　26）It's me who is to blame.

　　27）It's her that you should consult on such a matter.

　　28）It's him you've got to settle things with.

　　29）It was them that I met on my way home.

　　对此用法，尽管至今有些语法学家（如O. Jespersen，F. T. Wood等）尚持保留态度，但看来毕竟是大势所趋。

　　5. 人称代词在there be存在句(existential sentence)中作主语场合。例如：

　　30）There used to be three of us, but now there's only me.

　　31）There is only me to be served now.

　　32A）Is there anyone coming to dinner?

　　B）Yes, there's Henry and me.

　　33A）Who can we ask?

　　B）There's James, or her.

　　这一用法甚而可于here be句型推而广之。例如：

　　34）Here's the boy in goal and me disgraced for ever. 6. 人称代词在as或than比较分句的省略场合。例如：

　　35）You're as outspoken as me.

　　36）I'm not so musical as him.

　　37）He works as hard as her.

　　38）I'm much taller than him.

　　39）He's no more a poet than me.

　　40）She spoke English more fluently than us.

　　以上场合均可将as或than视为介词，而作宾语的人称代词几乎总是位于句末。

　　但是，有时用上人称代词的宾格可能引起歧义。例如：

　　41）My wife loves the dog better than me.

　　~ 41a）My wife loves the dog better than I love it.

　　~ 41b）My wife loves the dog better than she loves me.

　　这种情况，最好应该严格区分主格和宾格各自的职能，同时避免比较分句的过分省略。

　　7. 人称代词前有形容词作修饰语场合。例如；

　　42）Dear me!

　　43）Poor little me always gets the blame.

　　44）You cannot turn your back upon poor wretched me.

　　45）The real me comes out when I'm happy.

　　46）I'm afraid that is none of my business, good gracious me, not at all.

　　47）Tall and strong him broke the record for high-jump.

　　8. 人称代词用于加强语气或补充说明场合。例如：

　　48）Me, I'm just one of the fellows.

　　49）You and me, we live beside the railroad tracks.

　　50）Play snooker together every Wednesday, me and George.

　　51）We've talked it over, us two.

　　52）I was hungry and tired, and me without a cent to my name.

　　53）We had to wade across the street - and me in my best suit.

　　54）He could scarcely restrain a blush, and him sixty!

　　9. 在不拘礼节的交谈中，人称代词作为主语场合。例如：

　　55）So we won't say anything to mamma, will us?

　　56）Shall we - I mean shall us - be getting on?

　　57）What! Me fight a chap like him? Not me!

　　58A）You'll find me in the classroom any time you want me this afternoon.

　　B）Me want you!

　　二、以主格代替宾格

　　1. 人称代词作动词并列宾语的后项，而前项为名词或代词you场合。例如：

　　59）He won't let my wife and into the house.

　　60）People like George and .

　　61）He says she saw you and I last night.

　　62）Let you and I be friends!

　　63）It made Dad and laugh.

　　2. 人称代词作为介词并列宾语的后项，而前项为名词或代词you场合。例如：

　　64）There was agreement between Mr Tumbrill and I

　　65）Of course, this is between you and .

　　66）It's far better for you and I to separate.

　　67）It's no more use for you and to kick.

　　68）Would it not be as well for you and she to get water and towels ready before Dr Seaton comes?

　　分析起来，人称代词在动词或介词的并列宾语中作后项时所以会用上主格，大致出于修辞及语法两方面原因：一是因前项的宾格并无词形变化，后项受到修辞上对称观念的影响；一是后项离动词或介词较远，语法关系松懈，以致动词或介词对其管辖力、约束力"鞭长莫及"的缘故。

　　3. 顺便提及，在特殊疑问句中，作动词宾语或介词宾语的疑问代词，以及在名词性分句中，作动词宾语或介词宾语的关系代词，也有类似现象，即以主格who代替宾格whom。因不属本题讨论范围，在此不多作赘述。

　　主要参考文献

　　1. Jespersen, O.（1909-49）A Modern English Grammar on Historical Principles

　　2. Quirk, R. et al.（1972) A Grammar of Contemporary English

　　3. Wood, F. T.（1978) Current English Usage

　　4. Poutsma, H.（1926-29) A Grammar of Late Modern English

　　5. Robertson, S.（1957) The Development of Modern English

　　6. Kruisinga, E（1931-32) A Handbook of Present-Day English

　　7. Scheurweghs, G. 1959）A Present-Day English Syntax

　　8. Long, R. B.（1962）The Sentence and its Parts

　　9. Sach, F. L.（1954）The Structure of English

　　10. Marckwardt, A. & Watcott, F.（1938）Facts about Current English Usage 11. Procter, P. et al.（1978）Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 12. Webster's Third New International Dictionary（1961） 13. 章振邦等（1982）《新编英语语法》

　　14. 费致德（1982）《现代英语惯用法词典》

　　15. 张道真（1981）《实用英语语法》（第二次修订本）

　　16. 聂振雄等（1983）《英语用法问题解答》

　　17. 吕叔湘（1961）《中国人学英语》