谈名词性从句中that的省略与保留
谈名词性从句中that的省略与保留
江苏省通州高级中学 张九林
作为英语中使用频率最高的连接词，that被广泛运用于引导各种从句和固定句型。但随着语言的不断发展和演变，that被省略的情形日渐增多，但有时，它又需要保留。本文拟就此问题分类例析。
⑴ 主语从句
当主语从句为陈述句时，连词that必须保留。因为若无此从属标志，该从句乍一看会被误认为是主句。如：
That you don’t know Russian is a pity. 你不懂俄语真是遗憾。（若省略that，读者或听者以为说话人要表达的是You don’t know Russian. 你不懂俄语。）
△有时为了保持句子结构的平衡，避免句子头重脚轻，常用it置于句首作形式主语，代替主语从句，而把主语从句置于句末，此时that可省略，尤其在口语中；常用句型包括以下四类：
① It + be +名词+ (that)从句（该that从句可移至句首）
△这类名词包括fact, pity/shame, fault, desire, disappointment, an honour, a good thing, no surprise/wonder等。如：
It’s not our fault this has happened. 发生这件事不是我们的错。
② It + be +形容词+ (that)从句 （该that从句可移至句首）
△这类形容词包括possible, probable, (un)likely, apparent, evident, obvious, plain, funny, (un)lucky, fortunate, strange, surprising, absurd, advisable, alarming, awful, better, best, (un)clear, (un)certain, cruel, (un)fair, good, great, horrible, natural, obvious, odd, (im)possible, right, sad, strange, (un)true, wrong, essential, vital, important, necessary等。
Is it possible/likely (that) he'll phone you? 他有可能给你打电话吗？
- It + be + 过去分词+ (that)从句 （该that从句不可移至句首）
△这类过去分词包括said, reported, considered, believed, estimated, hoped, thought, assumed, agreed, alleged, expected, decided, announced, arranged, rumoured (谣传), suspected, suggested, requested, proposed, desired, noted (注意) , seen, supposed, pointed out, known, understood等。如：
It was rumoured he was suffering from a stone in the kidney. 谣传他患有肾结石。
It’s to be hoped he will get a severe punishment. 他有可能获得严厉的惩罚。
△如果that从句前有插入成分将它与过去分词分隔，则that宜保留。如：
Also, it was reported in the international press last week that a man in California, in the USA, has been found guilty because be cheated 5,000 people around the world out of millions of dollars. 另外，据上周国际媒体报道，一个来自美国加利福尼亚的男子因诈骗了全球五千人几百万美元被发现有罪。
△如果过去分词后跟有不止一个that从句，则第二个及其后从句的连词that宜保留。如：
It is nice to be reminded (that) there is a light at the end of the tunnel, that the night always ends, and that joy comes in the morning. 坑道尽头有阳光，黑夜总会结束，早晨欢乐就会来临，提醒人们这些是很好的。
- It +不及物动词+ (that)从句 （该that从句不可移至句首）
△这类不及物动词及词组包括seem, appear, happen, chance, occur, come about（发生）, get about（消息或谣言的传开）, turn out（结果是，被证明是）等。如：
It never occurred to me for a moment (that) you meant that. 我从未想到你指的是那件事。
It turned out he was born in the Caledonian Road. 原来他出生在Caledonian路。
△个别及物动词也可用于此类句型。如：
It strikes me Ken is a nice lad. 我的印象是，肯是一个好小伙。
⑵ 宾语从句
①及物动词的宾语从句
当及物动词后面跟陈述句的宾语从句时，连词that在口语或非正式文体中可省略。这类及物动词包括：acknowledge，add，admit, advise, agree, allege（声称）, announce, answer, assure, boast, believe, claim, command, complain, confess, confirm, decide, demand, deny, determine, direct, discover, doubt, dream, estimate, expect, explain, fear, feel, find, forget, guarantee, guess, hear, hint, hope, imagine, inform, insist, intend, know, learn, maintain, mean, order, predict, prefer, promise, propose, prove, provide, read, realize, recommend, remember, reply, report, request, require, reveal, say, see, sense, shout, show, suggest, suppose, suspect, swear, tell, think, urge, vote, wish等。如：
James said (that) he was feeling better. 詹姆斯说他感到好些了。
Do you think they'll win? I doubt it.你认为他们会赢吗？我怀疑。
△that从句也常出现在assure, convince, inform, instruct, notify, remind, tell等引述动词(reporting verb)后，作双宾语中的直接宾语，此时连词that可省略，但通常保留。如：
That reminds me (that) I must write to him. 那提醒我必须写信给他。
△在I dare say（可能，大概）, I wish, I am afraid后面的宾语从句中，连词that几乎总是省略。如：
I dare say he will come. 我揣测他会来。
I wish I hadn't gone to that party. 我那时要是不去参加聚会就好了。
I am afraid you don’t see my point. 恐怕你没有明白我的意思。
△当宾语从句较短时，连词that被省略的情形尤其常见；若从句较长，则that常被保留（长短亦相对而言）。如：
Tell him I’m out. 告诉他我不在家。
I felt that I was not yet strong enough to travel. 我当时觉得身体不够结实，不能旅行。
△注意：that的这种省略用法并非在所有的动词或结构后面都恰当。在许多简单或常用动词，如admit, believe，feel, know, presume, realize，suppose, tell, think等之后，连词that常可省略；在confess, consider , declare, hear, know, propose, say, see, understand及be told等之后，that可省略或保留；但在多数情况下，特别是在书面语中，that仍以保留为好；另外，在较为正式的、相对不那么常用的动词，如agree, answer, argue, conceive, hold, indicate, imply, learn, object, observe, remark, reply, suggest等之后，that宜保留。如：
She answered that she preferred to eat alone. 她回答说她愿意独自吃。
The manager objected that it was impossible. 经理反对说，这不可能。
△如：我们可以说：He suggested a vote be taken. 他建议投票表决。但很可能不说：He urged a vote be taken. 或The silence of the committee members suggested little opposition would be raised to his other proposals. 委员们的沉默表明，对他的其他建议几乎不会有什么反对意见。
△另外，有时可用it作先行宾语，后跟宾语补足语（有时也没有宾语补足语），再跟that从句，此时连词that被省略的情形也偶有所见，但通常保留。能用于此类句式的表示看法的动词包括：think, consider, find, feel, believe, take及make, keep, put, hear, owe…(to sb.), see to, insist on, bring…(to sb.’s attention)等。如：
I take it for granted (that) you have read this book. 我以为你读过这本书。
He made it plain that he was annoyed with me. 他声明，他对我恼火。
I’ve heard it said that you’ve won a scholarship. 我听说你赢得了一项奖学金。
I owe it to you that I am still alive. 我现在还活着，这都归功于你。
You can put it that it was arranged before. 你可以说这是以前安排的。
She has seen to it that all the children are well taken care of. 她已设法让所有孩子得到很好的照顾。
I insist (on it) that you shall be there. 我坚持要求你在那儿。
Why don’t you bring it to his attention that he is too ill to work on?（2011江西卷）
②某些形容词后的宾语从句
某些作表语的形容词（多为描述个人情感或表示确信无疑的形容词）后面的宾语从句（也有语言专家称之为原因状语从句）中，连词that也可省略，特别是在口语中。这类形容词包括描述个人情感的：afraid，alarmed, annoyed, anxious, ashamed, astonished, aware, confident, convinced, determined, eager, glad, grateful, happy, hopeful, keen, pleased，proud, (un)lucky, sad, shocked, sorry, thankful等，及表示确信无疑的certain, sure等。如：
I'm sorry I'm late - the traffic was terrible. 抱歉我迟到了--交通状况太糟糕了。
I'm certain (that) she saw me. 我肯定她看见我了。
Because of these qualities, they were optimistic he would be successful. （《牛津高中英语》模块二第58页）
△下列各对形容词中，表示人的情感的-ed形式可用于I am+形容词（+ that）从句，而表示事物的特征或属性的-ing形式可用于It + be +形容词（+ that）从句：
alarmed/alarming, amused/amusing, astonished/astonishing, confused/confusing, depressed/depressing, disgusted/disgusting, distressed/distressing, embarrassed/embarrassing, exhausted/exhausting, frightened/frightening, horrified/horrifying, irritated/irritating, moved/moving, puzzled/puzzling, relaxed/relaxing, satisfied/satisfying, shocked/shocking, surprised/surprising, terrified/terrifying, worried/worrying。如：
We were surprised (that) she came. 她来了，我们感到惊奇。
It was surprising (that) no one had warned them of the danger. 没有人提醒他们注意那个危险，这令人惊讶。
△ 在下列各类由that引导的宾语从句中，连词that需要保留（例句中用下划线标注）：
i．及物动词跟几个由and, or或but连接的并列宾语从句时，第一个从句的连词that可省略，其后的则需要保留，以防将一个并列的宾语从句曲解为一个并列的主句。如：
Having checked the doors were closed, and that all the lights were off, the boy opened the door to his bedroom. (2007湖南卷) 在检查了门都关上了，所有的灯熄灭了后，男孩打开了通往自己卧室的门。
I know (that) he’s cheating and that I can’t do anything about it. 我知道他在骗人，我也知道对此我无能为力。（而I know (that) he’s cheating and I can’t do anything about it. 表示“我知道他在骗人，对此我无能为力。”）
Joe said (that) Peter would take them by car, but that they might be late. 乔说彼得将用汽车送他们，但也说他们可能迟到。（而Joe said (that) Peter would take them by car, but they might be late.表示“乔说彼得将用汽车送他们，但他们可能迟到。”）
ii．如果宾语从句是两个平行句式，从理论上讲，第一个连词that可省略，但保留它更能总体上体现句子的平行原则，故最好两个that均保留。如：
I understand not only that you have studied Chinese but also that you have written Chinese poetry. 我不仅明白你已经学了汉语，还明白你还写了汉语诗。
iii．当that从句的主语是非谓语动词或是主语从句时，that通常保留。如：
The doctor said that taking exercise was the best way of losing weight. 医生说运动是最好的减肥方式。
The lady then explained that what she was looking for was a pair of gloves for a girl. 女士然后说她寻找的是一副女孩子戴的手套。
iv．当that从句与另一名词性从句并列作宾语时，that需保留。如：
Everybody could see what happened and that Tom was frightened. 大家都看出所发生的事情并知道汤姆非常害怕。
v．如果that引导的宾语从句被提前置于句首时，that必须保留；如：
That she ever said such a thing I simply don't believe．我就是不相信他曾经说过这样的话。
vi．当主句的及物动词和从句之间有插入成分而造成从句远离主句动词时，为了恰当地把句法继续下去，最好保留that。如：
Little Alice didn't know, I'm sure, that her sister was going to America. 我确信，小艾丽斯不知道她的姐姐很快就要去美国了。
vii．当主句的状语位于that引导的宾语从句之前时，that需要保留。如：
She said several times that she had lost hope. 她说了几次她已经失去希望。（而省略that的句子She said several times she had lost hope.可能表示“她说她已经几次失去了希望”。）
viii．当宾语从句以副词（或短语）开头或其它不是主语的成分开头时，that应保留，这样可澄清状语是属于主句还是that从句。如：
The book argues that eventually the housing supply will increase. 书中证实住宅供应最终会增加。（而省略that的The book argues eventually the housing supply will increase.可能表示“书中最终证实住宅供应会增加。”）
His neighbour said that as a teenager Tom had earned his pocket money by delivering newspapers. 他的邻居说，在青少年时期，汤姆就靠送报纸挣零花钱。（而省略that的句子可能表示“他的邻居青少年时期说，汤姆靠送报纸挣过零花钱。”）
Many teenagers are surprised to learn that when you exercise, your body produces some chemicals that make you feel peaceful and relaxed and increase your ability to concentrate when you study.（《牛津高中英语》模块一第58页）很多青少年吃惊地得知，当你运动时，你的体内会产生某些化学物质，这些花学物质让你感到平静、放松，增强学习时的注意力。
viv．在直接引语中，当转述分句把宾语从句与主句隔开时，that通常保留。如：
“I’m sorry to tell you,” he said, “that you didn’t watch carefully enough what I did.”“我遗憾地告诉你们，”他说道，“你们没有看仔细我所做的事情。”
x．当that的省略也许会暂时给读者或听者以在使用一个不同的结构这样的印象时，则需要保留that。如：
He said that no word at the meeting was strange. 他说，会上人们的发言没有什么奇怪的。（省略that会使读者或听者以为说话人要表达的是He said no word at the meeting. 他在会上什么也没说。）（对此，我们可采用在句首添加that的方法来区分所要表达的意思：That he said no word at the meeting was strange. 他在会上一言不发，这真让人觉得蹊跷。）
xi．当that引导的宾语从句的主语是this或that，或受到二者之一修饰时，则that需要保留。如：
She told him that that was her first job, and that jobs were scarce these days. 她告诉他那是她的第一份工作，还告诉他那些日子里工作稀少。
Even the blindest person must see that this elephant isn’t like any of the things you name. 甚至世界上盲得最厉害的人准能看出这头大象不像你们所说的任何东西。
xii．当主句中的谓语动词是固定词组时，则从句的连词that通常保留。如：
Mary has made up her mind that she will study hard for the scholarship, so she can have the chance to go abroad for further study. 玛丽下定决心努力学习以获得奖学金资格，这样她就有机会出国深造了。
xiii．that引导的从句作介词in和except之后的宾语时，that必须保留。如：
I know nothing about him except that he is from the south. 我只知道他来自南方，别的我一无所知。
Men differ from brutes in that they can think and speak. 人和动物的区别在于人能思考和说话。
xiv．在简略答语中，若宾语从句单独出现，则that需要保留。如：
---What did he say? 他说了什么？
---That he would visit the Great Wall. （他说）他将会参观长城。
xv．固定句式not that... but that 不是（因为）……，而是（因为）……中，that必须保留。如：
Not that she forgot to do her homework but that she was busy nursing a sick classmate. 不是她忘记了做家庭作业，而是她忙着照顾一个生病的同学。
It's not that I don't love you, it's just that I want to be free to live my own life. 这不是我不爱你，只是我想自由地过我自己的生活。
⑶ 表语从句
表语从句为陈述句时的连词that在多数情况下保留；但在不影响句子理解时可省略。如：
The simple truth is (that) he's lost his job. 基本的事实是她丢了工作。
△如果连系动词（主要为be）后面有逗号，则表语从句的引导词that需要省略。如;
The truth is, diet and way of life are often a problem for teenagers.（《牛津高中英语》模块一第58页）实际情况是，对青少年而言，饮食习惯和生活方式往往是个问题。
△如果表语包含由and, or或but连接的多个并列从句时，各从句的连词that以保留为好，以明确句法关系。如:
The proof that the little prince existed is that he was charming, that he laughed, and that he was looking for a sheep. 小王子当时存在的证据是他有魅力，他会笑，他在寻找一只羊。（注：这是对一颗小行星的拟人化描述。）
△如果表语从句包含前置的状语从句时，连词that需要保留。如;
What matters is that whatever decision you make, you are clear in our intention of choosing based on what’s best for all. 重要的是，无论你作出什么决定，你要清楚我们基于最适合大家的原则作出选择的意图。
⑷ 同位语从句
同位语从句为陈述句时，连词that被省略的情况并不常见，原则上需要保留。能跟同位语从句的名词包括：advice, belief，chance, condition, decision, demand, doubt, desire, fact, feeling. grounds (根据，理由) , hope, idea, impression, likelihood, message, news, opinion, order, possibility, probability, proof, proposal, promise, question, reason, request, requirement, suggestion, thought, truth, word (消息)等。如：
I had the impression that she chose her words with care. 我有这样一种印象，她措辞很谨慎。
△但在少数情况下也会出现that被省略的情形。如：
Is there any chance they will reverse their decision? 他们有没有可能彻底改变他们的决定？
There is little doubt he was the killer. 几乎不容怀疑，他就是杀手。
△但当同位语从句与被修饰的名词之间有插入成分而造成从句与该名词分割时，则that需要保留；如：
We had no idea in the beginning that the small library would be so popular. 我们起初不知道这个小图书馆会这么受人欢迎。
I don’t know why it is they don’t like me. 我不知道为何他们不喜欢我。（强调原因状语）
综上所述，连接词that有时可省略，有时需要保留。其基本原则是：除了在最正式的场合以外，作为简化句子的一种方式，省略that完全可以接受。但若存在任何抓不住语法结构的头绪或使读者或听者陷入歧义的危险，that则需要保留。
参考文献：
1. Powler’s Modern English Usage by H.W.Powler, Second edition revised by Sir Ernest Gowers Oxford University Press, 1987
2. Book of Usage & Abusage by Eric Partridge, Wordsworth Reference, 1995
3. 吴国良《英语准确用词词典》，安徽科学技术出版社，1994年
4. 雪航 甘美华 田路一 王春丽《朗文英语语法》，外语教学与研究出版社，1991年
5. 张道真《张道真英语语法》，商务印书馆国际有限公司，2002年
6. 张道真《现代英语用法词典》（重排本），外语教学与研究出版社，1994年
7. 王福祯 徐达山《英语惯用法大词典》，北京科学技术出版社，1995年
8.《麦克米伦高阶英汉双解词典》，外语教学与研究出版社，2005年
9.《薄冰英语惯用法词典》，商务印书馆国际有限公司，2009年
通联方式：
作者姓名：张九林
单位：江苏省通州高级中学
手机：15006295618
通讯地址：江苏省南通市通州区金沙镇育才路1号
邮政编码：226300
---发表于华东师范大学《中小学英语教学与研究》2014年第4期
通州高级中学
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