悬垂但不致错的状语现象
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----对《状语悬垂的成因、类型及纠正》的补充
《英语辅导报》高中教师版1999-2000学年度第21，22期《状语悬垂的成因、类型及纠正》一文写得很好。对中学生容易犯的状语悬垂错误从成因、类型上进行了细致的分析，同时又给出了纠正办法。读后受益非浅。但笔者觉得原文作者把悬垂状语都看作是错误的太过绝对，也不符合语言的客观实际。笔者不揣冒昧，斗胆写一小文，以为续貂。
正如该文作者所言，按照英语语法规则，状语的逻辑主语应当与句子主语一致（这种规则叫做“依附规则”），否则，即认为是错误的（即“悬垂错误”）。 比较：
(1)Looking out through the window, we saw a beautiful landscape.
(2)(误) Looking out through the window, a bird flew away.
(3)(误)At the age of six, her mother died.
例（1）中做状语的-ing形式的逻辑主语是句子的主语we, 该句是正确的。例（2）中的做状语的-ing形式的逻辑主语不是句子的主语a bird，该句是错误的，犯了悬垂错误。例(3)中做状语的介词短语的逻辑主语应是child，而非her mother，故该句也是错误的。
然而，在语言的实际运用中，悬垂的状语在报刊、名家作品中常可见到，尤其是在科技文章中更常见。这种悬垂的状语以不定式、ing形式和过去分词为常见。对这种悬垂状语不可一概斥为错误，而应考虑它们的可接受性，对具体问题做具体分析。多数现代语法家认为，在一定的上下文中，当意义不致于引起误解、歧义或语义混乱时，这种悬垂状语是可以接受的。但前提是句子中必须有可以暗示出状语的逻辑主语的因素。本文拟结合具体实例探讨这类句子中暗示状语的逻辑主语的因素及暗示出的逻辑主语。
(4)Looking out through the window, a beautiful landscape was seen.
(5)Standing on the church tower, the whole village could be seen.
(6)To avoid being attacked, strongholds were built.
上述三个例句均为被动语态，由此我们可以想象“往窗外看的”， “看整个村庄的”， “修堡垒的”是“某个（些）人”，这个“某人” 便可理解为做状语的-ing形式或不定式的逻辑主语。
(7)Getting down from the bus, my ankle was sprained.
(8)He felt himself gently touched on the shoulder; and looking round, his father stood before him.
(9)Leaving the cinema, it seemed to him that the film had been exceptionally bad.
(10)Searching along the deck, it had taken him some time to find a doctor.
(11)Walking or sleeping, the subject was always in my mind.
(12)Looking out through the window, a beautiful landscape presented itself before our eyes.
(13) Having been deserted by his guide, there seemed little hope that the explorer would find his way through the jungle.
上述诸例均通过人称代词不同的“格”形式暗示出状语的逻辑主语。例（7） 中的my (ankle)暗示出-ing形式的主语是 I；例（8）中的 his (father) …. (before) him 及并列连词 and 连接的上下文暗示出-ing形式的主语是 he；例 (9) 中的 (to) him 暗示出-ing形式的主语是he; (10) 中的(it had taken) him… 暗示出-ing形式的主语是 he; 例(11) 中的(in) my (mind) 暗示出-ing形式的主语是I; 例(12) 中的 (before) our (eyes) 暗示出-ing形式的主语是we; 例(13) 中的 (find) his (way)…暗示出-ing形式的主语是 he (the explorer)。由此反观例（3），her mother中的her暗示出介词状语的逻辑主语应是妈妈的孩子，再者，有谁会理解为“六岁的妈妈去世了”？
(14) When dining in the restaurant, a jacket and tie are required. (When one dines…)
(15) When driving carelessly, it is easy to have an accident.
(16) When inquiring about a room it is always a good idea to ask at the beginning whether laundry and heating are included in the price.
(17) To borrow books from this library, it is necessary to register as a member of the library. (For one to borrow….)
(18) To master a language, words and grammatical rules are not enough.
(19) To be considered for college, an aptitude test must be taken.
(20) To become a champion swimmer, shoulder muscles must be developed while young.
(21) Being Christmas, the government offices were closed. (Since it was…)
上述诸例均说明普遍存在的情况，即适用于每一个处于该情况的人，因此-ing形式或不定式的逻辑主语是表示泛指的 one, we或 you。这种情况下悬垂的不定式较为常见。例（21） 中-ing形式的隐含逻辑主语是代词 it, 指时间，该句表示有规律的普遍情况。
(22) The siren sounded, indicating that the air raid was over. (… which indicated that…)
(23) Unknown to his closest advisers, he secretly negotiated with an enemy emissary. ( It was unknown to his closest advisers that…)
上面两例中的状语说明的是整个主句的内容情况，故该分词的逻辑主语就是整个句子，我们可用 which, as, it等（关系）代词表示。夸克等将it称为支词，并说“对这种结构的非议较少”，“不定式状语的这种用法是常见的”。
(24) When treating patients with language retardation and deviation of language development, the therapy consists, in part, of discussion of the patent’s problems with parents and teachers, with subsequent language teaching carried out by them.
(25) Using the electric energy, it is necessary to change its form.
(26) When installing a boiler, the floor space which is available is very important.
(27) To check on the reliability of the first experiment, the experiment was replicated with a second set of subjects.
(28) To determine the number of cells, a sample is put under a microscope.
上述诸例均是科技语体文。正式的科学论著中，悬垂-ing形式或不定式的逻辑主语就是作者或读者的I, we 或you。 科技语体文中通常避免使用人称主语，故悬垂分词或不定式状语分句在科技文章中是很常见的。
(29) Putting it mildly, you have caused us some inconvenience.
(30)Considering its cost, this machine is not worth buying.
(31)Provided that a film entertains, few people care about its merits.
(32) His moral principles, to be frank, begin and end with his own interests.
上述两例中的悬垂-ing形式和不定式状语是修饰整个句子的（即做评注性状语）， 用以表明说话者的态度、观点、看法等。 因此该-ing形式或不定式的逻辑主语就是讲话者本人，一般是 I 或we。 这种用法的-ing形式或不定式已成语化（-ing形式或过去分词通常被看作连词或介词）。常见的有strictly/generally/frankly speaking, considering that…, judging from…, speaking purely for…, to tell you the truth, to be sure/precise/fair, so to speak等。这种形式的状语已经不属于依附原则的范围之内了。
如果从句子中不能判断出悬垂分词或不定式的逻辑主语时，这种结构便是错误的。如：
(33) (误)Reading the evening paper, a dog started barking.
在上例中我们无法判断出分词的主语是谁，故是错误的。
行文至此，笔者的体会是，尽管语法是描述语言规则的，但语言实践中的一些现象却是语法描述难以企及的。语法是人们总结出来的，它并不能包罗语言之万象。本文介绍的不合语法规则的语言现象对初学者（尤其是对中学生）不宜介绍，但作为教师，却是应该了解的。
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