比較狀語從句中主語的單獨省略初探

導語

比較狀語從句中，省略是一種常見現象，它使得句子的結構更為簡潔、語義更為明確、表達更為順暢。比如：

Bill runs faster than his sister (does/runs).(省略謂語)

Mary has known Peter better than she has (known) John.（省略主動詞）

Kate doesn’t write so many poems now as (she did/wrote poems ) years ago.(省略主謂賓)

This animal is three times as popular with girls as（it is）with boys.（省略主語和be動詞）

省略的目的是簡約和避免重復。因此原則上講，“已知信息”和“可知信息”都可以也應該省略。從上述例句可知，比較從句中的省略具有多樣性，是否恢復省略部分不影響語義的表達。

但是，比較從句中主語單獨省略的情況相對少見。因此，人們對于More people hope to live in the countryside than used to一句可能會感到困惑：than直接加used to的使用是否得當？than后究竟省略了什么？如何復原從句的主語？

首先，可以肯定的說，…than used to的用法并無不當之處，英文辭書典籍中不難見其蹤影。例如：

More people own houses than used to years ago. (UGE)

More people are buying a second car than used to twenty years ago.(EGUC)

Fewer people smoke these days than used to. (CIDE)

從現有的例證看，用than used to從句時，主句主語往往伴有more, fewer或less這樣的修飾詞。

確定一個用法是否存在相對容易，要詮釋比較從句中主語單獨省略的現象、揭示其一般規律則較為復雜。本文從以下三方面進行粗淺的探討，以期拋磚而引玉。

一、比較從句中主語單獨省略的現象

按照The Cambridge Dictionary of English Grammar（Ellipsis in comparative clauses一節）的說法：than和as從句中主語缺失是一種”standard English”。所以在正規英文出版物中不難發現其蹤影。例如：

（01）I want a cake as big as can be!(WALD)

（02）Though they were brothers, the difference between them was as great as could be.（DCAU）

（03）They seemed as happy as can be when I last saw them.（WALD）

（04）Hillary works faster than was expected.(CDEG)

（05）She's not as upset with them as might be expected.(WALD)

（06）The audience seemed more enthusiastic than was expected.(CDEG)

（07）It happens earlier than was arranged (LPVD)

（08）Doctors often work for more time than is usual.(LDOCEe)

（09）They are afraid of incriminating themselves and say no more than is necessary.（CCED）

（10）More people died of flu in 1919 than were killed in the First World War.（PEU）

（11）The result will be less effective than would be achieved by a teacher in harmony with the unit. (LGSWE)

（12）You spent more money than was intended to be spent. (CGOEL)

  以上例句雖然具有共性，即as或than從句均出現單獨的主語缺失，但要回答“缺失的是什么?”，“怎樣復原？”等問題，需要個性化處理。

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