英语过去分词若干疑难问题综合分析

六、“过去分词”一定表被动吗？

英语语法有一条规则：就是“现在分词表主动；过去分词表被动”，这已经是大家公认的规则了。

然而，任何事物都有其特殊的现象和内在规律，英语亦然。在有些情况下，英语过去分词无论作状语、作宾补还是作定语，并不表示被动，而是主动。例如：

Faced with so many problems, they never gave up. 面对如此多的问题，他们从未放弃。

We found John seated in a chair, writing a letter. 我们发现约翰坐在椅子上，正在写信。

The woman dressed in red clothes was his aunt. 这个穿红色衣服的女人是他的姨妈。

语法书上讲“过去分词表被动”，但这却是“过去分词表主动”，或者说“被动语态表主动”。这是一个很有意思的问题，英语中确实存在这种现象，应该是有一定规律可循的。下面对此作一分析归纳。

（一）首先，这种现象的本质之一，缘于反身代词的用法。主语和宾语为同一个人，主语是动作的发出者，又是动作的接受者，这就出现了被动语态或过去分词都表示“主动”含义的语言现象。常见的这类用法归纳如下：

abandon yourself to沉湎于=be abandoned to

absorb oneself in 专心于=be absorbed in

dress oneself in穿衣= be dressed in

seat oneself in/on坐在=be seated in/on

face oneself with 面对=be faced with

addict oneself to 沉迷于=be addicted to

accustom oneself to 习惯于=be accustomed to

devote oneself to 献身于=be devoted to

hide oneself 藏起来=be hidden

lose oneself in 迷失于=be lost in

settle oneself in定居于=be settled in

prepare oneself for为做准备=be prepared for

recover oneself from 从病中中痊愈= be recovered from

camp oneself in在某地宿营=be camped in

例如：

Absorbed in the newspaper, he didn’t hear the bell. 他专心读报，连门铃也没听见。

Camped in the field across the stream, we could go fishing during the day. 在小溪对面的田野里宿营，我们可以在白天去钓鱼。

Fully recovered from his operation, he decided to leave the hospital. 从他的手术完全恢复后，他决定离开医院。

（二）英语中有一种“使令性动词”，意为“使……怎么样”，表示人的心理或情绪变化。这类动词在句子中经常以过去分词的面貌出现，但在意思上却没有被动的意思。例如：

Satisfied with his result of the final examination, Tom was smiling all the time. 由于对期末考试结果很满意，汤姆乐得一直在笑。

Disappointed at her son’s behavior, she couldn’t sleep well all the time. 因对儿子的表现感到失望，她一直睡不好觉。

Worried about the time available, Zhang Pingyu had mad a list of the sites she wanted to see in　London. (P 14, Unit 2, Book 5) 因担心可用的时间有限，张萍玉事先列出了她计划在伦敦参观的景点。

常见的这类“使令性动词”有：satisfy, frighten, amuse, amaze, surprise, astonish, shock, bore, tire, delight, disappoint, discourage, encourage, excite, interest, annoy, fascinate, upset, puzzle, confuse, move, worry, inspire, embarrass, frustrate, please, fascinate, disturb, terrify, horrify, thrill, relax等，都有这种用法。