第十章 动名词与不定式





10.1 动名词与不定式作主语


10.1.1 动名词放在句首作主语

动名词作主语一般直接放在句首，谓语动词用单数。

1 Going to the school dance is a lot of fun. But sometimes, deciding who to go with isn’t easy.

精品译文 去学校参加舞会可是件有趣的事，但有时决定和谁一起去并不容易。

2 Hating people is like burning down your own house to get rid of a rat.

精品译文 憎恨别人，就好像为了赶走一只老鼠，而把自己的房子烧掉。

3 Having a successful marriage takes effort and patience, and communication is the key.

精品译文 要获得成功的婚姻需要努力和耐心，而交流就是关键。

4 Ordering meals from an incomprehensible Chinese menu is a daunting experience for foreigners, but sometimes the most expedient method is to scan nearby tables and point to dishes that they want to order.

精品译文 在看不懂的中文菜谱上点菜对外国人来说可是件头疼的事，不过有时最省事的方法就是看看邻座，然后用手指着自己想要的菜。

上述句子都是用动名词短语作主语，谓语都使用了单数。下面来看考研真题例句：

5 With thousands of career-related sites on the Internet, finding promising openings can be time-consuming and inefficient. ... Working with a personal search agent means having another set of eyes looking out for you. （2004年阅读第一篇）

妙语点睛 这个句子采用了动名词短语finding promising openings及working with a personal search agent来作主语，且置于句首，谓语用单数means。

精品译文 由于互联网上有成千上万个与求职相关的网站，因此寻找有前途的空缺职位费时且低效。……拥有一个个人搜索代理意味着有另外一双眼睛为你寻找。

6 Finding ways to assist this growing homeless population has become increasingly difficult. （2006年完形填空）

妙语点睛 这个句子采用了动名词短语Finding ways to assist this growing homeless population来作主语，且置于句首，谓语用单数has。

精品译文 想出办法来帮助这一日益增长的无家可归群体，这已经变得越来越困难。

真题再现：语法攻克考研“英译汉”——2005年第49题

7 Creating a “European Identity” that respects the different cultures and traditions which go to make up the connecting fabric of the Old Continent is no easy task and demands a strategic choice.

妙语点睛 这个句子采用了一个很长的动名词短语Creating a “European Identity” that respects the different cultures and traditions which go to make up the connecting fabric of the Old Continent来作主语，且置于句首，谓语用单数is。

精品译文 不同的文化和传统把欧洲大陆编织成一体，要创造出一种尊重这些不同文化和传统的“欧洲品牌”绝非易事，这需要人们做出战略性的选择。

8 I have discovered, as perhaps Kelsey will after her much-publicized resignation from the editorship of She after a build-up of stress, that abandoning the doctrine of “juggling your life”, and making the alternative move into “downshifting” brings with it far greater rewards than financial success and social status.（2001年阅读第五篇）

妙语点睛 这个句子采用了一个很长的动名词短语abandoning the doctrine of “juggling your life”, and making the alternative move into “downshifting”来作主语，且置于句首，谓语用单数brings。

精品译文 我已经发现——也许Kelsey也会发现，她由于过于劳累而公开地辞去了在《她》的编辑职位——放弃“搏击生活”的理论，而采取另一种“放慢生活节奏”的方式，会带来比经济上的成功和社会上的地位更大的回报。

上面讨论的是作主语的动名词短语一般要置于句首的用法。不过，英文中有几个动名词后置作主语的固定句型，现列举如下：

句型一：It is no good/no use doing sth.

表示“干什么事没有用”。这里，it只是形式主语，真正主语是doing sth.。其中，no good可替换为：any/some good, any/some/no use, a waste of time等。

9 Is it any good trying to explain?

10 It’s no use crying over spilt milk. 后悔没有用。

11 It’s not much use my buying salmon if you don’t like fish.

12 It’s simply a waste of time and money seeing that movie.

句型二：There is no point/use/good （in） doing sth.

表示“干某事没有必要，没有意义”，“干某事没有用”

13 There is no point in my going out to date someone, I might really like if I met him at the time, but who, right now, has no chance of being anything to me but a transitional man.

精品译文 现在让我出去和别人约会没有用。如果我碰上了意中人，我自然会爱上他的。可是现在这个时候，我跟谁也不会有结果的，除非是为了解解闷而已。

14 There is no use your arguing with him.

精品译文 你没必要和他争论。

句型三：There is no doing sth.

意思相当于It’s impossible to do something或We can’t do sth.“不可能做某事”

15 There is no denying the fact that...毋庸置疑……

16 There is no gainsaying the fact that...毋庸置疑……

17 There is no telling what will happen tomorrow.谁也无法预测明天会发生什么。

18 There’s no knowing the future. = It’s impossible to know the future, or we can’t know the future.

10.1.2 动词不定式放在句末作主语

与动名词作主语不同，不定式作主语，常见的是用it作形式主语，放在句首，将真正的主语动词不定式（短语）放在句子后面，于是变成“It...+to do sth.”句型。

19 It’s easy to be wise after the event.

精品译文 事后诸葛亮容易。

20 It’s better to love someone you can’t have than to have someone you can’t love.

精品译文 爱一个无法拥有的人胜过拥有一个你不爱的人。

注意：此处形式主语it不能用this或that来替换。

21



正确答案 A，改为It。

22



正确答案 B，改为it。

不定式结构也可直接置于句首作主语，但这种用法比较少见。例如：

23 To err is human; to forgive, divine.

精品译文 犯错人皆难免，宽恕则属超凡。

24 To love for the sake of being loved is human, but to love for the sake of loving is angelic.

精品译文 因为被爱而爱，是人之常情；因为爱而爱，则难能可贵。





10.2 动名词与不定式作宾语

10.2.1 只能接动名词作宾语的动词

admit, advise, anticipate, appreciate, avoid, consider, contemplate, delay, deny, detest, discuss, dislike, encourage, endure, enjoy, escape, excuse, fancy, favor, feel like, finish, forbid, forgive, give up, can’t help, imagine, involve, mention, mind, miss, overlook, permit, postpone, practice, prohibit, put off, resent, resist, risk, can’t stand, suggest, tolerate, understand, etc.

25 I will overlook your being so rude to my sister this time but don’t let it happen again.

26 Many of the things we do involve taking some risk in order to achieve a satisfactory result.

28 Being a bad-tempered man, he would not tolerate having his lectures interrupted.

下面来看考研真题例句：

真题再现：1995年语法

28 Although a teenager, Fred could resist _____ what to do and what not to do.

A. to be told

B. having been told

C. being told

D. to have been told

正确答案 C

妙语点睛 这里动词resist后面需要接动名词作宾语，故A和D被排除。显然这里resist和told两个动作之间并没有先后区分，所以动名词不用完成式，故C正确。

精品译文 尽管才十多岁，但是Fred却能够不让别人告诉自己该做什么和不该做什么。

真题再现：1994年语法

29 I appreciate ____ the opportunity to study abroad two years ago.

A. having been given

B. having given

C. to have been given

D. to have given

正确答案 A

妙语点睛 这里动词appreciate后边需要接动名词作宾语，故C和D被排除。另外，不同于上面（28）句，显然这里appreciate和give两个动作之间有先后区分，即give在appreciate之前，所以动名词要用完成式，且I与give之间是被动关系，故A正确。

精品译文 我很感激两年前给我出国留学的机会。

真题再现：2000年语法

30 As I’ll be away for at least a year, I’d appreciate ____from you now and then telling me how everyone is getting along.

A. hearing

B. to hear

C. to be hearing

D. having heard

正确答案 A

妙语点睛 这里动词appreciate后面需要接动名词作宾语，故B和C被排除。另外，不同于上面（29）句，显然这里appreciate和hear两个动作之间没有先后区分，所以动名词不要用完成式having heard，只需要用hearing，故A正确。

精品译文 因为我要离开至少一年多，所以若我能经常收到你的来信，告诉我大家近况如何，我将真的很感激。

真题再现：1996年改错

31



正确答案 A，改为allowing。

妙语点睛 动词dislike后面需要接动名词作宾语。

精品译文 有些老板并不喜欢别人来分担他们的责任，他们更喜欢把一切重要事情紧紧掌控在自己的手中。

10.2.2 特别关注的动词

上面接动名词的动词中有几个需特别注意：

allow, advise, forbid, permit, recommend

1）这些动词后要接动名词作宾语，如：allow doing等。

2）但当宾语是人时，则后接动词不定式（用作宾补），如：allow sb. to do。请看例句：

32 a. We don’t allow smoking in the lecture room.

b. We don’t allow students to smoke in the lecture room.

精品译文 a.我们不允许在教室抽烟。

b.我们不允许学生在教室抽烟。

33 a. I wouldn’t advise taking the car—there’s nowhere to park.

b. I wouldn’t advise you to take the car.

精品译文 a.我不主张开车去，因为没地方停车。

b.我劝你不要开车去。

34 a. I recommended going by subway.

b. The doctor recommended me to take a few days’ rest.

精品译文 a. 我建议坐地铁去。

b. 医生劝我休息几天。

10.2.3 接动名词和动词不定式有区别的动词

在英语中有很多动词后接动名词和接动词不定式均可，但在意思上往往有很大的差别，现将这样的动词分类归纳整理如下：

1. demand, deserve, need, require, want等动词

在这些动词后面，要接动名词的主动形式，但表示被动的意思；若改接动词不定式，则必须用动词不定式的被动形式。

35 The garden needs watering / to be watered.

而不说：The garden needs being watered.

36 Your hair needs cutting / to be cut.

37 He deserved praising.

而不说：He deserved being praised.

2. remember, forget, stop, go on, regret等动词

在这些动词后面，动名词指发生于这些动词之前的事，不定式表示发生在它们之后的事。

38 I still remember being taken to Beijing for the first time.

39 Remember to go to the post office, won’t you?

40 I forgot locking the door. So when I came back, I found the door locked. As far as I know, the door should be open.

41 As well as getting on everybody’s nerves, he’s got a habit of borrowing money and forgetting to pay it back.

42 I really must stop smoking.

43 Stop to have a rest.

44 Peter went on sleeping despite the noise.

45 Peter went on to sleep after he finished his homework.

46 I regret to tell you that you failed the test.

10.2.4 带有to的固定短语，其后接动名词：to doing

在英文中带有to的固定短语，其后须接动名词的有：

look forward to, object to, be/get used to, prefer doing to doing, in addition to, be accustomed to do/doing, amount to doing（意味着……）, take to doing（开始喜欢做……）, devote...to doing/be devoted to doing, dedicate to doing/be dedicated to doing, be averse to doing, be opposed to doing, get round to doing, the way/approach/ solution to doing, etc.

47 I am looking forward to hearing from you.

48 I am used to sleeping with the lights on.

49 I am accustomed to sleeping with the lights on.

50 After a long delay I finally got round to making inquiries into the matter.

51 The children are opposed to having a party without their uncle.

52 I have no objection to spending the evening with them.

53 They don’t object to our postponing the meeting until Friday.

真题再现：1998年改错

54



正确答案 D，改为to receiving。

妙语点睛 本题考查介词to后面接动名词的用法。短语look forward to后面接名词或动名词，不接动词原形。

精品译文 无论是下雨还是下雪，都不会阻挡邮递员投递信件，因为这些信件是我们期盼收到的。

10.2.5 其他用动名词的结构



但要注意：take the trouble to do sth., trouble to do sth., have (no) time to do sth.

55 W: How do you find your new apartment?

M: Well, it’s quite nice really, although I have a hard time getting used to living in a big place.

56 I have learned, however, that change always seems more difficult at the outset, and if I work hard at remaining positive and view changes as opportunities to grow, I have an easier time dealing with them.

真题再现：1998年语法

57 I worked so late in the office last night that I hardly had time ____ the last bus.

A. to have caught

B. to catch

C. catching

D. having caught

正确答案 B

妙语点睛 have time to do，故B正确。

精品译文 我昨晚加班到很晚，差一点没赶上末班车。

58 The teachers have had some problems ____ when they should return the final papers to the students.

A. to decide

B. deciding

C. decided

D. having decided

正确答案 B

妙语点睛 这里要用have problems doing，故B正确。

精品译文 老师们很难决定什么时候把这些期末考卷发给学生。

2. can’t help doing, can’t resist doing, can’t keep from doing, can’t hold back from doing, can’t keep back from doing这些短语均表示“情不自禁……，不得不……”

注意：can’t help but do, can’t but do, can’t choose but do, etc

真题再现：1991年语法

59 When Jane fell off the bike, the other children ____.

A. were not able to help laughter

B. could not help but laughing

C. could not help laughing

D. could not help to laugh

正确答案 C

妙语点睛 正确的表达形式是could not help but laugh，故B错。或者could not help laughing，故C正确。

精品译文 当Jane从自行车上摔下来时，其他孩子们禁不住大笑了起来。

真题再现：1994年改错

60



正确答案 C，改为believe。

妙语点睛 正确表达形式是cannot help but believe或者cannot help believing，故C错。

精品译文 当我想到他作为一名画家是多么有天赋时，我不禁相信将来人们会欣赏他的才华的。

真题再现：1995年语法

61 ________ can help but be fascinated by the world into which he is taken by the science fiction.

A. Everybody

B. Anybody

C. Somebody

D. Nobody

正确答案 D

妙语点睛 原本的表达形式应该是cannot help but do句型。但显然这里是把否定词not提到句首，所以是nobody，故D正确。

精品译文 人们看科幻小说时，都会禁不住对小说所描写的奇妙世界感到着迷。





10.3 动名词的复合结构

同不定式完全类似，动名词也是动词的一种变化形式，既然是动词就应该有动作的执行者，即主语。而动名词的动作执行者并不总是和句子主语统一的（有时是一样的，有时不一样），所以称之为逻辑主语，以区别于句子主语。

10.3.1 构成：my doing/Tom’s doing

物主代词（如：his, my, your等）或所有格名词（如：Mary’s, Tom’s等）与动名词连用，即构成动名词的复合结构（如his doing, Mary’s doing等），用来引出动名词的逻辑主语。当句子主语并不是动名词动作的执行者时，我们就需要给出动名词自己的动作发出者，即动名词的逻辑主语。请比较：



10.3.2 用法

这种结构常在句中作主语或宾语。请看例句：

1. 用作主语

62 Tom’s coming home at last was a great consolation.

2. 用作动词宾语

63 Do you mind my making a suggestion?

64 Would you mind Tom’s telling us the whole story?

3. 作介词宾语

65 Our discussion of earthquakes would be incomplete if we didn’t raise the possibility of their being caused by external forces.

精品译文 要是我们没有考虑到外部力量造成地震的可能性，那么我们对于地震的研究还有欠缺。

66 What are the chances of a sleepwalker’s committing a murder or doing something else extraordinary in his sleep?

精品译文 梦游者在睡梦中实施谋杀或做出其他一些超常活动的可能性有多大呢？

67 When I was a child, I would take a flashlight to bed with me so that I could read comic books without my parents’ knowing about it.

精品译文 小的时候，我常常把手电筒拿到床上，这样我看漫画书时，就不会被爸妈发觉。

10.3.3 普通格还是所有格？

在应用动名词复合结构时，什么时候用普通格（如Tom doing或him doing）或什么时候用所有格（如Tom’s doing或his doing），一般遵循下面规定：

1）若动名词复合结构在句中作主语，最好用所有格形式：

68 Tom’s refusing to accept the invitation upset me.

69 His refusing to accept the invitation upset me. （不宜用him refusing）

70 It was a great consolation his coming home at last. （不宜用him coming）

2）动名词复合结构在句中作宾语时，用普通格或所有格均可。

71 Do you mind my making / me making a suggestion?

72 I am annoyed about John’s forgetting/John forgetting to pay.

3）若动名词的逻辑主语是无生命的“物”而不是指“人”时，最好用普通格：

73 The noise of the desks being opened and closed can be heard out in the street.

74 There is a necessity for this type of houses being built.

75 In the event of the project not being a success, the investors stand to lose up to $30 million.

4）若动名词的逻辑主语是不定代词时（如：someone, anyone, everyone等），最好用普通格：

76 He was awakened by someone knocking on the door.

5）若动名词的逻辑主语由较长的一组词构成时，最好用普通格：

77 There is no point any one of us arguing with him.

78 I’ve always had in my mind a dream of my father, mother and I living together.

79 Do you remember John and his father coming to see us last Christmas?

下面请看考研真题例句：

80 The latest revolution isn’t simply a matter of gentlemen reading other gentlemen’s e-mail. （2003年阅读第一篇）

妙语点睛 这里gentlemen reading other gentlemen’s e-mail是一个动名词复合结构。