不同词序带来的不同语义

在中文里,词序非常重要；两个字的秩序不同，意思也不同。例如“东西”和“西东”，前者是“things”，后者是
“everywhere” ——“各奔西东”。再如“女儿”和“儿女”，前者是“ daughter(s)”，后者是“children”。

英语的词序虽不像中文那样富有语义上的变化，但也很重要，绝对不容忽视。有时，一字一词方位的改变，全句的意思可能
“牵一发动全身”，跟着受影响。

下面便是些好例子：

① Even the government officers admitted that some tax measures were unfair.

② The government officers admitted that even some tax measures were unfair.

第一句的意思是：每个人，包括政府官员，都承认有些税务措施不公平。第二句的意思是：政府官员承认，许多事情，连税务
措施在内，都不公平。前者焦点在“人”；后者则在“事”。

③ The couple don‘t have much money to spend on their foreign trip.

④ The couple don‘t have to spend much money on their foreign trip.

第三句说“钱不够用”；第四句却说“不必多用钱”。“没有钱可花”和“有钱不必多花”，呈强烈对照，词序的影响，由此
可见一斑！

⑤ The committee as a whole pointed out that the world economic situation had improved.

⑥ The committee pointed out that the world economic situation as a whole had improved.

第五句指的是“全部的委员”；第六句却影射“整体的经济局势”。同样一个片语，
所指有所不同。

⑦ In vain did David try to prevent the job from being done.

⑧ David tried to prevent the job from being done in vain.

⑦里的“in vain”（无结果）指的是大卫的行动；⑧里的不是指人的行动，而是指“在进行中的工作”。

⑨ Approaching the shop, Helen noticed two strangers.

⑩ Helen noticed two strangers approaching the shop.

⑨里讲的是“海伦走向银行时，注意到两个陌生人”；⑩里指的是“两个陌生人走向银行时，引起海伦的注意”。

(11) I may visit a sometime lecturer of English language.

(12) I may visit a lecturer of English language sometime.

(11)里的“sometime”是形容词，意思是“以前的”；(12)里的“ sometime”是时间副词，意思是“某时候”。前者可以改
成“former ”或“previous”；后者就要变为“at a certain time”了。

最后，请问下列二词，哪个是“防暴警察”？哪个是“警察暴动”？

　A: RIOT POLICE

　B: POLICE RIOT

Answer: A 防暴警察