“ cannot (never )... too... ”结构及其它_高中英语
请看下面这道题:
( 2003 北京春) —— i was riding along the street and all of a sudden, a car cut in and knocked me down.
---- you can never be ________ careful in the street.
a. much b. very c. so d. too
分析:该题考查的是“ cannot ( never )……too…… ”结构的用法。答案为 d .此题意为:
––– 我在街上骑车,突然一辆汽车超车,把我撞倒。
––– 在街上骑车,你越小心越好。
“ cannot…… too…… ”结构表示“无论怎么……也不算过分”、“越……越好”、“要格外……”、“应该特别……”等意思。表示此意的结构有下列几种:
1. cannot +动词+ too +形容词或副词,例如:
we cannot be too careful in doing experiments. 我们做实验时越仔细越好。
i cannot thank you too much. 我无论怎么感谢你也不过分。
2. cannot + over- 动词 /cannot + be + over- 形容词,例如:
we cannot overemphasize the importance of learning a foreign language. 我们无论怎么强调学外语的重要性也不过分。
we cannot be overvigilant. 我们应该特别警惕。
3. cannot +动词+ too much ( much enough ) ,例如:
we cannot praise him too much. 我们无论怎样表扬他也不算过分。
he is very reliable. you can't trust him too much ( much enough )。 他很可靠,他是你最值得信赖的人。
4. cannot +动词+形容词或副词+ enough
在“ cannot……too…… ”结构中的 too 可换成 enough , sufficient 或 sufficiently ; not 也可换成 never , hardly , scarcely 等否定词。例如:
you can never be strong enough. 强壮的身体有百利而无一害。
drinking water can never be pure enough. 饮用水越纯越好。
5. cannot +动词+ too many +可数名词 / too much +不可数名词,例如:
i think it right that one cannot learn too much knowledge. 我认为一个人的知识愈多愈好。
it is wrong to think that one cannot bear too many children. 认为一个人孩子生得愈多愈好是错误的。
6. it is impossible ( difficult ) to…… too…… = cannot……too…… ,例如:
it is impossible to emphasize this point too much. (= one cannot emphasize this point too much. )要特别强调这一点。
与 cannot……too…… 相似的结构主要有:
1. cannot help + doing :该结构意为“禁不住做……”、“忍不住干……”,指“身不由己地去做某事”。例如:
we could not help thinking when we saw the great wall in china.
看到中国的长城,我们不禁浮想联翩。
i couldn't help crying when i heard the bad news. 听到那不幸的消息,我忍不住大哭起来。
“ cannot help but do sth. ”也表示“不得不、忍不住……”。例如:
we could not help but walk from dawn to dusk. 我们不得不从黎明走到黄昏。
hearing the inspiring news, we couldn't help but cheer. 听到这个鼓舞人心的消息,我们不禁欢呼起来。
2. cannot but do sth :该结构表示“不得不……”。例如:
i cannot but admire his courage. 我不得不钦佩他的勇气。
i couldn't but laugh on reading such a funny joke. 读到如此滑稽的笑话,我忍不住笑了。
在上面句式里,可以说 cannot 后面省略了 do anything .例如:
the prisoner could not ( do anything ) but hand in his knife. 那个犯人不得不交出刀子。
can but do sth. 表示“只得做某事”。例如:
the boy made an apology to his teacher, so the teacher could but give up the idea of punishing him. 那男孩向老师道了歉,只得打消惩罚他的念头。
类似这一结构的 cannot choose but to sth 也表示“不得不……”、“只得……”。例如:
it rained hard, so they couldn't choose but stay at home. 雨下得很大,他们只得呆在家里。