释义 |
can·not AHD[kănʹŏt, kə-nŏtʹ, kă-] D.J.[ˈkænɒt, kəˈnɒt, kæ-]K.K.[ˈkænɑt, kəˈnɑt, kæ-]v.aux.(助动词)- The negative form of can 1 can的否定形式1
- The idiomatic phrasecannot but has sometimes been criticized as a double negative, perhaps because it has been confused withcan but. Thebut of cannot but, however, means "except,” as it does in phrases such asno one but, while thebut of can but has the sense only, as it does in the sentenceWe had but a single bullet left. Bothcannot but and can but are established as standard expressions. · The constructioncannot help is used with a present participle to roughly the same effect as cannot but in a sentence such as We cannot help admiring his courage. But this construction is generally restricted to contextsin which a person is unable to affect an outcome that would normally be under his or her control.It would be more precise to sayWith all the public interest in the affair, the book cannot but attract the attention of reviewers (or . . . can but gain . . . )than to say the book cannot help attracting the attention of reviewers, which suggests that the book might have had a say in the matter. · The constructioncannot help but probably arose as a blend of cannot help and cannot but; it has the meaning of the first and the syntax of the second: 习语cannot but 有时候被判定为一种双重否定, 这也许是因为它已混淆于can but 。 然而cannot but 中的 but 表示“除了”, 就如用在象no one but 这样的短语中一样, 而can but 中的 but 意思却是 only(只有) , 就如用在我们只剩下了一颗子弹 中那样。 cannot but 和 can but 都已被确定为标准的表达法。 cannot help 结构与现在分词同用的作用和 我们禁不住钦佩他的勇气 一句中的 cannot but 大致相同。 但这一结构通常只限于这种情况,即一个人在该情况下不能实现正常情况下处于他或她控制之下的结果。由于公众对该事件的浓厚兴趣,这本书理所当然地引起了评论家的注意 (或 …can but gain… )的说法比暗示这本书在此事中想必有决定权的 这本书情不自禁地吸引了评论家的注意 说法要更为精确。 cannot help but 也许是来自 cannot help 和 cannet but 的混合; 它具有前者的意思和后者的句法结构: We cannot help but admire his courage. 我们情不自禁地钦佩他的勇气。
- The construction has sometimes been criticized as a redundancy,but it is by now an established idiom with reputable precedent on its side. ·The expressioncannot (or can't ) seem to has occasionally been criticized as illogical, and so it is. 这一结构有时被指责是一个赘语,但现在它已是一个有规范实例的习惯用法。另一个表达法cannot (或 can't ) 好象 有时被批评为不符合逻辑, 而它确实也是不合逻辑。 Brian can't seem to get angry does not mean "Brian is incapable of appearing to get angry,” as its syntax would seem to dictate; Brian can't seem to get angry并不表示如其句法所显示的“布赖恩不能够显出生气的样子”;
- rather, it means "Brian appears to be unable to get angry.”But the idiom serves a useful purpose,since the syntax of English does not allow a logical equivalentlikeBrian seems to cannot . . . ; and thecannot seem to construction is so widely used that it would be pedantic to object to it. See Usage Note at but ,care ,help 而是表示“布赖恩看上去无法动怒”。但这个习语是有意义的,因为英语的句法不能容许其逻辑上的对应物,如Brian seems to cannot… ; 而且cannot seem to 这一结构是如此广泛地被使用以至于若反对它就太学究气了 参见 but,care,help
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