問：許多辭典都指出there is no V-ing 句型只能作情態解釋:“不可能…”、“無法…”、“禁止”。是否總是如此呢?
答：在大多數情況下, there is no V-ing 句型應做情態解釋。例如:
- There is no knowing what she will say. 無法知道她會說些什麼。
- There is no denying the fact. 這個事實是不能否認的。
- There is no arguing with my father. 絕不能同我父親爭論。
- He’s such a strange person: there is no knowing what he’ll do next. 他是個很奇怪的人: 無法知道他下一步會做什麼。
但是, 在某些情況下, 這種句型亦可作非情態解釋:
- There was no shooting of prisoners. 沒有人射擊囚犯。(No one shot prisoners.)
- He used to play croquet all August, when there was no hunting, no shooting. 他過去經常在整個8 月份玩門球, 那時既不打獵, 也不射擊。
- There were no dancing that evening. 那天晚上沒有人跳舞。
因此, 正像CGEL 所解釋的, 有時候這種句型可做兩種解釋:
- There was no smoking in the corridors.
(A) 走廊裡不許吸煙。(Smoking was not allowed in the corridors.)
(B) 走廊裡沒有人吸煙。(No one smoked in the corridors) - At the party there was no spilling of the beans.(A)..nobody was allowed to spill the beans. ⋯ ⋯誰也不許走漏風聲。
(B)..nobody spilt the beans. ⋯ ⋯沒有人走漏風聲。