The dog chased the cat ...如何解釋

Question

The dog chased the cat with three legs.


這是個 structural ambiguity有2個解釋
我翻成下面那樣

這隻狗追3隻腳的貓
這隻狗用三隻腳追那貓

感覺有點怪耶

高手來修改一下!!

為什麼 剩三隻腳的是狗 @@????????????????

1) The dog chased [the cat with three legs]
狗追 [三隻腳的貓]

2) The dog chased the cat [with three legs]
狗追 貓 [with three legs用三隻腳-表方法! Function as Adverbial]

我不會翻第二句 @@

娟期拉大大
I am not agree with you!
you said--->狗追 [三隻腳的貓]是錯誤ㄉ；因為with是帶著...;有...的意思；例如：The girl with long hair is my classmate.長頭髮的女孩是我同學。所以with three legs是狗本身的三隻腳，而不是貓的．

但是
1) The dog chased [the cat with three legs]
這一句話---> 可以用 the dog chased [it]

so, 我還是覺得--- 三隻腳 的是 貓!!
呃...突為我覺我好愚蠢!! 竟然在這裡爭 3 隻腳 是狗還是貓@@"

Answer 1

這是語言學中的句法學 (Syntax) 必談的「結構性模糊」，也就是符合文法的句子結構經拆成後，可有兩個以上的詮釋。

The dog chased the cat with three legs. 此句可拆解成：

a) The dog chased [the cat with three legs]. 括弧 [] 中的名詞組為 chase的受詞 [NP = Det + N + PP (prep + NP)] 。
[with three legs]為介詞組作形容詞用，修飾名詞 cat。
中譯：這隻狗追逐那隻三腳貓。

b) The dog chased [the cat] [with three legs].
[with three legs]為介詞組作副詞用，修飾動詞 chase。
PP = Prep + NP (Adj. + N)
中譯：這隻狗只用三隻腳追逐那隻貓。(強調三隻腳的狗也能追四腿健全的貓。)

Answer 2

大略來說，介係詞片語執行在句子中可以執行兩種詞性的功能：
一為修飾名詞的形容詞，多至於名詞後：
The book on the table is mine.
ㄧ為修飾動詞的副詞，所放置位置就比較自由：
At extremely high speed, the car ran into the lamp post.
= The car ran into the lamp post at extremely high speed.
你所給的例句會產生混淆語意的原因就是因為with three legs可以修飾the cat，為形容詞之用：
The dog chased the cat with three legs.
也可以修飾動詞chased做副詞之用：
The dog chased the cat with three legs.
兩個解讀都可以，可是當一個句子模稜兩可的時候，其解讀當然是要從邏輯或常理性上去思考出較佳的詮釋才對，個人認為當形容詞解釋為佳：
The dog chased the cat with three legs.
= The dog chased the cat which had three legs.
= The dog chased the cat having three legs.
= The dog chased the three-legged cat.
那隻狗追三腳貓－若要避免混淆，當然用下面的三句話會較好。
當然另ㄧ種詮釋也不是不可以：
The dog chased the cat with three legs.
= With three legs, the dog chased the cat.
這句話的關鍵在於，狗用三隻腳追貓，不代表它只有三隻腳(不等於"三腳狗追貓")，它可能在耍特技，也可以ㄧ隻腳受了傷，於是就常理來推斷，它就不如前者的解讀常見（但並不代表不合理）。
同樣的，若要避免有兩種解讀，將介係詞放於句首的寫法是較好的選擇。
如果你真的要強調這隻狗真的只有三隻腳，那介係詞片語的位置是有限制的，那即是如"三腳貓"的寫法是一樣的：
The dog with three legs chased the cat.
= The dog which had three legs chased the cat.
= The dog having three legs chased the cat.
= The three-legged dog chased the cat.
(因為這裡的介係詞片語是直接置於主詞後，而不是句尾，所以四種寫法都不會造成混淆，四種寫法都可以，解讀也只有一種了）

Answer 3

The dog chased the cat with three legs.

Ａ：這隻三隻腳的狗追那貓

2006-12-31 15:20:51 補充：
狗追 [三隻腳的貓]是錯誤ㄉ；因為with是帶著...;有...的意思；例如：
The girl with long hair is my classmate.長頭髮的女孩是我同學。
所以with three legs是狗本身的三隻腳，而不是貓的．

Answer 4

The dog chased the cat with three legs.

如果照邏輯翻的話

應該是 這隻貓被只剩三隻腳的狗追