英文用法詢問--同位語

Question

一、The bomb,hidden in a powdered milk can,was found 15 minutes before it was set to explode,......

其中hidden in a...應該是屬於「同位語」用法，請問：
1.平常外國人對話中，也會這樣說嗎??還是寫作時才用??
2.如果第1個問題的答案是屬於寫作用的話，那對話時，會怎麼說句??(若是實際對話就會這樣說，此問題就不成立。)
3.這句是否可改成The bomb which hidden....milk can was found....??
4.同位語最好的使用時機是??

Answer 1

版主您好:

The bomb, hidden in a powdered milk can, was found 15 minutes before it was set to explode.
炸彈(藏置於奶粉罐中)在預定爆炸時間的十五分鐘前被發現(找到).
(只有一枚炸彈)

[hidden in a powdered milk can]在此不是同位語, 而是一個"非限定用法"的[(過去)分詞片語], 當形容詞, 用來修飾主詞[bomb]. 完整的寫法:
The bomb, which had been hidden in a powdered milk can, was found 15 minutes before it was set to explode.

[which]引導關係子句, 先行詞是[bomb]. 因為"被藏置"在先, 用[過去完成式], "被發現"在後, 用[過去式].
(當然用[was hidden]也可以, 這時[hidden]就像是一個形容詞"(被)隱藏起來的")

說"非限定用法"是因為[which]之前用了逗號, 表示補充說明該炸彈的狀況. 如果沒有逗號, 叫"限定用法", 意思不同:
The bomb hidden in a powdered milk can was found 15 minutes before it was set to explode.
The bomb which had been hidden in a powdered milk can was found 15 minutes before it was set to explode.
藏置於奶粉罐中的(那枚)炸彈在預定爆炸時間的十五分鐘前被發現(找到).
(不只一枚炸彈)

口語對話若用得上, 多半是"限定用法", 因為逗號無法清楚地傳達; 除非刻意在語氣上停頓.
所以對話時通常用合句, 以and連接兩個單句:
The bomb had been hidden in a powdered milk can and (it) was found 15 minutes before it was set to explode.

同位語的使用時機, 要視所要表達的語意. 最基本的用途是把原本須要以兩個簡單句來傳達的訊息, 放在一個句子中, 藉以變化句形, 使文句不至於呆板.
Mr. Brown is one of the best writers nowadays.
He has a new release coming up next week.
Mr. Brown, one of the best writers nowadays, has a new release coming up next week.

Answer 2

英文同位語 (Appositive)
Apposition: is a grammatical construction in which two elements, normally noun phrases, are placed side by side, with one element serving to define or modify the other. When this device is used, the two elements are said to be in apposition. For example in the phrase "my friend Alice" the name " Alice " is in apposition to "my friend".

Categories: Restrictive vs. non-restrictive
Apposition can either be restrictive, or non-restrictive, where the second element parenthetically modifies the first.
In a non-restrictive appositive, the second element parenthetically modifies the first without changing its scope. Non-restrictive appositives are not crucial to the meaning of the sentence. In a restrictive appositive, the second element limits or clarifies the foregoing one in some crucial way. For example in the phrase "my friend Alice," Alice specifies to which friend the speaker is referring and is therefore restrictive. On the other hand, in the above example: "my wife, a nurse by training,...," the parenthetical "a nurse by training" does not narrow down the subject, but rather provides additional information about the first element, namely, "my wife." While a non-restrictive appositive is always surrounded by commas, a restrictive appositive does not require commas on either side. [1]
Not all restrictive clauses are appositives. For example, Alice in "Bill's friend, Alice,…" is an appositive noun phrase; Alice in "Bill's friend, whose name is Alice ,…" is not an appositive but, rather, a restrictive clause. The main difference between the two is that the second explicitly states what an apposition would omit: the statement that the friend in question is Alice .


2007-08-27 14:46:25 補充：
Due to posting limit, the remainder of the concerned article will be sent to your email account.

2007-08-27 14:49:13 補充：
Sorry, unable to get mail through due to your anonymity. Pls key in 'apposition' in Wikipedia for related article.

Answer 3

1. 如你所想, 此句確實在口語對話中不太合適, 用於寫作或報導
文體較為恰當
2. 合適的口語說法有二--
** The bomb which was hidden in a powdered milk can was found
15 minutes before it was set to explode.
** The bomb was found 15 minutes before it was set to explode and
which was hidden in a powdered milk can.
3. 同位語的用法, 是在利用兩個 "," 之間的敘述, 作為整句話或是
重點字彙的補充說明, 即使將此補充部份抽掉, 也不影響此句
的完整性.

以上提供你參考 ^_^