牛津实用英语语法 330 for 和 because
这两个词的意思很相近,通常是可以互换使用的。为了安全起见,最好用because引导从句,因为同because引导的从句相比,for引导的从句(英文中称为for-clause)的用法要受到某些限制:
1 for引导的从句不能位于它所解释的动词之前:
Because it was wet he took a taxi.
因为下雨,他叫了一辆出租车。(这里不能用 for。)
2 for引导的从句不能位于not,but或任何连词之后:
He stole,not because he wanted the money but because he liked stealing.
他偷东西,并不是因为他想要钱,而是他有这种毛病。(这里不能用for。)
3 for引导的从句不能用于回答问题:
—Why did you do it?
—I did it because I was angry.
—你为什么这么做?
—因为我生气才这么做的。(这里不能用for。)
4 for引导的从句不能单单用来复述已讲过的话,而必须包括新的内容:
He spoke in French.She was angry because he had spoken in French.
他讲法语。因为他讲法语,她生气了。(这里不能用for。)
但是说:
She was angry,for she didn’t know French.
她生气了,因为她不懂法语。(这里用for是正确的,也可用because。)之所以有这些用法上的限定,其理由是for引导的从句不能直
接说明某一特定动作发生的原因,而只能提供一些起帮助解释作用的附加说明。
例句如:
The days were short,for it was now December.
天短了,现在已是12月了。
He took the food eagerly,for he has eaten nothing since dawn.
他狼吞虎咽地吃了起来,因为他从天亮就没吃过东西。
When I saw her in the river I was frightened.For at that point thecurrents were dangerous.
我看见她在河里时,吓坏了。那个地方水流非常危险。
在口语中,for从句前常稍停一下。在笔语中,在此处常有一个逗号。有时也用一个句号断开,如最后一个例子所示。上面三个例句中也可用because,但用for更好些。