3.不定式作定语

动词不定式常可以作后置定语。这里指的是带to的不定式。不带to的不定式不能作后置定语。动词不定式结构作名词词组修饰语主要有三种类型:被修饰的名词词组是不定式的逻辑主语;被修饰的名词词组是不定式的逻辑宾语;被修饰的名词词组和不定式是同位关系。

(1)主谓关系。

所谓主谓关系是指被修饰的名词词组是不定式的逻辑主语。

A reporter begins by contacting the people to be interviewed and then prepares questions．(人教大纲版高二上第11页)

记者首先要联络被采访者，然后准备问题。

Ke Shouliang was the first man to fly a car across the Yellow River．

柯受良是驾车飞越黄河的第一人。

When the government began driving the Native Americans away，the Cherokees were among the last to go．(人教大纲版高二下第120页)

当政府开始驱逐土著美国人的时候，切罗基族人是最后离开的一批。

提示：

①序数词和形容词最高级修饰的名词后常常跟不定式作定语。

Disneyland in California was one of the first theme parks to become popular around the world．(人教大纲版高一下第67页)

美国加利福尼亚州的迪斯尼乐园是世界上广受欢迎的最早的主题公园之一。

Nature does not have any straight lines．Antonio Gaudi，a Spanish architect，was the first to understand that．(人教大纲版高二上第20页)大自然中并没有直线条。西班牙建筑师安东尼奥·高迪最先搞懂了这一点。

The Maori were the earliest people to come to New Zealand．(人教大纲版高一下第38页)

毛利人是最早来到新西兰的人。

但是也偶见分词作定语的。

The first two countries forming the Union were England and Wales in 1536．(人教大纲版高二上第36页)

最初组成联邦的两个国家是英格兰和威尔士，1536年成立。

②序数词和形容词最高级修饰的名词后面的不定式的一般式往往表示一个已经完成的动作，这个时候也可以用不定式的完成式，虽然显得有些不自然。

Shanghai is the first city in the world to have built a high-speed maglev train，from the city to Pudong Airport．(人教大纲版高一下第23页)

上海是世界上第一个修建了高速磁悬浮列车的城市，从市中心到浦东机场。

At the age of 25，Qu Yinhua was the youngest ever to have reached the summit．(人教大纲版高三第17页)

屈银华当年只有25岁，是爬上山顶的最年轻的人。

③当动词不定式作定语时，大都隐含着时态意义或情态意义。

I have brought a book to read．(a book to read=a book that I will read)

我带了一本书来读。

Is he really a man to be trusted?(a man to be trusted=a man who can be trusted)

他真的是一个值得信赖的人吗?

但是当先行项含有first，next，last或形容词最高级这样的词语时，则充当定语的动词不定式不含有将来意义或情态意义，而含有过去时的意义。不过，不定式充当上述词的定语时通常用一般式而不用完成式。

Have you got a key to unlock the door?

你有开门的钥匙吗?

There are letters to be written．

要写一些信。

We shall win greater victories in the years to come．我们在来年里将会取得更伟大的胜利。

Is there anybody to carry on the work?

有人干这个吗?

He was the last guest to arrive．

他是最后到的客人。

提示：

这种动词不定式后置定语相当于关系代词作主语的定语从句。

Have you got a key to unlock the door?=Have you got a key that unlocks the door?

(关系代词that是定语从句的主语)

Ke Shouliang was the first man to fly a car across the Yellow River．

=Ke Shouliang was the first man who had flown a car across the Yellow River．

(关系代词who是定语从句的主语)

有的不定式相当于紧缩的定语从句，表示即将发生的动作。

Among the men to take part in the work，he is probably the most active．

The conference to take place in Beijing next month is sure to be a great success．

此两句中的不定式to take part in the work和to take place in Beijing next month几乎等于一个定语从句，可以说是who are to take part in the work，which is to take place in Beijing nextmonth的紧缩形式。

不定式的被动语态作后置定语，名词词组一般是动词不定式的动作承受者，不定式相当于一个被动语态的定语从句。

There are letters to be written．(动词不定式相当于which are to be written)

The problem to be discussed is the date of the meeting．

(动词不定式相当于which is to be discussed)

(2)动宾关系。

被修饰的名词词组是不定式的逻辑宾语。既然不定式与名词之间有逻辑上的动宾关系，那么不定式的动词就一定是一个及物动词。不过有时不及物动词加上一个适当的介词也可以。

①及物动词的不定式作定语。

Betty has a term paper to write．

贝蒂有一篇学期论文要写。

The teacher set us two exercises to do at home．

老师给我们布置了两道题在家里做。

I want to get something to read during the vocation．

我想弄些东西假期在家看看。

There are sheets to mend．

有床单要补。

Would you like something to drink?

你想喝点什么吗?

提示：

①这种不定式作后置定语的情况相当于关系代词是宾语的定语从句。Betty has a paper to write．

=Betty has a paper that she is going to write．(关系代词that是write的宾语)

贝蒂有一篇论文要写。

The teacher set us two exercises to do at home．

=The teacher set us two exercises that we are to do at home．(关系代词that是do的宾语)

老师给我们布置了两道题在家里做。

②不定式作后置定语一般直接放在名词词组后面。但如果在名词词组中除了不定式外还有其他后置定语，如形容词、介词短语、定语从句等，不定式往往放在其他后置定语的后面。

Have you got anything interesting to tell us?(形容词interesting之后)

你有没有有趣的事情要告诉我们的?

He thought of the battle that lay ahead to capture the city．(定语从句that lay ahead之后)

他想起即将到来的攻占这座城市的战斗。

The way she thought of to solve the problem sounds nice．(定语从句she thought of之后)

她想到的解决这个问题的办法听起来不错。

②“不及物动词的不定式+介词”作定语。

当不定式为不及物动词时，往往在其后加上一个适当的介词。

Wherever you go，there are plenty of activities to choose from．(人教大纲版高二下第114页)

无论你到哪里，都有很多的活动供你选择。

The South still has many problems to deal with．(人教大纲版高二下第44页)

美国南部仍然还存在许多问题有待解决。

He is a nice man to work with．

他是一个很好共事的人。

They had no comfortable houses to live in，either．(人教大纲版高二上第147页)

他们也没有舒适的房子可住。

I am never lonely and I always have someone to talk to．(人教大纲版高二上第47页)

我从不孤独，总有人陪我聊天。

提示：

①在正式和书面英语中可以用“介词+which/whom+不定式”来表达。He is a nice man to work with．

=He is a nice man with whom to work．

They had no comfortable houses to live in，either．

=They had no comfortable houses in which to live，either．

Even the family is no longer a safe environment in which to talk．(BNC)

=Even the family is no longer a safe environment to talk in．

甚至连家庭也不再是一个谈话安全的场所了。

②当名词词组是time，place，way等词时，动词不定式后边可省略介词。

What makes the ocean such a great place to live?(人教大纲版高二下第19页)

究竟是什么东西使得海洋成为如此优越的生活场所呢? The time to leave is July 1st．

离开时间是7月1号。

③“及物动词的不定式+宾语+介词”作定语。

有时不定式虽然是及物动词，但是它有自己的宾语，这个时候还需在其后加上一个介词，使其与中心名词构成介宾关系。

It is also important to have a good album to put the stamps in．(人教大纲版高三第150页)

拥有一个可以放置邮票的集邮本也是很重要的。

You once gave me a nickel to call you with．

你曾给我一枚五分镍币给你打电话用。

I am looking for some material to base my essay on．

我在搜集一些支持我的论文观点的材料。

提示：

这个时候也可用“介词+which/whom+不定式”来表达。

It is also important to have a good albumin which to put the stamps．

You once gave me a nickel with which to call you．

又:

The next step would be to build a machine in which to apply that great discovery．(人教大纲版高二下第93页)

下一个步骤就是建造一个能够将这项伟大发现投入应用的机器。

提示：

是用不定式的主动形式还是被动形式?请看下面的句子。I've many books to read．

我有很多书要读。

He had nothing to say．

我无话可说。

There are many books to be read．

有很多书要读。

There's nothing to be said．

无话可说。

一般说来，如果句子的主语是动词不定式能表示的动作的发出者(施事者)，则大都使用动词不定式的主动形式来作后置定语。

I want a book to read．

我要一本书看看。

You need something to eat．

你需要点东西吃。

I have a lot of things to do．

我有很多事要做。(名词词组a lot of things是have的宾语。have的主语I也是不定式to do的逻辑主语)

当动词不定式能表示的动作的发出者不是句子的主语时，则用被动形式。

I'm leaving home tomorrow，do you have anything to be taken home?

我明天回家，你有没有东西(要我)带回去的?

I'm going to the post office，do you have any letters to be posted?

我打算去一趟邮局，有信要我帮你寄吗?

当名词词组是buy，get，lend等词的直接宾语，而间接宾语是不定式后置定语的逻辑主语，一般用动词不定式的主动形式，而不用被动形式。Give me something to eat．

给我点吃的。

Will you lend me a book to read?

借一本书给我看，好吗?

当动词不定式带有一个由“for+名词或代词”组成的逻辑主语时，通常用动词不定式的主动形式，不用被动形式。

The man for you to look after is Mr．Smith．

你要看护的人是史密斯先生。

Here are the things for you to do．

这是你要做的事。

当不定式的施事者并非句子的主语时则既可使用主动形式，又可使用被动形式，意义上无甚区别。

The best to do/to be done is as follows．

最好像这样做。

Give me a list of people to invite/to be invited．

给我一个被邀者的名单。

He is the man to choose/to be chosen．

他是最佳人选。

如果名词词组是由there is引起的句子的主语，则后置定语用不定式的主动形式与被动形式均可，但是不定式的主动形式相对来说更为常用。There is a lot to be said/to say about this book．

有时既可用主动形式，也可用被动形式，但意义上有区别。

(3)同位关系。

plan，wish，itch，desire，chance，decision，will(意志)，promise，invitation，need，ability，inability，attempt，effort等词后常跟动词不定式作定语，表示同位关系。

The first thing an actor must have is the desire to become an actor and the belief that he or she can act well．(人教大纲版高一上第86页)

演员首先要有当演员的欲望，而且还要相信他或她能够演好。

My favourite article is the one I wrote about the efforts to bring stolen cultural relics back to China．(人教大纲版高二上第11页)

我最喜欢的文章，是那篇关于努力使被盗文物回归祖国的文章。

Every now and then，we get the itch to travel．(人教大纲版高二下第35页)

我们时不时会有去旅游的强烈渴望。

The answer seems to be that we have a need to stay in touch with friends and family．(人教大纲版高一上第59页)

答案似乎是:我们需要与朋友和家人一直保持联系。

Xiaohua knows that she will die before she has a chance to grow old．(人教大纲版高二上第51页)

小华知道，自己没有机会活到老就会死去。

His plan to start out at once was accepted．

他想立刻出发的计划很快就被大家接受。

Xiaowen was born without the ability to use her legs．(人教大纲版高二下第51页)

晓文的腿生来就不能用劲。

提示：

这种不定式作后置定语的情况相当于同位语从句。

We accepted his promise to help us．

=We accepted his promise that he would help us．

His wish to become a doctor came true．

=His wish that he was going to become a doctor came true．