[分享] 主動表示被動

claire165

主動表示被動
中國大陸學者對於「主動表示被動」有比較深入精闢的討論，以下摘自章振邦先生主編「新編英語語法教程」教師用書p.137-138
[Active constructions expressing passive meanings]
There are verbs that can be either transitive or intransitive and which can be active in form but passive in meaning. The following two points may be noted. The first of these, which occurs chiefly in the present progressive, is found in some of the daily expressions and professional jargons known as remnants of Old English, eg:

The house is building.
The book is printing.
The dinner is cooking.
Verbs used in this way can also be made passive. Compare:
The house is being built.
The book is being printed.
The dinner is being cooked.

The second type occurring frequently in the simple present is only found when the subject is represented as having certain inherent qualities which promote, hamper, or prevent the realization of the idea expressed by the predicate verb, eg:
Tomatoes bruise easily.
My voice doesn’t carry well.
Nylon dries quickly.

The door won't lock.
By the side of the active constructions under discussion there exist corresponding passives, but they have a demonstrably different meaning. Compare:
His novels don't sell.
His novels are not sold.

When we say that his novels don’t sell, we suggest that they have certain inherent qualities which prevent or adversely affect their sale, that they definitely do not belong to the category of best-sellers; when we say that his novels are not sold, we make a mere statement of fact about them.