而实际上:
All men can not swim. = Not all men can swim.
I don't know all of them. = I only know some of them, not all of them.
在中文中,否定词在句子中的位置会极大影响该句的含义,而在英语中,not all, all...not, not...all均表示部分否定。所以,盖茨比的老爸这样说,可能更容易让我们理解。
“When you feel like criticizing any one,” he told me, “just remember that not all the people in this world have had the advantages that you've had.”
all, every, both … + not...
这个结构在英语中使用广泛。与中文“不是全部”、“不是每个都”、“不是两者都”相当。如果not放置这些词之前(not all..., not every..., not both...)更能突出其部分否定的意思。这种用法的历史并不长,尤其在美国英语中用得普遍。
All is not gold that glitters. = Not all that glitters is gold. 发光的并不都是金子。
I don't know both of them. = I know not both of them. 他们俩我不都认识。
Everyone wouldn't like it. = Not everyone would like it. 不是每个人都喜欢它。
All the news is not true. = Not all the news is true. 这些消息不都是真的。
另一种结构也是我们常常搞不明白的,那就是含有and 的否定句。
This TV play is not interesting and instructive. 这部电视剧虽有趣味,却没有教育意义。
She didn't explain this article correctly and clearly. 她对这篇文章解释得很正确,但不够清楚。
这种逻辑如果理解呢?看着,interesting and instructive看作一个形容单元,既有趣,又有意义,稍微强调后者,instructive。而否定之后,即,这部电视剧不是既有趣又有意义,否定这部电视剧有意义。多读几遍吧,慢慢就有感觉了。
当“and” 换成“or”的时候,就是全部否定了。
This TV play is not interesting or instructive. 这部电视剧既没趣,又没意义。
这种逻辑相对于我们来说,还是很好理解的。记得数学的逻辑与或非么?not (interesting or instructive)的否定当然是(not interesting) and (not instructive)。惊觉我脑子里到底想的是什么啊。
我想提到的最后一种类似结构是 as well as 的否定。
The child is lively as well as healthy. 这个孩子既健康又活泼。
The child isn’t lively as well as healthy. 这个孩子健康,但不活泼。
A as well as B 中,强调的是A,B只是作为一个参照提出。所以,在否定的时候,句子否定的是A。A没有像B一样如何如何。