由"Idon'tthink..."句型说开去--试谈英语的否定转移
在学英语的过程中，学生常将这样的句子"我认为这不是个好主意."译为"Ithinkitisn'tagoodidea."而将这句英语译成汉语时，学生又会译为"我不认为这是个好主意."老师又会说译错了，这不符合"Idon'tthink..."句型，应译为"ldon'tthinkit'sagoodidea."
那么，这错误的根源究竟在哪里？这就是“英语的否定转移”在作怪。否定转移在非正式语体中特别常见，它是将语义上属于从属分句（一般为thatclause）的否定词转移到母句中去。允许否定转移的母句动词在语义上可分为以下两组：
1．看法（OPINION）：anticipate，besupposedto，believe，calculate，expect，figure(infml，AmE),imagine,reckon(infml，esp,inAmE)，suppose，think:
Eg.Idon'tbelieveI'vemetyoubefore.
("IbelieveIhaven'tmetyoubefore.")
Eg.Shedidn'timaginethatwewouldsayanything.
("Sheimaginedwewouldn'tsayanything.")
Eg.Hedidn'texpecttowin.
("Heexpectednottowin.")
2．感觉(PERCEPTION)appear，seem，feelasif，lookasif，soundasif(后三个动词也作infml，esp，inAmE，其中用like来代替asif）：
Eg.Itdoesn'tseemthatwecangetourmoneyback.
"Itseemsthatwecan'tgetourmoneyback."
Eg.Thebabydoesn'tappeartobeawake.
("Thebabyappearsnottobeawake.")
Eg.Itdoesn'tlooklikeit'sgoingtorain.
("Itlookslikeitisn'tgoingtorain.")
否定的转移是一种含糊的现象。对于否定词位置不同的两个句子，意思是否相同，或者在多大程度上相同的问题，各人的直觉可能是不同的。但在以下特殊情况下，原来允许否定转移的动词不能将否定转移：
1．Ithink是插入句，可看作与其他部分无关：
Iwishyouwerehere，thenIthinkIshouldnotfeellikethis.
2．母句中添加情态动词can'tmustn'twouldn't时：
Ican'tbelievethattheyaremarried.
Youmustn'tthinkhe'sstupid.
Iwouldn'thaveimaginedthatSandrawouldbehere.
3．由于cannothelpdoing，oughtnot，neednot，notatall等短语的关系而把Ithink隔离。
Ishouldhavethoughtsometimesyoucouldn'thelpthinkingofthepast.
Ithinkyououghtnottowalkatnightalone，Mrs.Moore.
Ithinkyouneednotbeimpolitetoher，aswellastoherson.
"Ithinktheangelarenotatallinheaven."Mr.Esmondsaid."
4.由于notjust...but，justnot...enough，notmuch,notquite等以not为核心的副词短语的影响，也不便把否定拿到动词的前面去：
IthinkI'mjustnotsmartenoughtomakeanysenseoutofforyou.
"Youthinkshe'snotmuchlikeyou?Breraldasked.
ButIthinkthatElizabethwasnotquitesocertainofitasI.
句中含有no,never,nothing,nobody等的不定词时：
Ishouldthinkyouneverhaveseenmany.
Ithoughtitexplainednothing.
