進階 · Unit 31
被動語態 — 行為者的省略
被動語態裡的 by + 行為者並不是永遠都要加上，只有在行為者被特定出來而且重要時才點明，如果是泛指的或不清楚的就省略。實際上英文被動語態的句子大多數都不帶 by 子句。
概念說明
被動語態裡的 by + 行為者並不是永遠都要加上，只有在行為者被特定出來而且重要時才點明，如果是泛指的或不清楚的就省略。實際上英文被動語態的句子大多數都不帶 by 子句。
A. 點明 by + 行為者的情況 — 特定、重要、有情報價值
當行為者是句子的核心資訊，或是必須強調某個特定人物、機構時，就在 by 後面寫出行為者。像作者、發明者、創作者、名人這樣，那個事實本身就是句子重點的情況。公式是 行為者重要、特定 = 保留 by。
| 語境 | 例子 |
|---|---|
| 作者、創作者 | The novel was written by Hemingway. |
| 發明、發現 | The telephone was invented by Bell. |
| 名人、特定人物 | The song was sung by Adele. |
| 令人意外或形成對比的行為者 | The cake was made by my little brother. |
- This painting was created by a local artist. (這幅畫是由當地的藝術家創作的。)
- The theory was proposed by Einstein. (那個理論是愛因斯坦提出的。)
- My bike was fixed by my dad. (我的腳踏車是爸爸修好的。)
B. 省略行為者的情況 — 泛指、不清楚、不重要
當行為者是泛指的人(people, they, someone)、從上下文就很清楚，或是根本沒必要點明時，就省略 by 子句。焦點會放在對象被置於什麼狀態上。公式是 泛指、不清楚、不言自明 = 省略 by。
| 省略的理由 | 例子 |
|---|---|
| 行為者是泛指的人 | Coffee is grown in Brazil. |
| 行為者不清楚 | My wallet was stolen. |
| 從上下文就不言自明 | The letters are delivered every morning. |
| 不重要 | The room was cleaned before we arrived. |
- Korean is spoken mainly in Korea. (韓語主要在韓國使用。)
- The old building was demolished last year. (那棟舊建築去年被拆掉了。)
- The report will be finished by tomorrow. (那份報告明天之前會完成。)
- The lights are turned off at midnight. (燈在午夜會關掉。)
C. 常常不帶 by 的慣用說法
在日常英文裡，不帶 by 的被動語態常常固定成一種慣用說法，這時候行為者已經包含在常識與上下文裡，所以不點明。在新聞、公告、通知裡也很常見。
| 慣用說法 | 意思 | 例子 |
|---|---|---|
| be born | 出生 | She was born in Seoul. |
| be married | 已婚 (狀態) | They are married. |
| be closed / opened | 關著 / 開著 | The shop is closed on Sundays. |
| be located | 位於 | The office is located downtown. |
| be made of / from | 由~製成 | The chair is made of wood. |
- He was born in 1990. (他在 1990 年出生。)
- The library is closed on Mondays. (圖書館星期一休館。)
- Our school is located near the park. (我們學校位於公園附近。)
- The bread is made fresh every morning. (麵包每天早上都新鮮製作。)
重點整理
- 1被動語態的 by + 行為者不是必要成分，而是只有在行為者重要或被特定出來時才加上的可選要素。(例: The novel was written by Hemingway.)
- 2當行為者是泛指的人、不清楚或不重要時，就省略 by 子句，把注意力集中在對象被置於什麼狀態上。(例: My phone was stolen.)
- 3be born, be married, be closed, be located, be made of 這類慣用的被動說法，不帶 by 才自然。(例: She was born in 1990.)
- 4在新聞、公告、規章這類公開的文章裡，不點明行為者、不帶 by 的被動語態特別常用。
- 5中文裡沒有主詞的句子(「會公布」、「會送到」)可以很自然地轉換成不帶 by 的被動語態。
例句
English is spoken in many countries.
英文在很多國家被使用。
My wallet was stolen on the subway.
我的皮夾在地下鐵裡被偷了。
The window was broken during the storm.
窗戶在暴風雨中被打破了。
Coffee is grown mainly in Brazil.
咖啡主要種植於巴西。
The letters are delivered every morning.
信件每天早上都會送到。
這個單元還有更多例句。註冊後可以看完整內容並聆聽發音。
容易犯的錯誤
English is spoken in many countries.
My phone was stolen yesterday.
She was born in 1990.
The letters are delivered every morning.
Hamlet was written by Shakespeare.