進階 · Unit 11
to 不定詞 — 慣用句型
to 不定詞有很多像 too to, so as to, in order to / so as to 這樣以固定語序結合而做出特定意思的慣用句型，而且每一種都可以改寫成 so that 子句。把意思和語序整組學起來，在會話和寫作時就能立刻拿出來用。
概念說明
to 不定詞有很多像 too ~ to, so ~ as to, in order to / so as to 這樣以固定語序結合而做出特定意思的慣用句型，而且每一種都可以改寫成 so ~ that 子句。把意思和語序整組學起來，在會話和寫作時就能立刻拿出來用。
A. too ~ to — 太~了，所以無法…
too + 形容詞/副詞 + to 不定詞是做出「太~了，所以無法…」這種否定語感的代表性句型。請把too + 形容詞/副詞 + to 不定詞 = 太~了，所以無法… 這個公式和意思一起背下來。同樣的意思也可以用 so + 形容詞 + that + 主詞 + can't 來改寫。
| too ~ to 句型 | so ~ that ... can't 的替換 |
|---|---|
| He is too tired to work. | He is so tired that he can't work. |
| The soup is too hot to eat. | The soup is so hot that I can't eat it. |
| She spoke too fast to understand. | She spoke so fast that I couldn't understand. |
- I was too tired to finish the report. (我太累了，沒辦法把報告寫完。)
- The bag is too heavy for me to carry. (那個包包對我來說太重了，提不動。)
- He spoke too quietly to hear. (他說話太小聲，聽不見。)
- The exam was too difficult to pass. (那場考試太難了，沒辦法通過。)
B. so ~ as to — …到足以~
so + 形容詞/副詞 + as to 不定詞的意思是「…到足以~」，是強調程度與結果、稍微正式一些的說法。在會話中也常常用 be so kind as to, be so good as to 的形態來提出客氣的請求。
| so ~ as to 的例子 | 意思 |
|---|---|
| He is so kind as to help others. | 他親切到願意幫助別人。 |
| She is so wise as to understand. | 她明智到足以理解。 |
| Would you be so kind as to close the door? | 可以請你把門關上嗎？ |
- She was so generous as to lend me her car. (她大方到願意把車借給我。)
- He was so foolish as to believe that story. (他愚蠢到相信了那個故事。)
- Would you be so good as to wait a moment? (可以請你稍等一下嗎？)
C. in order to / so as to — 為了~
in order to + 原形動詞和 so as to + 原形動詞是把 to 不定詞的「目的」意思強調得更明確的句型，比單純的 to 更正式、意思也更清楚。否定的目的則像 in order not to / so as not to 這樣，把 not 放在 to 前面。
| 句型 | 意思 | 例子 |
|---|---|---|
| in order to V | 為了~ | I woke up early in order to study. |
| so as to V | 為了~ | He left early so as to avoid traffic. |
| in order not to V | 為了不~ | I whispered in order not to wake the baby. |
| so as not to V | 為了不~ | She spoke slowly so as not to confuse us. |
- She works hard in order to support her family. (她為了養家而努力工作。)
- He left early so as to catch the first train. (他為了趕上第一班火車而提早出發。)
- I took a taxi in order not to be late. (我為了不遲到而搭了計程車。)
- We spoke quietly so as not to disturb the neighbors. (我們為了不打擾鄰居而小聲說話。)
重點整理
- 1too + 形容詞/副詞 + to 不定詞帶有「太~了，所以無法…」的否定語感，可以改寫成 so + 形容詞 + that + 主詞 + can't，請記住這個等值關係。(例: too hot to drink = so hot that I can't drink it.)
- 2too ~ to 句型需要意義上的主詞時，就用 too + 形容詞 + for + 受格 + to V 的語序把它放進去，請把這條規則學起來。(例: This is too heavy for me to lift.)
- 3so ~ as to 句型比起會話，更常出現在正式的書面語裡，而 be so kind as to / be so good as to 也常用來當作客氣的請求說法，請培養這種實戰語感。
- 4in order to / so as to 比單純的 to 把目的的意思講得明確許多，否定的目的則是把 not 放在 to 前面，做成 in order not to / so as not to，請把這個語序學起來。
- 5中文的「太~了，所以無法…」、「…到足以~」、「為了~」剛好分別對應到 too ~ to / so ~ as to / in order to 這三個句型，把這組對照背起來就能立刻挑對。
例句
The coffee is too hot to drink right now.
咖啡太燙了，現在沒辦法喝。
He was too tired to finish the meeting.
他太累了，沒辦法把會議開完。
This box is too heavy for me to lift.
這個箱子對我來說太重了，抬不起來。
She spoke too quickly for us to understand.
她說話太快了，我們聽不懂。
The problem was too difficult to solve alone.
那個問題太難了，一個人解不出來。
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
The tea is too hot to drink.
He was so tired that he couldn't work.
She was so kind as to help me.
I studied hard in order to pass the exam.
He left early so as not to be late.