南京环球教育陆雅芮老师之前在文章中分享了如何避免使用结果连词（so…that…; such…that…）和目的连词（in order to）的情况。此文将介绍如何避免使用there be句型，以及the fact that…句型。

　　如何避免使用there be句型

　　there be句型表示"某处有（存在）某人某物"，是一种静态的表达。在一些情况下，去掉there be句型并使用形象的动词后，句子不但保留了原义，而且更加简洁生动。

　　原句：There were thousands of pandas in the village.

　　修改：Thousands of pandas roamed the village.

　　点评：原句大意为"村子里有数千只大熊猫"。绝大多数中国学生看到这句中文，首先想到的英文表达就是there be句型，但在表达"某地有某物"时，完全可以用一个恰当的动词（如修改后句子中的roam，意味"漫无目的地的随便走"），使表达更加生动。

　　原句：There were seventeen men who volunteered.

　　修改：Seventeen men volunteered.

　　点评：原句大意为"有17人当了志愿者"，其实"有"这个意思完全可以省略，变成"17人当了志愿者"。修改后的句子不仅摆脱了there be固定句型的束缚，而且句子结构变得更加简单，句意也并无变化，显然表达更为理想。

　　原句：There were more American tourists in the acrobatic show than the natives.

　　修改：American tourists outnumbered the natives in the acrobatic show.

　　点评：原句里有一个"more…than"结构，意味"比……多"，可以用outnumber表示"数量超过，比……多"，不仅保留了原意，还能去掉司空见惯的there be结构，句子更加简洁，且不落俗套。

　　原句：There is no denial that everybody will eventually die. There is no exception, whatsoever.

　　修改：Death spare none.

　　点评：spare表示"宽恕，饶恕"，相比原句，使用spare之后的句子大大简化了，且表达的意思更加生动有力。

　　原句：There were so many curtain calls that the ballerina lost count of them.

　　修改：The ballerina lost count of the number of curtain calls.

　　点评：分析原句的主干结构，there were和"so…that"结构都不必要，直接陈述事实即可。

　　原句：There were once many mule deer throughout North America, but they are now almost extinct.

　　修改：Mule deer, once common throughout North America, are now almost extinct.

　　点评：去掉there be句型，将两个短句合并为只有一个谓语的句子，比原句更加紧凑。

　　原句： Early Western evangelists found China remarkably self-sufficient and there were few spiritual converts.

　　修改：Early Western evangelists found China remarkably self-sufficient and spiritual converts rather few.

　　点评：相比原句，修改后的句子把there be引导的短句转化为短语，整体句意更加连贯，句子也更加工整。

　　如何避免使用"the fact that…"句型

　　"the fact that"表示"这一事实，事实如此"。有很多方法可以避免使用"the fact that…"句型，关键是变换the fact所引导的从句在整句话中的位置和角色。

　　原句：The fact that you are taking notes during the lecture means that you are interested in the subject matter. (the fact作主语)

　　修改：① Your note-taking during the lecture means that you are interested in the subject matter.（名词作主语）

　　② Your taking nots during the lecture means that you are interested in the subject matter. (名词作主语)

　　原句：Your teacher applauded the fact that you were taking notes during the lecture. (the fact 作直接宾语)

　　修改：① Your teacher applauded your note-taking during the lecture. (名词作直接宾语）

　　② Your teacher applauded your taking notes during the lecture. (名词作直接宾语)

　　点评：把动词（taking notes）转化为名词（note-taking）或动名词（your taking the notes），再去掉the fact that，我们便有了更多更好的表现形式。

　　原句：After his wife's death, Robert sold the painting at Christie's in spite of the fact that everybody had advised him to hold on it.

　　修改：After his wife's death, Robert sold the painting at Christie's despite everybody's advice that he hold on it.

　　点评：原句中the fact that后的从句作同位语，将同位语从句转换成名词词组everybody's advice后，更加简洁清晰。

　　原句：In spite of the fact that the company denies, on many occasions, that personal connections and nepotism exist, the old-boy network is still a force to be reckoned with.

　　修改：Despite all protestations by the company to the contrary, the old-boy network is still a force to be reckoned with.

　　点评：all protestations足以表达the fact that后的内容，转换后，句子变简洁了。另外，deny意味"否认"，是动词；protestation是名词，和deny意思相近。

　　通过以上例句，我们可以发现，句子中的位置可以互相调换，词性的转换等等，省掉多余的连接词或句型，帮助句子更加简洁。

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