画蛇忌添足

陆高梦

成语“画蛇添足”（Adding Feet to a Snake），对大家来说并不陌生，常用来形容节外生枝、做了多余的事，不但无益，反而有害。高考英语改错题中，有类似句子在意义上重复的错误现象，所以，在做改错题时，就要做到“画蛇忌添足"，把句子意义上的重复部分去掉，才能保证句子的正确。举例如下：

（1）（误）We are advancing forward along the socialist road.

（正）We are advancing along fhe socialist road.

（析）advance = go forward，再用forward意义就重复了。

（2）（误）After breakfast Tom was hurrying to go to school.

（正）After breakfast Tom was hurrying to school.

（析）hurry（move quickly）本身含有“走”之意，后面不可再接 go，walk，run之类的动词，否则句子就会产生意义重复的错误现象。

（3）（误）After the end of the war，she became a teacher.

（正）After the war，she became a teacher.

（析）句中 after是介词，有“在……以后”的意思;end是“结束”，用了after，就不可再用end。

（4）（误）As soon as the president returns，I will let you know at once.

（正）As soon as the president returns，I will let you know.

（析）as soon as 有“立刻”之意，从句中用了 as soon as，主句中就不能再用at once，immediately，right away，right now之类的词了。

（5）（误）This is a very excellent dictionary.

（正）This is an excellent dictionary.

（析）excellent，wonderful等词含有“极好的（extremely good）”之意，不能再用very修饰。

（6）（误） Let's walk to the station on foot.

（正） Let's walk to the station.

（析）walk本身含有“步行（go on foot）”之意，用了 walk，就不可再用on foot了。

（7）（误）Do you know when Xiao Ming will return back？

（正）Do you know when Xiao Ming will return？

（析）return本身含有 come back 或 go back 的意思，其后不能再用副词 back。

（8）（误）Students stopped talking when the teacher entered into the classroom.

（正）Students stopped talking when the teacher entered the classroom.

（析） enter有 come / go into 的意思，不可与介词 into 连用。

（9）（误）They are whispering in a low voice.

（正） They are whispering.

（析）whispering本身已含有“ in a low voice"，不能再用 in a low voice.

此外，在定语从句中，也有类似在意义上重复的错误现象。如：

（10）（误）I have lost the pen I bought it yesterday.

（正）I have lost the pen I bought yesterday.

（析）定语从句中关系代词 that / which 在定语从句中充当宾语，可省略，从句中的宾语 it 是多余的，属意义重复的错误现象，应该去掉。

（11）（误）The finger I dipped into the cup was not the one I put it into my mouth.

（正）The finger I dipped into the cup was not the one I put into my mouth.

（析）上句中應由关系代词 that 或 which 在定语从句中作宾语，己省去。因此，从句中的宾语 it 是多余的，要去掉。

试做下列练习：

（1）Everyone all likes the little boy very much.

（2）The name of the boy is called Yang Yang.

（3）Playing football is my most favorite sport.

（4）Please raise your hand up if you know the answer.

（5）Please repeat the sentence again.

（6）You should take good care of your papers carefully.

（7）Which do you prefer more，tea or coffee？

（8）When he came out，the thief had already escaped away.

（9）He says he will be back in two weeks later.

（10）Today I visited the Great Wall---my first time visit to the Great Wall.

keys：（1）去掉 all;（2）去掉 The name of;（3）去掉 most;（4）去掉 up;

（5）去掉 again;（6）去掉 carefully;（7）去掉 more;（8）去掉 away;

（9）去掉 later;（10）去掉 time

（广西宾阳中学）