第19章 主 语 19.2 用it作主语的句子
19.2 用it作主语的句子
19.2.1 用it作人称代词（Personal Pronoun）
1) it最基本的用法是作人称代词，主要代表刚提到的东西以避免重复：
Did the black snake frighten you? ——Yes, it did. 那条黑蛇吓着你了吗？——是的。
Look at that car. It's going much too fast. 瞧那辆车，开得实在太快了。
Where's my coat? "It's in the cupboard." “我的大衣在哪里？”“在衣柜里？”
Where is your car? "It's in the garage." “你的车在哪里？”“在车库里？”
2) 也可代表抽象的事物：
The government has become very unpopular since it introduced the new tax.该政府自开征新税后就变得很不得人心。
It was a great surprise to me when he did a thing like that. 他做这样的事我大为吃惊。
I've broken the mirror. "It can't be helped." “我把镜子打破了？”“这是没法帮忙的事？”
It's all my fault. 这都怪我。
3) 也可以指动物或未知性别的婴儿：
Is this your dog? "No, it isn't." “这是你的狗吗？”“不是的？”
Her new baby is tiny. It only weighs 2 kilos. 她的新生婴儿很小，只有两公斤重。
What a beautiful baby—is it a boy? 多漂亮的宝宝，是男孩吗？
4) 还可代表一个彼此都知其何所指的东西：
Does it itch much? 痒得厉害吗？
Where does it hurt? 哪儿疼？
It's meingitis. 这是脑膜炎。
19.2.2 非人称代词it
it有时并不指具体东西，而指天气、时间、环境等，称为非人称代词it（Impersonal it），可以：
1) 指天气：
It's raining (snowing). 在下雨（雪）。
It's frosty (a lovely day). 今天霜冻（天气晴朗）。
It's a fine night (full moon tonight). 这是个晴朗的夜晚（今晚是满月）。
It's sunny (a bit windy). 现在阳光灿烂（微微有点风）。
It was pouring with rain. 这时下着倾盆大雨。
It was very cold (quite warm) at the weekend. 周末天气很冷（很暖和）。
2) 指时间：
It's Tuesday today. 今天是星期二。
It's nearly half past eight. 快八点半了。
It's the third of June. 今天是六月三日。
It was twilight (midnight) when they came out of the hall. 他们从大厅出来已是黄昏时分（午夜）。
What time is it? "It's ten to eleven." “现在是什么时候？”“是十点五十？”
It's five years since I saw you last. 从上次见到你以来已经五年了。
It's our wedding anniversary. 这是我们结婚周年纪念日。
3) 指环境：
It gets very crowded here in the summer. 夏天这儿很拥挤。
It's lovely here. 这儿环境很优美。
It's quiet (very noising) here. 这儿很安静（吵）。
They're sure to see you. It's bright moonlight. 他们肯定能看到你，月亮这么亮。
It's nice down there. 在那儿很好。
It's getting so dark. 天这么黑了。
4) 指距离：
How far is it to Kunming? 到昆明有多远？
It's two miles to the beach. 到海滨有两英里。
It's 112 miles form London to Birmingham. 从伦敦到伯明翰有112英里。
It's half an hour's walk to the city library. 去市图书馆走路只要半小时。
It's only twenty minutes' drive to our university. 到我们大学乘车只要二十分钟。
How far is it from your home to your office? 从你家到办公室有多远？
It's about a night journey to this place by train. 到这地方差不多要坐一晚上的火车。
19.2.3 用于强调的it
1) it可用来对句子的某一成分加以强调，例如Nancy saw your sister in Tokyo last week.可改为许多强调结构：
It was Nancy who saw your sister in Tokyo last week. （强调主语）
It was your sister whom Nancy saw in Tokyo last week. （强调宾语）
It was in Tokyo that Nancy saw your sister last week. （强调状语）
It was last week that Nancy saw your sister in Tokyo. （强调状语）
从这些句子可以看出这类句子的结构是：
it+动词be+强调部分+who（m）或that+其他部分
这类句子可称为分裂句（Cleft Sentence），这种结构称为分裂结构（Cleft Structure）。
2) 在强调主语时，可用who （间或用that）引导后面部分：
It was Peter who lent us the money. 是彼得借钱给我们的。
It was you who had been wrong. 错的是你。
Was it you who (that) broke the window? 打破窗子的是你吗？
Who was it that called the meeting? 召集会议的是谁？
若主语是物不是人，则需用that：
But here it's my word that counts. 但在这里是我说了算。
3) 在强调宾语或介词宾语时，若是人，则关系代词用whom，间或用that（a）；若是物，则需用that（b）：
a． It's Tom whom you should ask. 你应当问的是汤姆。
It was Jim in whom she still had her faith. 她信任的仍然是吉姆。
It was Peter with whom I first came in contact. 我最初接触的是彼得。
It was the president that (whom) Jean shot yesterday. 昨天吉恩枪杀的是总统。
It's me that he blamed. 他责怪的是我。
It's pilots that we need, not ground staff. 我们需要的是飞行员，不是地勤人员。
b． It's money that they want. 他们要的是钱。
It's Spain that they're going to, not Portugal. 他们准备去的是西班牙，不是葡萄牙。
It was a key that I found there. 我在那里找到的是一把钥匙。
4) 在强调状语时后面多用that：
It was on Monday night that all this happened. 这一切都是在星期一夜里发生的。
It's today that he's going. 他是今天走。
It was here that he chiefly differed from an Englishman. 他和英国人的主要不同就在这里。
Why is it that you object to the idea? 你为什么反对这个意见？
5) 在口语中，who，that这类关系代词有时省略：
I think it was Goethe said this. 我想这话是歌德说的。
It was Philip drove Miss Sophia yesterday, wasn't it? 昨天是菲力普给索菲娅小姐开车，对吧？
It was you I thought of all the time. 我一直惦念的是你。
It was then I heard Phuong's steps. 就在这时我听到了冯的脚步声。
What is it you want me to do? 你要我做的是什么？
Was it in 1980 this happened? 这事是1980年发生的吗？
6) 有些否定句也可改成这种强调结构：
问句也可变成这种结构：
19.2.4 先行主语it
1)it可以用作先行词，作为句子形式上的主语，而把真正的主语移到句子后部去。这可使句子变得更平稳，不致主语太长，显得头重脚轻。这种it称为先行主语（Preparatory Subject）。可移到句子后部去的主语最常见的是不定式。句子谓语可有下面几种类型：
a． be+形容词+不定式：
It is easy to criticize others. 批评别人是容易的。（比较：To criticize others is easy.）
It's better to be early. 早去好一点。（比较：To be early is better.）
It's absurd to be afraid. 害怕是荒谬的。
It's nice not to be dependent on them. 不依靠他们是好的。
b． be+名词+不定式：
It was his duty to take care of the orphans. 照顾孤儿是他的职责。
It's a privilege to visit your country. 访问贵国是一大荣幸。
It would be a pity to miss this opportunity. 错过这个机会是可惜的。
It was not my habit to ask people for things. 我没有向人索取东西的习惯。
c． be+介词短语+不定式：
It was against my principle to do that. 做这样的事有悖我的原则。
It's beyond me to say why. 我无法说明原因。
It's not within my power to help them. 我没有力量帮助他们。
It's unlike him to be late;he's usually on time. 迟到在他来说是不正常的，他一向很准时。
d． 及物动词+宾语+不定式：
It cost 100 dollars to repair the car. 修车花了一百美元。
It gave me great pleasure to watch them. 观察它们给了我很大的乐趣。
It takes two to make a quarrel. （谚）吵架要有两个人。
It makes me sick to think about it. 想到那事就让我恶心。
不定式前有时可有for引导的短语，表示其逻辑上的主语：
What time would it be most convenient for me to call again? 什么时候我再来最方便？
It's getting harder every day for a poor man to get a living. 穷人维持生计日益困难。
关于不定式作主语可参阅第12.1.3节。
2) 用it作先行主语，代表动名词时也不少，这类句子用“be+名？”作谓语时最多（a），也可以“be+形容？”（b）或其他结构（c）作谓语：
a． It's no use studying for an exam at the last minute. 临时抱佛脚来应考是没用的。
It's no good standing here in the cold. Let's go home. 在这寒风中站着没好处，咱们回去吧。
It isn't much fun staying at home by yourself. 一个人待在家里没意思。
It's a waste of time talking to him. 和他谈话是白费时间。
b． Is it worthwhile quarrelling with him? 和他吵值得吗？
It's hopeless trying to convince her. 想说服她是没有希望的。
It's terribly tiring working like this. 这样干非常累。
It's pleasant sitting here. 在这里坐着很愉快。
c． It doesn't matter waiting a few more days. 再等几天没有关系。
It doesn't make any difference my being there. 我是否在那里无所谓。
It felt funny being dressed like a boy. 打扮成男孩感觉怪怪的。
关于这类句子可参阅第12.2.2节，关于用先行主语it代表从句将在下面第19.3.2节再谈。
19.2.5 it的其他用法
1) it还可表示“是谁 （在某处或做某事）”：
Who is that (it)? "It's me."（在电话上）“你是哪位？”“是我？”
Is that Tom over there? ——No, it's Peter. 是汤姆在那里吗？——不是的，是彼得。
It's your Mum on the phone. 是你妈来电话。
Who is that? "It's the postman." “是谁呀？”“是邮差？”
What's that noise? "It's only the dog." “这声音是怎么回事？”“是狗？”
Why, it's you! she cried.“啊，原来是你？”她叫道。
Her face lighted when she saw who it was. 看到是谁时她的脸开朗起来。
Nothing has happened. It's only the wind shaking the house. 什么也没发生，只是风刮得房子晃动。
2) 还可以用来泛指某件事：
It says here there was a big fire in SoHo. 听说梭荷中心有一场火灾。
Isn't it awful! 真糟糕！
It's a shame, isn't it? 这很遗憾，是吧？
It doesn't matter. 没关系。
It's getting very competitive in the car industry. 汽车业竞争越来越激烈了。
So you're going to be married this time. When is it? 这么说这次你要结婚了，什么时候结？
It's my turn. 该轮到我了。
