英语原因状语从句的用法总结

一、引导原因状语从句的从属连词

引导原因状语从句的从属连词有because(因为), as(由于), since(既然), now(that)(既然), when(既然), seeing (that) (由于，鉴于), considering (that)(考虑到), given (that) (考虑到)等。如：

I do it because I like it. 我做这件事是因为我喜欢。

As it was raining, I stayed at home. 由于下雨，我便呆在家里。

Since you're not interested, I won't tell you about it. 既然你不感兴趣，那我就不告诉你了。The woolly shrank because it was washed badly. 毛衣因洗得不得法而缩水。

I can’t get to sleep because of the noise outside.由于外面声音嘈杂我睡不着。

Since [As] we’ve no money, we can’t buy it.由于我们没钱，我们无法购买它。

Seeing that it’s raining, we’d better stay indoors.既然外边在下雨，我们最好待在室内。

Now that you are here, you’d better stay.你既然来了，最好还是留下吧(既来之，则安之)。

Now that you are well again, you can travel. 既然价钱恢复了健康，你就可以去旅行了。

How can they learn anything when they spend all their spare time watching television? 他们把所有的空闲时间都用来看电视了, 还能学什么东西呢?

Seeing that you’re already at the door, I suppose I must invite you inside. 鉴于你已到了门口，我想我必须邀请你入内。

Considering he’s only just started, he knows quite a lot about it. 考虑到他只是刚刚开始, 他对此的了解已经不少了。

She can drive by herself because she has passed her test. 她现在可以独立开车了，因为她已经通过了驾驶考试。

Given that she is interested in children, I am sure teaching is the right career for her. 考虑到她喜欢孩子, 我可以肯定教书是最适合她的职业。

I’m afraid we don’t stock refills for pens like yours because there’s little demand for them.对不起，我们没有你那种笔的笔芯，因为销路不好。

注意：除以上提到的大家比较熟悉的引导原因状语从句的从属连词外，when有时也可引导原因状语从句(when表示“既然”)：

I can’t tell you when you won’t listen.既然你不想听，我就不告诉你了。

二、关于not…because结构

该结构中的否定词有时否定主句，有时否定从句，一般要根据句子的意思作出正确或合乎逻辑的理解。若not否定主句，最好在because之前用逗号，否则会引起歧义，如下句在没有特定上下文时就有两种解释：

I didn’t go because I was afraid.我没有去是因为怕。/ 我不是因为怕才去。

不过若because之前有just修饰，一般认为not 是否定从句的：

You shouldn’t get angry just because some people speak ill of you. 你不要因为有人说你坏话而生气。

三、because 习惯上不与 so 连用

汉语习惯上说“因为…所以…”，但英语习惯上却不能

将 so 与 because 连用：

因为下雨，所以我们呆在家里。

正：Because it was raining, we stayed at home. / It was raining, so we stayed at home.

误：Because it was raining, so we stayed at home.

译：因为他病了，所以没有出席会议。

误：Because he was ill, so he didn’t attend the meeting.

正：He didn’t attend the meeting because he was ill.

正：He was ill so he didn’t attend the meeting.

四、because 从句与 because of 短语的转换

Because引导的原因状语从句有时可与because of 短语转换：

He can’t come because he is ill. / He can’t come because of his illness. 他因病不能来。

I said nothing about it because his wife was there. / I said nothing about it because of his wife’s being there.因为他妻子在那儿，我对此事只字未提。