Jump to content
Chinese-Forums
  • Sign Up

Help with a clause in 紅高粱家族


NelsonK

Recommended Posts

Hello!

 

My apologies if I've chosen the wrong section of the forum to post this in, but I've recently started reading 紅高粱家族 by 莫言 and have come to a clause that I can't quite understand.  I think I get the general idea, but if someone could help describe for me how the various characters connect to each other grammatically, I'd be very grateful.

 

For those who aren't familiar with the story, I think all you need to know for context is that there's a regiment of soldiers marching through a sorghum field.  Here's the clause:

 

高粱的騷動因為人們的疲憊困乏而頻繁激烈起來

 

There are a lot of things here that confuse me.  I'm used to seeing 起來 almost exclusively as a complement, which it may be here if 激烈 is meant as a verb, but the first time I read through this clause, I understood 激烈 as an adjective modified by the adverb 頻繁 and connected by 而 to the other adjective(s) 疲憊困乏. And whether the verb is 激烈起來 or simply 起來, what is the subject of the verb? And does 而 really connect adjectives, or does it go with 因為?

 

The problem is probably my English-language brain that is too limited by English ideas of grammar.  I've been taught that parts of speech aren't necessarily delineated in Chinese the same way they are in English.  All the same, I'd very much appreciate any help anyone can give me.

 

Thanks very much!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think it helps to rearrange this clause in English for a smoother translation.

It was because of the people's exhaustion and fatigue that Gao Liang's restlessness often became more intense.

(The exact translation of each of the words could probably be better but this is the basic idea.)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

For those who don't see how to get to that translation:

因(為)A 而 B

Is yet another way to express the reason why something happens. B because of A, or A so B, B due to A, etc etc.

騷動 [因為...而] 頻繁強烈起來

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 6 months later...

HI op

 

here in this sentence ,  頻繁 and 激烈 are both  adjectives, not verbs.

both of these two adjectives are used to describe  the noun 騷動 .

起来 is a complement , which means 頻繁and激烈 are becoming more obvious.

 

better believe me `cause im 100% pure Chinese from mainland china LOL

 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and select your username and password later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Click here to reply. Select text to quote.

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...