解析"using"和"by using"的区别

 

摘自图灵论坛，Steven Mark的高论

和几位老师讨论过 "using" 和 "by using", 他们的分别在於写作手法上的分别. 在这两句例句中的 "using" 和 "by using" 是一样的. 不过 "by using" 是明确地指出 "Users can express themselves" 是透过"Using clips, lines from the movies" 来达到的. 而 "using" 的只是隐含的意思, 让读者去决定其意思. 不过通常透过该两句子句中是可以知道 "透过" 的关係.

(1) Because he did not have enough sleep, Jack tripped over the threshold of the door.
(2) Not having enough sleep, Jack tripped over the threshold of the door.

其实意思上都是一样, 不过 (2) 没有明确指出 "Not enough sleep" 和 "Tripped over the threshold of the door" 的关係, 而大家可以在内文中意会到 "Not having enough sleep" 和
"tripped over the threshold of the door" 的关係就是 "因為"/"所以" 的关係.

"Using" 是隐含的, 在例句中的 "using" 确有 "by using" 的意思, 但这不代表 "using" 就一定是 "by using". "using" 其实只是把两句子句联起来, 而没有把他们的关係明确指出. 以下有两句例句, 会更明显:

(a) Using his trendy hair gel again, John created yet another brilliant hair style.
(b) Using his trendy hair gel again, John got punished by the disciplinary teacher.

两者都是隐含写法, 但根据内文, 明很显的是

在 (a), John 是透过 "Using his trendy hair gel again" 这方法来 "created yet another brilliant hair style"
在 (b), John 是因為 "Using his trendy hair gel again" 而导致 "got punished by the disciplinary teacher. , 而不是透过的方法.

所以在这情况下, (a) 也可以写成:

By using his trendy hair gel again, John created yet another brilliant hair style.

而 (b) 是:

Because of using his trendy hair gel again, John got punished by the disciplinary teacher.
(而不是 "By using")

总括而言, "Using" 和 "By using" 是写作手法上的分别, 隐含意思和明确指出关係的分别, "Using" 有些时候可以是 "By using", 但不一定所有情况下也是, 而用 "By using" 就确定了两子句的关係, 而不是其他的关係.

希望这裡的讲解有助大家去理解