The Subjective Infinitive Construction.
The Subjective Infinitive Construction (traditionally called the Nominative-with-the-Infinitive Construction) is a construction in which the infinitive is in predicate relation to a noun in the common case or a pronoun in the nominative case..
The peculiarity of this construction is that it does not serve as one part of the sentence: one of its component parts has the function of the subject, the other forms part of a compound verbal predicate.
Edith is said to resemble me. (Dickens)
Говорят, что Эдит похожа на меня.
THE USE OF THE SUBJECTIVE INFINITIVE CONSTRUCTION
The Subjective Infinitive Construction is used with the following groups of verbs in the Passive Voice:
1. With verbs denoting sense perception: to see, to hear etc.
Mr. Bob Sawyer was heard to laugh heartily. (Dickens)
Слышно было, как весело смеется Боб Сойер.
The rider was seen to disappear in the distance.
Видно было, как всадник скрылся вдали.
If a process is expressed Participle I Indefinite Active is used.
Tess’s father was heard approaching at that moment. (Hardy)
В этот момент они услышали, что подходит отец Тэсс.
2. With verbs denoting mental activity: to think, to consider, to know, to expect, to believe, to suppose.
He was thought to be honest and kindly. (Dreiser)
Его считали честным и добрым человеком.
My father... was considered by many to be a great man. (Gow and
D’Usseau)
Многие считали моего отца незаурядным человеком.
Philip Bosinney was known to be a young man without fortune.
(Galsworthy)
Было известно, что Филипп Босини — молодой человек без состояния.
I know that Priam Farll is supposed to have been buried in Westminster
Abbey. (Bennett)
Я знаю, что считают (предполагают), будто бы Приам Фарл похоронен в
Вестминстерском Аббатстве.
The manuscript is believed to have been written in the 15th century.
Полагают, что эта рукопись написана в XV веке.
3. With the verb to make.
Little Abraham was aroused... and made to put on his clothes... (Hardy)
Маленького Эбрахама разбудили и заставили одеться.
4. With the verbs to say and to report.
The gods had given Irene dark-brown eyes and golden hair, which is said to
be the mark of a weak character. (Galsworthy)
Боги наделили Ирэн темно-карими глазами и золотистыми волосами,
что, как говорят, является признаком слабости характера.
From these examples we can see that in translating sentences containing the Subjective Infinitive Construction after verbs in the Passive Voice a complex sentence is mostly used: its principal clause is of the type which in Russian syntax is called ‘indefinite personal’ (неопределенно-личное предложение).
After verbs in the Passive Voice the Subjective Infinitive Construction is more characteristic of literary than of colloquial style, except with the verbs to suppose, to expect, to make; with these verbs the Subjective Infinitive can be found both in fiction and in colloquial language.
The Subjective Infinitive Construction is used with the word-groups to be likely, to be sure, and to be certain.
The parish is not likely to quarrel with him for the right to keep the child.
(Eliot)
Приход вряд ли будет оспаривать у него право содержать этого ребенка.
But he is sure to marry her. (Hardy)
Но он бесспорно (несомненно) женится на ней.
This fire is certain to produce a panic in the morning. (Dreiser)
Этот пожар бесспорно (несомненно) вызовет утром панику.
Sentences of this kind are rendered in Russian by a simple sentence with a modal word. Note the difference between:
| He is sure to come. | Он обязательно придет. |
| He is sure of coming. | Он уверен, что он придет. |
The Subjective Infinitive Construction is used with the following pairs of synonyms: to seem and to appear; to happen and to chance (the latter is literary); to prove and to turn out.
They seemed to have quite forgotten him already. (Hardy)
Они, казалось (по-видимому), уже совершенно забыли его.
Her eyes appeared always to gaze beyond, and far beyond. (E. Bronte)
Ее глаза, казалось, всегда были устремлены куда-то далеко-далеко.