绝对短语（Absolute Phrase）

英文中的absolute phrase在中文里还有其他名字，比如绝对主格，独立片语，绝对片语。

首先，先说说短语（phrase）是什么。

短语是一小组词，它不包含主语和动词，也无法表达一个完整的意思。短语是子句的一部分，所以在单位上短语比子句小。

比如，下面这句话中，加粗的部份都是短语：

I stopped believing in Santa Claus when my mother took me to see him in a department store, and he asked for my autograph.

绝对短语是短语中特殊的一种，它专门用来修饰一整个独立子句（也就是用来修饰一句完整的话）。绝对短语常常包含一个名词和一个分词，功能是给整句话提供更多的信息。它总是作为插入性信息来使用，去掉它对剩下的句子没有语法上的影响。

绝对短语和主句之间用逗号或者破折号隔开。

P.S.分词就是动词的一种形式，用来做修饰的，比如：I saw John eating his dinner. The bus has gone.

Legs quivering, our old dog Gizmo dreamed of chasing squirrels.

“legs quivering”是用来修饰后面整个独立子句中，老狗Gizmo在睡梦中追松鼠时的身体动作。

Her arms folded across her chest, Professor Hill warned the class about the penalties of plagiarism.

“Her arms folded across her chest”是用来描述Hill教授在警告学生们关于抄袭的惩罚时的身体姿态。

The family devoured Aunt Lenora's carrot cake, their fingers scraping the leftover frosting from the plates.

“用手指把剩下的糖霜刮干净”，是描述前面这一家人是如何狼吞虎咽地把Lenora姨妈的胡萝卜蛋糕吃完的。

绝对短语中的分词是过去分词。它告诉读者什么事情先发生了，所以另一些事会发生。

比如：

The batter mixed, Sally was ready to bake her muffins.

因为萨利先把面糊调好了，所以她才能准备做松饼。

Muffins baked, it was time for the brunch to begin.

因为松饼做好了，所以现在是时候吃早中餐了。

其他例子：

The season nearly finished, Rebecca Lobo and Sophie Witherspoon emerged as true leaders.

Their reputation as winners secured by victory, the New York Liberty charged into the semifinals.

这种绝对短语的分词是现在分词（ing形式）。它告诉读者什么事情正在发生，它和主句的关系是什么。

比如：

Her mixer mixing the batter, Sally could soon add blueberries.

当萨利的搅拌机正在搅拌黄油的时候，她可以马上加蓝莓了。

Sally prepared the tables for brunch,her muffins baking in the oven.

萨利收拾餐桌的时候，她的松饼正在烤箱里烤。

其他例子：

The two superstars signed autographs into the night, their faces beaming happily.

Time permitting, we can have a gathering.

有的时候，绝对短语中没有分词，它实际上是用名词短语或者介词短语来修饰整个句子。

比如，用名词短语修饰：

A wonderful baker, Sally made fresh muffins for her friends.

Your best friends, where are they now, when you need them?

And then there was my best friend Sally — the dear girl — who has certainly fallen on hard times.

用介词短语修饰：

Last night, Sally made fresh muffins for her friends.

The first is called an open conditional, from the expression "an open possibility."

在文学写作中，绝对短语非常重要。它常常用来解释或者强调主句中提到的某个名词的具体情况，以插入语的形式出现。很多时候，绝对短语提供的信息甚至是整个句子中最重要的。

比如：

His subordinates, their faces sweat-streaked and smudged with ash, leaned heavily against the firetruck.

Coach Nykesha strolled onto the court, her arms akimbo and a large silver whistle clenched between her teeth.

The new recruits stood in one corner of the gym, their uniforms stiff and ill fitting, their faces betraying their anxiety.