Question on Verb1 的 Verb1, Verb2 的 Verb2 Structure

[seesaw]

我刻意举了这个“装作”的例子，是想说明，这种句型描述的只是一种“环境和气氛”。这种环境和气氛的内在并不需要真的如它所表现的那样。

“她们聊天的聊天，打电话的打电话”，就有了这个气氛；即使他们都是在“装”。

希望这个解释能够更清楚。

[owlstone]

To me the "V de V" structure may have two interpretations depending on the context.

1. Consider that a group of cleaners got to get a huge office clean in half an hour. The supervisor assigned tasks to everyone and said,

现在扫地的扫地，洗窗的洗窗，擦桌子的擦桌子，赶紧！

literal translation: Now those who should sweep the floor sweep the floor, those who should wash the windows wash the windows, those who should clean the desks clean the desks. Hurry up!

Here the particle "的" functions as a relativizer which turns a verb phrase into a relative clause.

2. The group of cleaners is cleaning the office. You can use the following sentence to describe how they work.

(a)他们扫地的扫地，洗窗的洗窗，擦桌子的擦桌子，配合得很好。

Some of them are sweeping the floor, some are sweeping the windows, while others are sweeping the desks. They are cooperating well.

Alternatively, you can also say:

(B)他们扫的扫地，洗的洗窗，擦的擦桌子，配合得很好。

These two sentences mean exactly the same, although in (B) only the verbs are copied, not the VPs(verb+object).

[anonymoose]

Thanks everyone. I think I understand the implications of the V的V construction now.

However, now I have another question in response to owlstone...

(a)他们扫地的扫地，洗窗的洗窗，擦桌子的擦桌子，配合得很好。

Some of them are sweeping the floor, some are sweeping the windows, while others are sweeping the desks. They are cooperating well.

Alternatively, you can also say:

(B)他们扫的扫地，洗的洗窗，擦的擦桌子，配合得很好。

These two sentences mean exactly the same, although in (B) only the verbs are copied, not the VPs(verb+object).

Surely sentence (B) places more of an emphasis on the objects (floor, windows, tables) than sentence (a), doesn't it?

To me, sentence (B) would better be translated as:

Those who were sweeping were sweeping the floors (as opposed to, say, the street outside), those who were washing were washing the windows (as opposed to, say, the dishes), those who were wiping were wiping the tables (as opposed to, say, the computer monitors), all cooperating well.

So, is my interpretation correct or not?

[skylee]

Alternatively' date=' you can also say:

(B)他们扫的扫地，洗的洗窗，擦的擦桌子，配合得很好。

These two sentences mean exactly the same, although in (B) only the verbs are copied, not the VPs(verb+object).[/quote']

I don't think sentence (B) is correct.

[owlstone]

To me, sentence (B) would better be translated as:

Those who were sweeping were sweeping the floors (as opposed to, say, the street outside), those who were washing were washing the windows (as opposed to, say, the dishes), those who were wiping were wiping the tables (as opposed to, say, the computer monitors), all cooperating well.

To me, the back translation of your English sentence would be:

他们扫的是地，洗的是窗，擦的是桌子。

I don't think (B) entails contrastive emphasis on the objects. For example,

他们吃饭的吃饭，聊天的聊天。/ 他们吃的吃饭，聊的聊天。

In verb phrase 聊天，the object 天 does not refer to any specific thing. So there is no contrastive reading here.

[seesaw]

(B)他们扫的扫地，洗的洗窗，擦的擦桌子，配合得很好。

同意skylee. 这句我也不以为正确。

现在扫地的扫地，洗窗的洗窗，擦桌子的擦桌子，赶紧！

我觉得这句是一个很好的例子：它不再是一个描述了，而是一句祈使。当然，它也仍然不脱离“每人都投入到自己的事情中”的意思——只是把场景的描述变成了要求。