5.1.3 “还是”能否用于陈述句？
如张宁（Zhang，2009：47）所说，“还是”可以用于疑问句，如例54）至例59）。在例54）至例56）中，“是”与“还是”关联连用。“还是”也可以单独使用，如例57）和例58）。在例59）中，“还是”一词重复出现，构成“还是……还是……”，这一形式虽然少见，也是可以接受的。
54）Please，Ma'am，is this New Zealand or Australia？
泼里寺、麻达姆，这是新西兰啊，还是澳大利亚啊？
55）你是把我给他呢？还是把我们俩一齐赶出去？
Now，are you going to let me marry him or would you rather chase us both off？
56）城里过了不止一夏了，他不记得这么热过。是天气比往年热呢，还是自己的身体虚呢？
This was not his first summer in the city，but it was easily the hottest in memory.But had the weather changed or had he？
57）你让狼叼了去，还是上非洲挖金矿去了？
Did you get taken off by a wolf？Or maybe you went gold prospecting in Africa！
58）‘Did you say pig，or fig？’said the Cat.
那猫问道，“你刚才说猪还是书？”
59）So she was considering in her own mind（as well as she could，for the hot day made her feel very sleepy and stupid），whether the pleasure of making a daisy-chain would be worth the trouble of getting up and picking the daisies，when suddenly a White Rabbit with pink eyes ran close by her.
所以她就无精打彩地自己在心里盘算——（她也不过勉强地醒着，因为这热天热得她昏昏地要睡）——到底还是做一枝野菊花圈儿好呢？还是为着这种玩意儿不值得站起来去找花的麻烦呢？她正在纳闷的时候，忽然来了一只淡红眼睛的白兔子，在她旁边跑过。
“还是”还可用于“不管/无论/不论”等引导的无条件句，如例60）至例63）。在这种无条件句中，“还是”一般要与“是”共现。例63）中的“顾不得”也含有无条件的意味，在这一句对中，汉语“是……还是……”标识的析取关系在英译时变成了“and”标识的合取关系。“或”“与”转换将在5.3节中讨论。
60）就是他们父女都愿意，他也不能要她；不管刘老头子是有六十辆车，还是六百辆，六千辆！
He wouldn't marry her even if they were both willing，not even if the old man owned six hundred or six thousand rickshaws.
61）骆驼们很慢很慢的立起来，他顾不得细调查它们是不是都在一块儿拴着，觉到可以拉着走了，他便迈开了步，不管是拉起来一个，还是全“把儿”。
Slowly，very slowly，they stood up.He had no time to worry whether or not they were tied together，and as soon as he realized he could get one camel to follow him，he started walking—one or all of them，it didn't matter.
62）上唇很短，无论是要生气，还是要笑，就先张了唇，露出些很白而齐整的牙来。
She had a short upper lip that rose up when she pouted or smiled to reveal a row of even white teeth.
63）他被大兵们拉到山上去的时候，顾不得看谁是排长，还是连长。
When the soldiers dragged him up into the mountains，he hadn't paid the slightest attention to who was a platoon leader and who was a company commander.
以上通过实际语料例证了张宁（Zhang，2009：47）所指出的“还是”用于疑问句和无条件句的情形。那么，“还是”是否还可以用于陈述句呢？答案是肯定的。检索析取关系句对库，我们收集到以下例证：
64）不知道是往前走呢，还是已经站住了，
Was he still walking，or had he stopped？
65）他也不知道他是先坐下而后睡着，还是先睡着而后坐下的。
Neither did he know if he'd sat down and fallen asleep or if he'd fallen asleep and then sat down.
66）不知是电灯照的，还是擦了粉，脸上比平日白了许多；
Whether it was the effects of the light or because she'd powdered her face，her skin was paler than usual，…
67）把钱放在炕砖上，他瞪着它们，不知是哭好，还是笑好。
After laying it out on the bare bed，he stared at it，not knowing whether to laugh or cry.
68）“死了！”祥子呆呆的在那里立着，不晓得是自己，还是另一个人说了这两个字。
“Dead！”Xiangzi stood there glued to the spot.Did he say that，or was it somebody else？
69）…she could not tell whether they were gardeners，or soldiers，or courtiers，or three of her own children.
她一点看不出他们还是花匠，还是兵，还是朝臣，还是她自己的三个小孩子。
70）不定是三两个月，还是十天八天，吹了；他得另去找事。
Sometimes he lasted two or three months，sometimes only eight or ten days，after which he was out looking for steady work again.
71）他不觉得这是太多，还是太少；
Not too many，-too few.
72）对这个消息，他说不上是应当喜欢，还是不喜欢。
Xiangzi wasn't sure if he should be happy or unhappy.
73）……他才无可如何的起来，打不定主意是出去好呢，还是歇一天。
With a reluctant grumble he got up，not sure if he wanted to go out or take the day off.
74）教她尝尝，她就晓得了，到底是爸爸好，还是野汉子好！
A taste of that kind of life will tell her who's best，her papa or that no-good lover of hers.
例64）至例73）这些句对的汉语原文中含有“不知道”“不知”“不晓得”“看不出”“不定”“不觉得”“说不上”“打不定主意”等表示未知待解的词语。这说明，“还是”与这些词语连用，可以用于陈述句中。例74）有些特别，其中的“是……还是……”所引导的小句，在语义上是问句，可以看作“晓得”的间接引语。