第二十二章
will/would,shall/
should的其他用法
230 用will,would表示习惯
A 现在的习惯性动作通常用一般现在时表示,但如果想要强调施动者的特征而非动作本身,则可用 will+不带to的不定式(即动词原形)结构。这主要用于一般陈述句:
An Englishman will usually show you the way in the street.
英国人通常是会在街上给你指路的。(英国人这样表现是正常的。)这并非will的一种很重要的用法,它的过去时would的用处要广泛得多。我们描述过去例行的活动时,可以用would代替used to:
On Sundays he used to/would get up early and go fishing. He used to/ would spend the whole day by the river and in the evening used to/would come home with marvellous stories of the fish he had nearly caught.
星期天他总是早起钓鱼去。他整天都在河边钓鱼,晚间才回到家里,总要讲一些奇妙的故事,说他差一点儿就钓到多大的鱼。
但要注意 used to表示已经不再有的习惯时,不能用 would来代替。
这样用的will和would可以有缩略形式。
B will还可以表示执意坚持,通常是习惯性的:
If you′will keep your watch half an hour slow it is hardly surprising that you are late for your appointments.
如果你一定要让你的表慢半个小时,你约会时迟到就不足为怪了。
在有关过去的事中使用would:
We all tried to stop him smoking in bed but he′would do it.
我们都劝他不要躺在床上吸烟,可他老是要这样做。
这里will和would不能缩略,而且要加强重读。
C would可表示某人的一种典型的动作,一般这种动作使说话人讨厌:
—Bill objects/objected.
—He′would!/He′would object!
—比尔反对。
—他总是反对!
231 should/would think+that从句或so/not
A —Will it be expensive?
—I should/would think so./I should think it would.I shouldn’t think it would./I shouldn’t/wouldn’t think so./I should/would think not.
—这个会很贵吗?
—我想是的。/我想不。
回答这一类问题时,回答人暗示他并不确实知道,只是凭印象而言。 I should/would think 表示的语气没有I think那么肯定。
should/would think引导一个附加评论时,一般不能用so/ not。这时必须使用that从句:
—He’s an astrologer, looking for work.
—I shouldn’t/wouldn’t think that he’d find it easy to get work.
—他是一个星相家,正在找工作。
—我想他大概不会感到找到一份工作是容易的。
B 如果评论发生在过去的动作,可以用should/would have thought:
—He actually got a job as an astrologer.
—I shouldn’t/wouldn’t have thought that it was possibe to do that.
—他真的以星相家的身份找了一份工作。
—我本来认为那是不可能的。
C should/would have expected+不定式结构/that从句也是可行的。有时非人称代词you可代替I:
—She has emigrated.
—Has she? You’d/I’d have expected her to stay in this country.
—她移居国外了。
—是吗?人们/我还以为她会留在国内的。
232 would 表示过去的意图
如已经提到的那样,如果will用来表示一般将来时,would 就是will的过去式:
He knows he will be late.
他知道他会迟到的。
He knew he would be late.
他当时知道他会迟到。
would也同样可视为表示意图的will的过去式:
I said,‘ I will help him.’
我说:“我要帮助他。”相当于:
I said that I would help him.
我说过我要帮助他。
He said,‘I won’t lend you a penny.’
他说:“我一便士都不愿借给你。”相当于:
He said that he wouldn’t lend me a penny.
他说过他一便士都不愿借给我。
但要注意,表示将来或意图的would,像在上述例句中那样,只限用于从句中,而wouldn’t表示否定的意图时则可以单独使用:
He won’t help me today.
他今天不愿帮助我。(他拒绝帮助。)
He wouldn’t help me yesterday.
他昨天不愿帮助我。(他拒绝帮助。)
与此相反 would不能这样用。因此如要把 I will help him to- day变为过去时,就必须用另一个动词来代替will:
I wanted/intended/offered to help him yesterday.
我昨天要/想/主动提出帮助他。
233 shall I/we?用于请求给予指示或表示
意见、主动提供帮助、提出建议等
请求给予指示:
How shall I cook it?
我该怎么煮这东西?
Where shall we put this?
我们该把这东西放在哪里?
如果这种请求只是请别人对某事提出意见,shall或should均可用:
Which one shall I buy?/ Which one should I buy?
我应该买哪一个?
主动提供帮助:
Shall I wait for you?
我要不要等你?
Shall I help you to pack?
要不要我来帮你打点行李?
主动提供建议:
Shall we meet at the theatre?
我们是否在剧院见面?
Let’s meet at the theatre, shall we?
我们在剧院见面,好吗?
234 shall用于第二、第三人称
shall A 表示说话者想要完成某一动作或要别人来完成该动作的意图;B表示命令。这两种用法显得老式,语气比较正式,在现代英语口语中一般已不使用。
A shall 用于表示说话者意图的例子:
You shall have a sweet.
你会得到/得到一块糖。相当于:
I’ll give you a sweet./I’ll see that you get a sweet.
我要给你一块糖。/我负责让你得到一块糖。
He shan’t come here.
他不能来。相当于:
I won’t let him come here.
我不让他来。
They shall not pass.
他们不能通过。相当于:
We won’t let them pass.
我们不会让他们通过的。
在过去时中,即在间接引语中,通常改变用词:
He said,‘You shall have a sweet.’
他说:“你会得到一块糖的。”相当于:
He promised me a sweet.
他答应给我一块糖。
B shall 用于表示命令的例子:
Yachts shall go round the course, passing the marks in the correct order.
帆船必须跑完全程,按正确的顺序驶过各个标志。(帆船比赛规则)
Members shall enter the names of their guests in the book provided.
会员必须把所邀客人的名字登记在提供的本子上。(俱乐部规则)
这类句型结构主要用在规章制度和法律文件中。在不那么正
式的英语中,上述句子中的 shall就可用 must或 are to代替。
C shall you?这种句型比较老式,但有时仍见于某些小说中,可能
因为这种结构比将来进行时简练:
Shall you go?
你去吗?相当于:
Will you be going?
你会去吗?
235 某些动词之后的that…should结构
在某些动词之后, that+主语+should结构可以代替动名词或不定式结构。
that…should结构在被动语态中是非常有用的形式,有时是被动式的唯一可能的形式。
that…should结构要比动名词和不定式结构更正式一些,常表示忠告者/组织者等人与应当有所行动的人之间的接触不太直接。
下列动词可与that…should结构连用: advise, agree, ar- range, ask, beg, command, decide, demand, determine,insist,order,propose,recommend,request,stipulate,sug- gest, urge。注意还有 be anxious, be determined。
She advised that we should keep the gate locked.
她忠告我们要把门锁好。
She advised that the gate should be kept locked.
她忠告我们应当锁好门。
She advised keeping the gate locked/advised us to keep it locked.
(译文同上。)
上述例句中的advise可用 recommend来代替,这样语气也较正式一些。
They agreed/decided that the roof should be repaired.
他们同意/决定屋顶必须修补。
They agreed/decided to repair the roof.
他们同意/决定修补屋顶。
He arranged that I should go abroad.
他安排我去国外。
He arranged for me to go abroad.
他安排我去国外。
They arranged that the minister should be met at the airport.
他们安排在机场迎接这位部长。
They arranged for the minister to be met at the airport.
他们安排在机场迎接这位部长。
be anxious(=wish;参见第27节C)后面与 arrange所跟的结构相同:
He is anxious that classes should start/should be started at once.
他急于马上开始课程。
He is anxious for classes to start/to be started at once.
(译文同上。)
They asked/begged/urged that relief work should be given priority.
他们要求/请求/敦促将救济工作放在优先位置。
They asked/begged/urged the authorities to give relief work priority. 他们要求/请求/催促当局将救济工作放在优先位置。
He commanded that the army should advance.
他命令部队前进。(他不一定与部队在一起。)
He commanded the army to advance.
他命令部队前进。(他很可能跟部队在一起。)
She determined/was determined that he should study music.
她下决心要他学习音乐。
She determined/was determined to let him/make him study music.
她下决心要让他学习音乐。
She insisted that he should study music/insisted on his studying music.
她坚持他必须学习音乐。
He ordered that Ann should go.
他命令安必须走。(他大概是要某人转告安。)
He ordered Ann to go.
他命令安走开。(他大概是直接告诉她的。)
He ordered that the goods should be sent by air.
他命令货物得空运。
He ordered the goods to be sent by air.
他命令把货物空运。
He proposed/suggested that we should try homeopathic remedies.
他推荐/建议我们应该试一试顺势疗法。
He proposed/suggested that homeopathic remedies should be tried.
他推荐/建议说顺势疗法应该试一试的。
He proposed/suggested(our) trying homeopathic remedies.
他推荐/建议(我们)试一试顺势疗法。
They stipulated that the best materials should be used.
他们指定要求用最好的材料。
They stipulated for the best materials to be used.
他们指定,要将最好的材料用上。
有时be前面的should可省略。
236 it is/was+形容词+ that… should结构
A that…should结构可以用于 it is/was advisable, better, de- sirable, essential, imperative, important, natural, necessary之后;也可用于fair(=just),just,right 之后(这几个词前面常
加 only)以及 reasonable之后,以代替 for+不定式结构:
It is advisable that everyone should have a map.
最好每一个人都有一张地图。
It is better for him to hear it from you.
让他从你那儿得知消息(对他)更好些。
It is better that he should hear it from you.
最好让他从你那儿得知这个消息。
It is essential for him to be prepared for this.
有必要让他对此有所准备。
It is essential that he should be prepared for this.
(译文同上。)
It is only right that she should have a share.
应该有她一份才对。
有时should在be之前可省略:
It is essential that he be prepared.
B that…should 结构可以用在 it is/was absurd, amazing, an- noying, ludicrous,odd, ridiculous, strange, surprising之类的形容词后面,以代替that+现在时态/过去时态结构:
It is ridiculous that we should be(=that we are) short of water in a country where it is always raining,
在经常下雨的国家里我们竟然会缺水,这简直是荒谬。
说过去的事情时有时用不定式的完成式:
It is amazing that she should have said(=that she said) nothing about the murder.
令人惊奇的是她对这桩凶杀案竟然不置一词。
237 should的其他用法
A 当说话人对某种设想是否合理或正当提出疑问时,可把
should用于 can’ t think why/don’t know why/see no reason why:等后面:
I don’t know why you should think that I did it.
我真不知道你凭什么竟会认为这件事是我干的。
I see no reason why you should interfere in their quarrel.
我不明白你有什么理由竟然会介入他们的争吵。
当这种设想与过去的事情有关时则用完成式:
I can’t think why he should have said that it was my fault.
我真不明白他怎么能说这是我的过错。
B 作为一种惯用表达法,should与 what,where,who连用以形象生动地表达惊奇的感情:
What should I find but an enormous spider!
怎么也想不到我看见的竟是一只巨大的蜘蛛!
这种惊奇经常掺杂着令人为难的因素:
Who should come in but his first wife!
怎么也想不到进来的竟是他的前妻!
C should用在 lest后面,有时也用在 in case后面:
1 在书面语中,lest…should结构有时放在表示惧怕或担心的词后面:
He was terrified lest he should slip on the icy rocks.
他害怕在结冰的石块上滑倒。
对过去的动作表示担心时用should+完成式:
She began to be worried lest he should have met with some accident.
她开始担心他出了什么事。
2 lest也可用于目的从句,表示 for fear that(惟恐):
He dared not spend the money lest someone should ask where he had got it.
他不敢花这笔钱,怕有人问他钱是从哪儿来的。
如上所示这是一种书面形式。
在这种情况下 in case较 lest更常用,后面可跟 should或一般现在时或一般过去时:
in case someone should ask/someone asked
惟恐万一有人问起
D should 有时用于目的从句以代替 would/could:
He wore a mask so that no one should recognize him.
他戴了一个面罩,好让别人认不出他来。
E 在条件句中用should代替现在时态:
If the pain should return take another of these pills.
疼痛复发时,可再吃一片这些药。
F should 还用于颇为正式的间接命令,这种命令不一定是向对方直接发出的:
He ordered that Tom should leave the house.
他下命令叫汤姆离开这所房子。
与下面一句比较一下:
He ordered Tom to leave.
他命令汤姆离开。(他亲自告诉汤姆。)