说起“吗”我便想起“would”, “could”, “will”, 和“can”用于 (a)“请求可以吗”和(b)“有那个可能性吗”的两个情况下.
虽然“would” 和“could” 是“will” 和“can” 的“Past Tense过去式文法”, 但在这两个情况下也是作为“Present Tense现在式文法”.
注意以下所说的用法分别是我私人的意见不是每一个人都同意的.
A. “请求可以吗”: 我一般客气地恳求他人喜欢用“would”, 例如要求他人帮助(#1)和在用餐桌子传递东西(#2); 请求之中带比较强硬一点语气我喜欢用“could”和“can”, 例如妻子要求丈夫做家务(#3)和乘客要求计程车司机开车快一点(#4); 请求之中带命令性的我会用“will”, 例如父亲要求女儿听取理由(#5).
B. “有那个可能性吗”: 一般婉转征求他人意见对某事的可能性我会用“would”, 例如介绍工作给他人询问他有否兴趣(#6); 带强硬语气我会用“could”, “can”和“would”, 例如询问他人会否面对残酷事实的可能性(#7).
介绍可以研究一下的片语是(#1) find it in your heart, have the heart, give me a hand; (#2) bread basket; (#3) proud of you, vacuumed (注: 很多人错误写为“vaccumed”, tidied up, tool shed, on a roll, mow the lawn, shovel the snow; (#4) cab driver, pressed for time, plane to catch; (#5) listen to reason, dopehead, not good for you; (#6) brag about, gloat about, hours are not bad, live with; (#7) straight answer, honest answer, handle the truth.
1. 我说: “你可以(好心/ditto)1(<借给我二十块钱>2a/<饶恕我>2b/<协助我/ditto>2c): I said: “Would you (find it in your heart/have the heart)1 to (<loan me $20>2a/<forgive me>2b/<to give me a hand/to help me >2c).”
2. 在(餐台)1他说: “请你可以把(<黄油>2a/<面包篮子>2b)(到处)3(传递)4吗?”: At the (dining table)1, he said: “Would you pass4 the (<butter>2a/<bread basket>2b) around3 please?”
3. 丈夫说: “(甜心)1, 你会(引我为傲)2, 今早我(把客厅吸尘)3, (洗净碗碟)4, 和(整理好工具小屋子)5.”, 妻子说: “(很好)6! (当你一连串做事做得那么好)7, 请你可以(同样地)8(把草坪刈好)9和(把雪从车道铲走)10?”: The husband said: “Honey1, you would be (proud of me)2. This morning I (vacuumed the living room)3, (washed the dishes)4, and (tidied up the tool shed)5.”, and the wife said: “Great6! (While you’re on a roll)7, could you please (mow the lawn)9 and (shovel the snow off the driveway)10 (as well)8?”
4. 她对(计程车司机)1说:”(请你可以/ditto)2(开车快一点儿)3吗? 我(<要赶时间>4a/<要赶着上飞机>4b): She said to the (cab driver)1: “(Could/Can)2` you (drive a bit faster)3? I (<am pressed for time>4a/ <have a plane to catch>4b).”
5. 父亲对他的女儿说: “(请你)1 (听取理由)2? 你那个(毒品瘾君子男朋友)3是(对你无好处的)4.”: The father said to the daughter: “(Will you)1 (listen to reason)2? That (dopehead boyfriend)3 of yours is (not good for you)4.”
6. 她说: “关于这一份工作, (薪酬)1(<不是可以自夸>2a/<不是可以洋洋自得>2b/<很差/ditto >2c)但(工作时间)3(不错/ditto)4. (你有可能有兴趣吗)5?”, 他回答道: “我可以(容忍它)6.”: She said: “As for this job, the pay1 is (<not much to brag about>2a/ <not much to gloat about>2b/<lousy/terrible/awful>2c) but the hours3 are (not bad/not too bad/not half-bad/half decent/quite OK)4. (Would you be interested)5?”, and he replied: “I can (live with that)6.”
7. 那妻子(询问)1她的(最好朋友)2: “我的丈夫有(其他的女人)3吗?”, 她的朋友说: “我能够给你 (一个率直/ditto)4的(回答)5但(你有能力/ditto)6去(妥善处理)7(实情)8吗?”: The wife asked1 her (best friend)2: “Does my husband have (another woman)3?, and her friend answered: “I can give you (a straight/an honest)4 answer5, but (could you/can you/will you be able to)6 handle7 the truth8.”
备注:
这些造句例子构造主要是把主题字句: (一) 配搭其他多个词句来示范它多元化的用法. (二) 列上同义或意思相近的词句来充实词汇.
为达到效果句子有以下符号来分隔词句:
(</>): 可交替用的单字或片语, 下面两个例子每句都由两句组成:
1. 她是(漂亮/ditto)1: She is (pretty/beautiful)1.
是由两句意思一样组成: “She is pretty”. 和“She is beautiful”, 意思同样都是“她是漂亮.”
2. 她是(<漂亮>1a/<样子平凡>1b): She is (<pretty>1a/<homely>1b).
是由两句意思不同组成(1a) “She is pretty” 意思是“她是漂亮”; 和(1b) “She is homely” 意思是“她是样子平凡”.
[口]: 不按照英文文法规例或不适用于书写的口语、
ditto: 相同意思.
THINK ENGLISH (即是不要先用中文构思才翻译为英文)才可以讲写道地英文.
建议若要把以上句子收为己用, 先看中文部分转为构思, 试用自己英文写出来, 再参长这里提议的写法加以改进, 也可以看一下字典和上网看其他用这词句的句子来深入研究, 下一次碰到这个构思便直接用英文写出来不要经过中文做句子再翻译过去英文. |
