"Of course a miracle may happen, and you may be a great painter, but you must confess the chances are a million to one against it. It'll be an awful sell if at the end you have to acknowledge you've made a hash of it."
"I've got to paint," he repeated.
"Supposing you're never anything more than third-rate, do you think it will have been worth while to give up everything? After all, in any other walk in life it doesn't matter if you're not very good; you can get along quite comfortably if you're just adequate; but it's different with an artist."
1)never anything more than 是什么意思呢?
2)为什么要用将来完成时will have been worth while to 呢? 可以说成do you think it is/will be worth while to, 即is/will be可否?这里的will have been worth while to究竟是将来完成时,还是will是情态动词表推测呢?
因为will have been worth while to这种形式既是将来完成时,又是情态动词表推测,怎么区分呢?
3)顺便问一下老师,结尾处我什么事different with, 而不是different from/than ? 似乎没见过different with这这种用法?
1) 你应该注意前面的那句话:It'll be an awful sell if at the end you have to acknowledge you've made a hash of it. (如果到头来你不得不承认你搞砸了,画没有画好,画是很难卖的。) 即说话人已经假设可能听话人将来不会成功。接下来的这句话仍然是对at the end这个将来时间的假设:Do you think it will have been worth while to give up everything? It为形式主语,to give up everything为真正主语。放弃一切(专门画画)对于at the end这个将来时间而言是过去的动作,所以be worthwhile用将来完成时will have been worthwhile. 你读句子要结合上下文语境,要有全局观。不能单从一个句子去判断该用什么时态。这个句子是不能用is 或 will be的。关键就在前一句话的at the end这个线索。你以后要注意,不要再犯同类错误!
2) Never anything more than = nothing more than = 只是、仅仅。 Supposing you're never anything more than third-rate 假设你只是个三流画家。
3) 这里并不是作比较。干别的工作,一个人可以不出色,可以平庸,但当画家则不同,你必须非常出色才能成功。所以这里不用from/than表示比较对象。With在此表示对于…而言。
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