一般过去时还是现在完成时?
—I'm afraid I can't go with you.
—But you ______!
A. promised B. have promised
我个人比较同意千千老师的看法,我也觉得应该选A。
一般说来,当要表示过去的说法、想法、情况等,现在被证明是无效的、错误的或不真实的,宜用一般过去时,而不能用现在完成时。请看来自Longman Language Activator 的相关例句:
下面的例句来自《剑桥语法》:
我与凡哥老师的看法稍有所不同(个人看法):我觉得这里不宜用现在完成时来表示过去的承诺对现在的影响。如果真是强调这种“影响”,正常的逻辑应该是:既然答应要去,现在就应该去。
比如下面这个句子,用的是现在完成时have promised,它对现在的影响就是“现在让人觉得高兴”。为什么高兴?因为他们“承诺”重新审査这个案子:
The one bright spot is that they have promised to reexamine the mse. 唯一值得高兴的是他们答应重新审査这个案子。
很受益老师们的分析和探讨,凡哥老师“日常交流中, A的表达更常见”的观点,在外文论坛也见到有类似观点,不完全排除使用现在完成时态的情形。摘自一个网友的表述:
As to 'have promised', I can imagine its being right ( in Scenario 1: The father had previously promised to accompany his son to the movies but later decided to retract that promise. Consequently, the son was informed of this change and felt disappointed. The son says, "But you have promised this six times before. Clearly, it doesn't matter to you. I'll not ask again, Daddy."
利用碎片化的时间找了一些正式出版物上的原句,给大家看看,请特别注意后面几句,确实是19世纪的。直接上:
1.-"Wilson, let me alone." She said calmly.
-"It is too late." I defended my self.
-"I'm not going to get out even to tell you something."
-"But you have promised to me."
-"When time comes I shall do that, but not now. I still need time to think."
2.-"...When I had no more to give him he left me to misery and destitution. I heard that he had money, and I wrote to him — I confess it to my shame — for aid and assistance, but my letter remained unanswered. Then I felt that I had fallen low enough, and only desired to die." "But you have promised to live," cried George eagerly.
3.The next morning he was waiting at the bottom of the stairs when Esteban appeared:
“We’re starting when you’re ready,” said the Captain. The strange glitter had
returned to the boy’s eyes. He blurted out: “No, I’m not coming. I’m not coming after all.”
“Aie! Esteban! But you have promised me that you would come.”
“It’s impossible. I can’t come with you,” and he turned back up the stairs.
4." Anna, what were you thinking of?"She raised her ghastly face and looked up in my eyes.
" Of how nice it would be, if you would let me die," she said.
" But you have promised me."
5."And remember how I told you once before, it is easy to make a promise."The heart-broken wife begged the priest to come and speak to her husband. The priest came. The banker received him with every mark of respect and kindness. But on one point he was immoveable; he would not allow his children to be Catholics."But you have promised. And a man who has any sense of honor any self-respect, will keep his promise."
6.“The man is a heathen. - You are lending them solely because he is your relative. And these are Christian men: My servants.”Immediately he confessed his mistake ; telling the Lord he would not send the men.
“But you have promised,” came the answer.
7.He told his secretary that he thought he would not fill the engagement.
“But you have promised.” “Well, telephone them that I can’t come, if you want to, but anyway, I am not going.”
8.“He said, ‘I wish you hadn’t made me promise to tell you the truth,’ and Charles said, ‘But you have promised. What is the truth?’
9.“ Chapo, I cannot marry you,” she said.
“ But you have promised!” She shook a stubborn head.
“ What have I done?” he asked.
“You have done nothing. You are a saint to me; but marry you—no, no, no!”