A mid-table position is not the return on their investment their generous owners would have been expecting.
would have been expecting 的时态表示什么意义?
(that)their generous owners would have been expecting是省略了关系代词的定语从句修饰the return on their invesrtment. 定语从句的谓语动词形式would have been expecting不外乎三种可能性:1 过去将来时态(表示从过去的立场看将会持续到将来某个时候的事件);2 虚拟语气(表示与一直持续到过去某个时候的事实相反); 3 说话人对从过去一直持续到现在的事件做出的有80-90%把握的推测。根据上下文的逻辑可以排除第一和第二种可能。所以would have been expecting是情态动词would的推测性用法。
译文如下:
直译:中等业绩并非慷慨的业主们很可能一直期待的投资回报。
润色:中等业绩很可能不是慷慨的业主们一直以来所期待的投资回报。
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