1. I arrived there before the train had started to go
2. You are not going out until you have finished this.
before通常表示主句的事件发生于从句火车开动前,如,i had arrived there before train started to go,但如果按照这个逻辑来看第一个句子,会发现从句的时居然先于主句?这是否与before的语义相互矛盾?
同样地,until,一般都是主句的事件或状态开始发生于从句的事件结束前,如:i had played games for three hours until my mom came in .但在句2中,主句用进行时表示将来事件,从句用一般现在时表示将来完成,这样一来,好像从句的时变成了在主句之前,与until的语义直到…,产生矛盾?
1 I arrived there before the train had started to go.
当before从句谓语动词为短暂动词时,完成体和一般体意义几乎没有区别,你可以改为一般体,意思没有变化。但如果before从句为延续性动词,且该动词的动词持续时间较长时,一般体和完成体的意义就有差别了。例如:
He moved to Beijing before he wrote the book. 写书的动作是他搬到北京以后的事。
He moved to Beijing before he had written the book. 写书的动作可能在搬到北京以前就开始了,只不过是到北京以后才完成的。
所以,当你看到before从句谓语动词为短暂动词的过去完成时,则直接忽略,按照一般体理解即可。
2 You are not going out until you have finished this.
until从句略有不同。until表示主句动作或状态的结束时间点,当主句为否定句时,其意义为动作没有发生的状态持续到until的时间结束,即在那个时间点开始发生。当until从句谓语动词用完成体时,其意义为until the time by which you have finished this. 假设你是2点钟finish this, 那么在2点3分这个时间,你就已经完成了,即have finished. 那么你在2点3分就可以出去了。如果用一般体,until you finish this. 那么你在2点正就可以出去了。由于2点正和2点3分之间的间隔很短,所以一般体和完成体的差异往往被人们忽略,这二个时态就可以混用了。
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