6 could have done表示推测还是理论上的可能

各位老师好,请问在下面这句话中 could have expected 表示的是对过去动作的主观猜测还是表示理论上的可能性?

One could have expected that it would be about then that the phrase would be coined

我的思考是,首先句中could have done应该不是情态动词could的非推测用法中表示假设意义的用法,因为我并未在上下文中读出与过去事态相反的假设。于是,我就在非推测用法,表示理论上(或事实上)的可能,以及推测性用法,表示对过去动作的主观猜测这两种用法中考虑。思考良久后,我先是觉得可能是表示对过去动作的主观推测,理由是:expect后的that分句表示了对过去的推测含义,体现在would的推测性用法上,并且整段文字都是描述过去时间的事情,因此前文的could have done应该也是表示的是推测性用法。但是后来觉得假如是表示理论上好像也可以,表示这种可能性的存在。来回思索,思绪混乱,莫衷一是,只能恳请老师们赐教。

以下是这句话的上下文,句中的 phrase,指的是上文的Queen’s English

So the next morning, the conversation over, one looked it up. The phrase came into use some time in the 16th century. "Queen's English" is found in Nashe's "Strange News of the Intercepting of Certain Letters" in 1593, and in 1602, Dekker wrote of someone, "thou clipst the Kinge's English." Is the phrase in Shakespeare? That would be the confirmation that it was in general use. He uses it once, when Mistress Quickly in The Merry Wives of Windsor says of her master coming home in a rage, "…here will be an old abusing of God's patience and the King's English," and it rings true.

One could have expected that it would be about then that the phrase would be coined. After five centuries of growth, of tussling with the French of the Normans and the Angevins and the Plantagenets and at last absorbing it, the conquered in the end conquering the conqueror, English had come royally into its own. 

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2 个回答

胡德忠  
擅长:英语

我觉得这里的 could have expected 是表示主观猜测,意思是“可能早就预料到”。

One could have expected that it would be about then that the phrase would be coined. 人们可能早就预料到,这个词语大概就是那个时期被创造出来的。

could have done 的用法归纳:

1. 表示主观猜测:即对已经发生动作或已经存在的状态作出主观上的猜测,通常可译为可能(已经)”,有时需根据具体语境来翻译。如:

Tom could have taken the money; he was here alone yesterday. 有可能是汤姆把钱拿走了,昨天他单独一个人在这里呆过。

We knew he couldn’t have paid for it, because he had no money. 我们知道不可能是他付了这笔钱,因为他没钱。

该用法也可将could换成can,但这只限于否定句和疑问句,因为can表推测时不用于肯定句(而could可以用于肯定句)。如:

Can he have left already? 他会已经离开了吗?

They can’t have gone out because the light’s on. 他们不可能出去了,因为灯还亮着。

2. 表示未曾实现的能力:即表示过去本来有能力可以做某事的,但实际上没有那样去做,通常译为本来可以”“本来能力等。如:

The worst of it is that I could have prevented the accident. 最糟糕的是我本来可以防止这次事故的。

I could have passed my examination easily but I made too many stupid mistakes. 我本可以轻易通过考试,但我犯了太多不该犯的错误。

有时用于反语。如:

You’ve broken my pen—thanks for nothing, I could have done that for myself. 你把我的笔给弄坏了——你得了吧,就那我自己也会弄。

3. 表示未实现的可能性:即表示过去本来可能发生情况,而实际上没有发生,通常译为本来可以”“本来可能等。如:

She could have been seriously injured. 她本来可能伤得很重的。

It’s difficult enough, but it could have been worse. 这事情够困难的了,本来可能会更糟呢。

有时也可根据语境译为好在没有”“差点,尤其是当谈论的是不好的情况时。如:

She felt miserable. She could have cried. 她感到很痛苦,她差点哭了。

Why did you throw the bottle out of the window? Somebody could have been hurt. 你为什么把瓶子扔出窗外呢?好在没有砸伤人。

4. 表示未曾实现的想法:即表示过去本来有做某事的打算或意图,但实际上没有实现,通常译为本来可以。如:

I could have lent you the money. Why didn’t you ask me? 我本来可以借这笔钱给你的。你为什么不向我提出?

I could have given you some hints, but I suppose you thought yourself too grand. 我本可以给你点提示的,但是我认为你太自负了。

5. 表示未曾实现的选择:即表示过去本来可以有机会选择做某事,但实际上没有那样做,通常译为本来可以。如:

You needn’t have typed it twice. You could have used a carbon. 你没必要打两遍的,你当时本可以用复写纸打。

You needn’t have walked up; you could have taken the lift. 你没必要走着上去,你本来可以乘电梯的。

6. 表示批评或责备:即表示过去本来有责任或义务应该做某事的,但实际上却没有做成,含有批评和责备的意味,通常译为本来应该”“本来可以等。如:

You could have started a little earlier. 你本可早点动身的。

You could have helped me—why did you just sit and watch? 你本来可以帮我一把嘛——为什么你只是坐在那儿观望呢?

7. 表示可能达到的极限:表示即使人们尽力而为去做某事,但还是未能做成,通常用于否定句。如:

I couldn’t have won, so I didn’t go in for the race. 反正我也赢不了,所以我就没有参加赛跑。

I couldn’t have enjoyed myself more—it was a perfect day. 我玩得没法再痛快了——这一天简直痛快极了。

8. 表示惊讶:表示对所发生的情况感到惊奇,含有竟然的意味。如:

It seems inconceivable that the accident could have happened so quickly. 这一事故发生得这么快,简直不可思议。

Well, I’m blowed! I should never have thought you could have done it. 真想不到! 我从未想到居然办得到。

9. 用于虚拟语气:在虚拟条件句中,当谈论过去的情况时,其句型通常是:主句用“could / would / should /might +have+过去分词,从句用过去完成时。如:

If he had known the facts, he could have told us what to do. 如果他了解事实,他是可能告诉我们怎样做的。

If anybody had asked me, I could have told them what happened. 如果有谁问过我,我可以告诉他们发生了什么情况。

10. 用于口语惯用表达:如用于I could have sworn…,表示我可以发誓”“我千真万确。如:

I could have sworn I’d paid that bill. 我可以发誓我付过账。

I could have sworn I heard a knock at the door. 我千真万确听到了敲门声。

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陈才   - 英语教师
擅长:中考英语,词法问题

So the next morning, the conversation over, one looked it up. The phrase came into use some time in the 16th century. "Queen's English" is found in Nashe's "Strange News of the Intercepting of Certain Letters" in 1593, and in 1602, Dekker wrote of someone, "thou clipst the Kinge's English." Is the phrase in Shakespeare? That would be the confirmation that it was in general use. He uses it once, when Mistress Quickly in The Merry Wives of Windsor says of her master coming home in a rage, "…here will be an old abusing of God's patience and the King's English," and it rings true.

One could have expected that it would be about then that the phrase would be coined. After five centuries of growth, of tussling with the French of the Normans and the Angevins and the Plantagenets and at last absorbing it, the conquered in the end conquering the conqueror, English had come royally into its own.

闲聊过后,第二天一早便有人去查阅了资料。这个名词在16世纪已有人使用过。纳什作于1593年的《截获信函奇闻》中就有过"标准英语"(Queen's English)的提法。1602年德克写到某人时有句话说:"你把'标准英语'(King's Engligh)简化了"。莎士比亚作品中是否也出现过这一提法呢?如出现过,那就证明这个词在当时即已通用。他用过一次,在《温莎的风流娘儿们》中,快嘴桂嫂在讲到她家老爷回来后将会有的盛怒情形时说,"……少不了一顿臭骂,骂得鬼哭神愁,伦敦的官话("标准英语")不知要给他糟蹋成个什么样子啦。"后来的事实果然被她说中了。

人们本来可以预料到为这个词语就是那个时期被创造出来的。经过前后五百年的发展和与诺曼底人、安茹王朝及金雀花王朝的法语的竞争,英语最终同化了法语。被征服者变成了征服者,英语取得了国语的地位。

Could have done sth 表示过去未实现的可能性用法

Tom could have been seriously injured. 汤姆本可能伤的很严重。

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  • 方振任 提出于 2023-03-08 22:24