五、ought to的用法
1. 表示义务或责任
意为“应该”:
We ought to start at once. 我们应该马上离开。
Such things ought not to be allowed. 这类事不该容许。
2. 表示建议或劝告
意为“应该”:
You ought to see the new film. 你应该看看这部新电影。
We oughtn’t to take risks. 我们不宜于冒险。
He said I ought to write an article about it. 他说我应当写一篇文章谈这事。
3. 表示推断
意为“应该”、“可能”:
That ought to be enough food for all of us. 那些该够我们大家吃的了。
Ask John. He ought to know. 问问约翰吧,他该知道。
I ought to be fit for work next month. 下个月我想必可以工作了。
注:用ought to 表示推断时,语气较肯定,通常指的是一种合乎逻辑的可能性(与should表推断时相似),有时可译为“准是”(但语气比must要弱):
That ought to [should] be Janet coming upstairs now. 正在上楼的准是珍妮特。
4. 所接动词所用形式
根据不同情况ought to后可接不同的动词形式:
(1) 接动词原形,用于谈论现在或将来的情况。(见上例)
(2) 接进行式,用于谈论正在进行的事:
You oughtn’t to be talking so much,Annie. 你不宜讲这么多话,安妮。
It isn’t what I ought to be doing. 这不是我现在应该做的事。
有时表示将要发生的事(正如用进行时态表示将来一样):
I ought to be going. 我该走了。
We ought to be hearing from him soon. 我们不久应当会接到他的信。
(3) 接完成式,用于过去的情况,可指过去已经发生的情况,也可接本该发生而实际上未发生的情况:
They ought to have arrived by now. 他们现在应该已经到了。
I ought to have helped her,but I never could. 我本该帮助她的,却从未能这样做。
I don’t think you ought to have done that. 我想你不应该这样做的。
5. 使用注意点
(1) 在否定式中用ought not 或oughtn’t,在疑问中将ought提到主语之前:
He ought to go now, oughtn’t he? 他现在该走了,是吗?
(2) 在美国英语中,ought to用于否定句和疑问句时可将to省略(但在肯定句中to不宜省)。另外,在省略句中也可以省去to:
Ought we (to) have done it? 我们本该做此事吗?
"Ought I to go?" "Yes, you ought (to)." “我该去吗?”“对,你该去。”
6. ought to与 should的用法区别
(1) 一般说来,两者可替换,只是ought to语气稍重:
You ought to[should] go and see Mary sometime. 你应该什么时候去看看玛丽。
The train ought to [should] have arrived at six. 火车本应该6点钟到的。
(2) 表示出于法令规则、行为准则、道德责任等客观情况而“应该”做某事时,一般应用ought to,若用should则含有个人意见,强调主观看法:
We ought to go and see Mary tomorrow, but I don’t think we will. 明天我们按理应该去看看玛丽,但是我认为我们不会去(此句不宜用should)。
(3) 在公告、须知或条例中,出于礼貌,常用should:
You should not run alongside the swimming-pool. 不准在游泳池边奔跑。
六、will与would的用法
1. 表示意愿
will 表示现在的意愿,would表示过去的意愿:
I will pay you at the rate you ask. 我愿意照你要求的价钱付款。
Go where you will. 你愿到哪里就到哪里。
He wouldn’t help me yesterday. 他昨天不愿帮助我。
She asked if I would go with them. 他问我是否愿同他们一起去。
注:(1) 表示“意愿”的 will 有时可用于条件句中:
If you will allow me, I will see you home. 如果你同意,我可以送你回家。
(2) would也可表示现在的意愿,语气较委婉:
I’d go there with you. 我愿同你去那儿。
I wouldn’t go. 我不会去。
2. 表示征求意见或提出请求
主要用于第二人称的疑问句中,will和would均可用,would此时并不表过去,而表示委婉语气:
Won’t you take off your coat? 你要不要把大衣脱掉?
Will [would] you please post the letter for me? 请帮我寄了这封信好吗?
Would Sunday night suit you? 星期天晚上适合你吗?
注:(1) 有时为使语气委婉,可用否定式。总的说来,用would比用will委婉,用won’t和would’t比单独用will和would要委婉。
(2) would有时用于提出想示,通常与like, love, hate, prefer, be glad, be happy等连用,若用于第一人称有时也可将would换成should:
I’d like [love] to have a look at it. 我想看看它。
I would prefer not to go out today. 我今天不想出去。
3. 表示习惯和倾向性
will表示现在的习惯,would表示过去的习惯:
Oil will float on water. 油总是浮在水上。
This window won’t open. 这扇窗户经常打不开。
He’ll talk for hours, if you let him. 你要让他讲,他会讲几个小时。
The wound would not heal. (过去)伤口老不愈合。
When he was a child, he would often go skiing. 他小时候经常去滑雪。
He would sit there for hours sometimes doing nothing at all. 有时他在那里一坐几个钟头,什么也不做。
注:有时would表示经常发生的令人不耐烦的事:
That’s exactly like him—he would lose her keys! 他就是这样,老丢钥匙!
4. 表示推测
will用于谈论现在,would可用于谈论过去,也可用于谈论现在(语气较委婉):
This car will hold six people. 这辆小汽车可以坐六个人。
Ask him. He will know. 问问他吧,他大概知道。
You wouldn’t know. 你不会知道。
Every family would have some sort of trouble. 家家都会有本难念的经。
The person you mentioned would be her father, is that right? 你提的那个人想必是她的父亲,对吗?
注:有时可后接完成式,表示对过去可能已经发生的情况进行推测:
You will have heard of it. 你已经听到那事了吧。
I thought you would have finished it by now. 我想你现在可能已经做完了吧。
5. 表示执意或决心
will表示现在的执意和决心,would表示过去的执意和决心:
“Tell me the secret.” “I won’t.”“把秘密告诉我。”“我才不哩。”
I won’t have anything said against her. 我绝不让谁说她的坏话。
He would do it, though I told him not to. 虽然我叫他不要做,可是他偏要做。
注:此用法可视为表意愿的加强用法,即强烈的意愿即为决心。
6. 其他用法
will 还可表示许诺、指示、叮嘱等,而would还可用于评论某一特定的行为等:
You will have your share. 你会得到你那一份的。
You will do as I told you. 你得照我说的去做。
That’s just what he would say. 他就是爱那样讲话。
You would never do anything to hurt me. 你绝不会做伤害我的事的。
7. would与虚拟条件句
有时用would,可视为是省略了或包含有相关条件的虚拟语气:
I might see her personally. It would be better. 我可能亲自去看她,那样更好些。(=It would bebetter if I saw her personally.)
She’d be stupid not to accept. 她不接受那才笨呢。(=She would be stupid if the didn’t accept.)