问英语｜英语常见问题解答

should have done¹

问

I told him that he ____ worked much harder. A. should have B. shall have C. will have D. could have 请就此题分析 should have done 的用法和含义。

答

should + 完成体不定式不是表示“应该去做某事”，而是表示“本应该做某事，而实际上并没有做”。例如：

You should have written to your mother. 你本应该给你母亲写信(实际上至今没有写)。
He should have come earlier. 他应该早点儿来(实际上来晚了)。
The plant is dead. Maybe I should have given it more water. 这棵苗死了。也许我本应该给它多浇点水。
They should have arrived in Beijing yesterday. 他们本应该昨天到达北京(或:他们可能昨天已到达北京了)。
Those who failed to get in need not have felt disappointed as many of the artists who should have appeared did not come. (New Concept English, Book 2, L. 89) 因为许多该登台的艺术家都没有来，所以没能进来的观众是本不必感到遗憾的。
He should have known that the police would never allow this sort of thing. (New Concept English, Book 2, L.65) 他本该知道警察是不允许这样做的。
We all know what the poor man should have said, but what he actually said was: 'This is the Poo and Ee Seed Bird Company. Good ladies, evening and gentlemen!' (同上, L. 89) 我们都知道那位可怜的人儿本来应该说些什么，但他实际上说的却是：“这是 Poo 和 Ee 食鸟公司，好女士们，晚上和先生们！”
How I regretted the hours wasted in the woods and fields, the days when I had played and should have studied. (许国璋《英语》) 我多么后悔浪费在树林和田野里的时光,那些我本该读书却只顾玩耍的日子。
Some felt the information should have been shared with the world long ago. (Dan Brown, The Da Vinci Code) 有人认为这些文献早该拿出来与世人分享了。(《达·芬奇密码》)
Muhammad Yunus should have been awarded the Nobel Prize in Economics years ago. (B. Clinton, My Life) 穆罕默德·尤努斯本应该在几年以前就获得诺贝尔经济学奖。(《我的生活》)

练习

请做下面的英语试题：

I regret having left the work unfinished; I should plan everything ahead carefully. (全国研考, 92-65)
“John didn’t come to see me this morning.” “I ____ him last night but I was too busy.” A. should telephone B. should have telephoned C. had to telephone D. ought to telephone(TOEFL)
You ____ him so closely; you should have kept your distance. A. shouldn't follow B. mustn't follow C. couldn't have been following D. shouldn't have been following(全国四级,00.6-42)
Tom ____ better than to ask Dick for help. A. shall know B. shouldn't know C. has known D. should have known(全国六级,91.6-41)
I told your friend how to get to the hotel, but perhaps I ____ have driven her there. A. could B. must C. might D. should(全国高考陕西卷,07-14)

should have done²

问

You should have switched off the electric current.

should have done $^{3}$

[原译]你应把电源切断。(《科技英语句子结构》,上海科技出版社,p.83)请问译文是否正确?

答

如前所述,should have + v-ed 可用来表示应该进行而实际上没有进行的动作。但译文未能把这一层意义表达出来。因为“你应该把电源切断”这句话也可以理解为指现在或将来。

[试译]你本应该把电源切断的。

(参见 should have done $^{1}$ )

should have done³

问

Our visitors should have arrived at the airport by now.

现在他们本应该到达机场的。

上面的译文是否正确？

答

在没有上下文的条件下,should + 完成时不定式的最常见用法,就是表达“本应该做而实际上没有做某事”(If you say that something should have happened, you mean that it did not happen, but you expected it to happen or you wish that it had happened.)。例如:

You should have thought about that before you invited her. (EED) 在你邀请她之前本应该想到这一点的。
You should have washed the wound. (But you haven't.) (Wells) 你本应把伤口洗一洗。(但你却没有洗。)
I'm going to have to get back to Downing Street. I should have been there an hour ago. (J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows) 我必须要回到唐宁街去，我一个小时前就该到那里的。(《哈利·波特与死亡圣徒》)

但是,你提出的句子,由于受 by now 的制约,具有另外的含义。在这里,助动词 should 表示 “推测”“估计”(If you say that something should have happened by now, you mean that it has probably happened by now)。例如:

Have you heard from Maria? She should have started her job on Monday. (CGEL) 你收到玛丽娅的信了吗？她也许在星期一就开始工作了。
Dear Mom, you should have heard by now that I'm O.K. 亲爱的妈妈,你可能已经听说我一切都好。

按照后一种理解,你提出的句子似应译为:我们的客人此刻应该到达机场了。请做下面的英语试题:

"Elizabeth borrowed the book a month ago." "Then she should ____ it by now." A. to finish B. have finished C. finish D. had finished (TOEFL) (参见 should have done $^{4}$ )

should have done⁴

问

You should have seen his face! [原译]你真该看看他那副面孔！(《英语用法指南》，外研社，01，p.713) 请问上面的译文是否符合原意？

答

上面的译文可以理解为“现在看看”，也可以理解为“将来看看”。但是，绝没有“过去（当时）你本应该看看”这层含义。而原文恰恰是表达后一含义的。

[试译]那时你真该看看他那副面孔！（或：你本该看看他那副面孔！）