问英语｜英语常见问题解答

问

From a heavy gun that was raised, the captain realized that the ship must have been a cruiser. (New Concept English, Book 3, L. 32)

[原译]船长从一门捞起来的重炮上判断出这艘船很可能是一艘巡洋舰。

原译文把 must have been 译为“很可能”，是否准确？

答

may + 完成时不定式与 must + 完成时不定式所表达的意思是不同的。前者表示从现在看来过去可能发生过某事，而后者表示“逻辑上的必然性”，即说话人推断过去肯定发生过某事。请考察下面的实例及其中译文：

Sam was sure that the wallet must have been found by one of the villagers, but it was not returned to him. (New Concept English, Book 2, L.45) 萨姆肯定钱包是让一个村民拾去了，但是没有人还给他。
The city at one time must have been prosperous, for it enjoyed a high level of civilization. (New Concept English, Book 3, L. 3) 这座古城肯定一度很繁荣，因为它享有高度的文明。
Things must have gone well in Paris tonight. (Dan Brown, The Da Vinci Code) 今晚巴黎的事一定进展顺利。(《达·芬奇密码》)
You may have read about it in the papers. (PEG $^{2}$ ) 你可能已经在报纸上读到这件事了。
He may have missed the train. (CGEL) 他可能没有赶上火车。
'Still in the men's room!' Collet pointed to the blinking red dot on his laptop schematic. 'He must have broken the windows!' (Dan Brown, The Da Vinci Code) “还在男厕所!” 科莱指着电脑屏幕上闪烁的小红点说道。“他一定打破了窗户玻璃!”(《达·芬奇密码》)
Years later, I realized that my mother must have identified with Maria. (Hillary, Living History) 多年后我才意识到，母亲一定是有过和玛丽亚同样的感受。(希拉里，《亲历历史》)

练习

“Was that the dean who walked by?” “____.”
1. A
  It must be that
2. B
  It must have been
3. C
  He must be it
4. D
  Must have been it(TOEFL)
It is cold in the room. They ____ have turned off the steam.
1. A
  must
2. B
  ought to
3. C
  should
4. D
  could (全国研考)
An ambulance was waiting in the street, somebody ____ hurt or killed.
1. A
  should have been
2. B
  should be
3. C
  must have been
4. D
  should not have been
"The streets are all wet." "It ____ during the night."
1. A
  must be raining
2. B
  must have been rain
3. C
  had to rain
4. D
  must have rained(TOEFI)
“Why didn’t you answer the phone last night?” “I ____ when you called.”
1. A
  had to have slept
2. B
  have to be sleeping
3. C
  must have been sleeping
4. D
  must have slept(TOEFL)
Since the ground is white it ____ last night.
1. A
  had snowed
2. B
  must have snowed
3. C
  must snow
4. D
  must have been snow. (全国研考)
My pain ____ apparent the moment I walked into the room, for the first man I met asked sympathetically: "Are you feeling all right?"
1. A
  must be
2. B
  had been
3. C
  must have been
4. D
  had to be(全国研考,96-2)
——She looks very happy. She ____ have passed the exam. ——I guess so. It's not difficult after all.
1. A
  should
2. B
  could
3. C
  must
4. D
  might(全国高考江苏卷,07-22)
——Guess what! I have got A for my term paper. ——Great! You ____ read widely and put a lot of work into it.
1. A
  must
2. B
  should
3. C
  must have
4. D
  should have(全国高考上海卷,07-29)
The teacher ____ have thought Johnson was worth it or she wouldn't have wasted time on him, I suppose.
1. A
  should
2. B
  can
3. C
  would
4. D
  must(全国高考安徽卷,07-23)
She ____ fifty or so when I first met her at the conference.
1. A
  must be
2. B
  had been
3. C
  could be
4. D
  must have been(全国英语专业四级,07-56)

问

He also conceived that the solar system and the universe would come into existence by A B C a natural process and would disappear one day. (全国研考,94-13)

谢振元教授主编《研究生入学考试英语复习指南》(1997)(中国人民大学出版社)对上道题的解答如下：

“conceived 是想象过去发生的事, 即对从句中 come into existence 的过去动作进行推测, 故从句中的谓语动词应为 ‘would + have come’。”

请问将(B)中的 would come 改为 would have come 是否正确?

答

would have done 这个结构常常用来表示过去实际上未发生的动作(用于虚拟语气)。例如：

If you had done as I told you to do this would not have happened. (Dreiser) 如果你按我告诉你的那样去干了的话, 这事就不会发生了。
Anybody else would have believed you. (MED) 要是其他人就会相信你说的话。
But for your help we would have been late. (Chambers) 要是没有你的帮助,我们就会迟到了。
What would I not have given to be able to say the rules without a mistake! 要是当时我能一字不差地把这些规则说出来,我是什么代价不愿意付出啊!

此外, would have done 这个结构也可以用于表示推测(“也许”“想必”“大概”“可能”)。例如：

I thought you would have finished this by now. (Chambers) 我想此刻你可能已经把这件事干完了。
He would have reached New York. (CEG) 他现在大概已经到达纽约了。

would have done 的后一用法,虽然是表示“推测”,但与表示“推测”的 must have done 在程度上和口气上是有重大区别的。前者肯定性很弱,只表示“大概”“也许”的意思,而后者肯定性很强,表示“一定”“必定”的意思。根据句意,应将(B)中的 would come 改为 must have come 或 had come。