（1）He was to regret this decision.
[原译]这一决定他将来是会后悔的。(《实用英语语法》,95年修订版,p.230)
(2) In the next ten years they were to work together in the same unit.
[原译]以后十年他们将在一个单位一道工作。（同上）
(3) This plan, however, was to be altered later.
[原译]但这个计划后来将做改变。(同上)
(4) The meeting was to be held the following week. (同上, p. 180)
[原译]会议将在后一周召开。
请问 was/were to do 这个结构的意义和用法。上面的译文都将 was to 译成了将来时,是否正确?
应当指出,半助动词 be to 的一般过去时(was/were to)有时候具有纯过去将来时的意义(a pure future-in-the-past meaning)。在这种情况下,was/were to + infinitive 相当于 would + infinitive。关于这一点,国内的英语语法著作都很少谈及。请看下面的例句及其译法:
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Thirty years later, this precocious youth was to be the first President of the United States. 三十年后，这个早熟的青年当上了美国第一任总统。
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This I was only to learn later. 我是在后来才知道了这件事。
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My teacher was later to become the greatest historian of American relations with China. 我的老师后来成了最伟大的美中关系史家。
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In 1642 a boy was born in England who was to become one of the greatest scientists in the history of the world. 在 1642 年,一个后来成为世界史上最伟大的科学家的男孩在英国诞生了。
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But more important than the particular value of any new fruit or vegetable were the lessons, the practical teachings, that were soon to be practiced by hundreds of plant researchers around the world. 但是，比水果或蔬菜的任何新品种的具体价值更为重要的，是他的教导，是他那很快就被世界上千百个植物研究者付诸实践的学说。
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I first met him in 1952. I was not to meet him again for 16 years. 我初次见到他是在 1952 年,以后我们有十六年没有再见面。
从上面的例句可以看出,具有过去将来时意义的 to be to + infinitive 结构主要用于历史著作或故事中。这个结构表示某个过去的时间点之后发生的历史事件,而不能表示作者讲话的时刻以后发生的将来事件,也就是说,这个结构所表示的事件必定发生在故事的“彼时”和作者讲话时的“此刻”之间。因此,在你提出的四个例句中,译者将 was to do 译为纯粹的将来时是值得商榷的。
例(1)、(2)、(3)、(4)可分别译为：
(1)后来他对这一决定感到很后悔。
(2)在以后的十年里,他们在一个单位一道工作。
(3)但是后来这个计划作了改变。
(4)这个会议在下一周召开了。