原书主词条 · 14 个连续词条

future

原书 PDF 第 571—576 页

future¹

in future/in the future $^{1}$

问

《英语难题解析》(旅游教育出版社,1995年,p.376)说:“in future 是指从现在算起的全部将来时间;而 in the future 是指将来某时的动作”。因此要与表示短暂性动词连用。”但是这种说法似乎不能解释下面的句子：

In the future, we may all work fewer hours a day. (LDAM) (work 为持续动词) 在将来我们每天的工作时间要减少。
In the future people may live on the moon. (同上) (live 为持续动词) 在将来人们可能生活在月球上。

答

利用现代语言学家们对 in future 与 in the future 所作的阐述,似乎能够回答你的问题: in future 指今后的时间段(from now onwards——今后,从今以后,将来),而 in the future 虽然也可以指今后的整个时间段(=in future)或将来的某一时间段,但更常见的是指时间位置(time position),即将来的某个时间点(at some time in the future)。下面让我们用实例来验证一下:

In future you'd better get his permission first. (FWF) (in future 指今后的整个时间段) 以后你最好首先得到他的允许。
I hope you will be more careful in future about the things you say. (Shaw) 我希望你今后更加注意你说的话。
In future, astronauts will be required to descend from a spaceship while it is still in space and to return to it. (New Concept English, Book 2, L.61) 将来,要求宇航员从停在太空中的宇宙飞船里出来,然后再回到船上去。
She would see less of him in the future. (London) (in the future 指以后的整个时间段) 以后她将较少见到他了。
In the future travel agencies may be organising trips to the moon. (Wood) 在将来旅行社有可能组织到月球的旅行。(in the future 指将来的某个时间段)
No one knows what will happen in the future. (in the future 指将来的某个时间点) 谁也不知道将来会发生什么事。
You will have to treat me with more respect in the future. (Wilde) 今后你必须用比较尊重的态度来对待我。(in the future 指今后的整个时间段)
In the future, automation may enable human beings to enjoy far more leisure than they do today. 到了将来，自动化的发展将使得人类享受到比现在所享受到的更多的闲暇。(in the future 指将来的某个时间段)
I want to buy a car in the future. (in the future 指将来的某个时间点) 我想将来买辆汽车。
Eventually, and not too far in the future, they will make decisions on the production line currently delegated to a supervisor. (The Guardian) (in the future 指将来的某个时间段) 最终, 在不太远的将来, 它们将在生产线上代替目前的管理人员作决定。(卫报) (译文引自《现代英语报刊阅读词典》)

练习

____, please make an effort to be punctual.
1. A
  For future
2. B
  Future on
3. C
  On a future day
4. D
  In future

future¹

)。

future²

in future/in the future $^{2}$

问

You will have to treat me with more respect ____.

A. future B. in future C. in the future D. in a future

《高中英语考点速查词典》(知识出版社, p. 148) 指出上题只能选 C。能否选 B 呢?

答

在表示“今后”这个意义时，即指将来的整个时间段时，既可以使用 in future，亦可使用 in the future，但更多的是使用 in future。因此，上题的选项 C 和选项 B 都是正确的。

[建议]在中学英语阶段,可向学生指出,in future 和 in the future 均可表示“今后”这一含义。我们在测试中不应当否定其中的某一表达方式。同时应向学生指出,只有 in the future 才能表示将来的某个时间段或某个时间点。此时不能用 in future 来代替(参见

future³

in future/in the future $^{3}$

问

有一本英语难题解析书说：“in future 是指从现在算起的全部将来时间；而 in the future 是指将来某时的动作。因此要与表示短暂性动词连用。”

请问: in the future 只能与表示短暂性动词连用吗?

答

上面的解释指出了 in the future 表示将来的某个时间点时与 in future 的本质区别。但是, in the future 除了表示“将来的某个时间点”之外, 还可表示“将来的整个时间段或将来的某个时间段”。在后两种情况下, in the future 是可以与持续性动词连用的。例如:

In the future, we may all work fewer hours a day. (LDAM) (in the future 表示将来的某个时间段, work 为持续动词) 在将来我们每天的工作时间要减少。
In the future people may live on the moon. (同上) (live 为持续动词) 在将来人们可能生活在月球上。

future⁴

future continuous tense(将来进行时)

问

He'll be arriving at about eleven o'clock tonight.

上句中的 will be arriving(将来进行时)与表示将来时间的 will arrive 有什么区别?

答

将来进行时的一个很重要的用法就是表示按计划、安排要进行的动作,即“将来的当然事件”:

I'll be seeing you next week. 我下周将去看你。
Will you be seeing the new play? 你将去看这部新剧吗？
Professor White will be giving a lecture tomorrow evening. 怀特教授明天晚上要来作报告。

有一位著名的英语学者说过,当飞机驾驶员对他的乘客说:

We'll be flying at 30,000 feet. 他的意思是：“三万英尺是我们这次飞行的预定的正常高度”，另一方面，如果他说：

We'll fly at 30,000 feet. 那他的意思是：“我们刚刚决定在这一高度上飞行。”

由此可以看出,如将你提问的句子中的 will be arriving 改为 will arrive,那就会失掉原句中的“计划”“安排”的含义。再如:

Good. For your own safety, you need to get off the street immediately. The police will be looking for the limousine soon, and I do not want you caught. (Dan Brown, The Da Vinci Code) 那好，为了你自身的安全，你马上离开街道。警察很快会来寻找你们的汽车。我不想看到你被抓走。（《达·芬奇密码》）
One note, folks. We've only touched on Da Vinci today, but we'll be seeing a lot more of him this semester... (Dan Brown, The Da Vinci Code) 大家注意,今天我们只提及了一点儿关于达·芬奇的内容,在本学期中我们还将对他作更多的探讨……(《达·芬奇密码》)

练习

Henry will not be able to attend the meeting tonight because he ____ a class.
1. A
  will be teaching
2. B
  will teach

future⁵

future continuous tense/future indefinite tense(将来进行时/一般将来时)

问

将来进行时除了表示“计划”“安排”之外,还有什么用法呢?

答

与一般将来时相比,将来进行时还有以下用法:

A. 将来进行时表示将来某个时刻或某个时间段正在进行的动作：

At 10 o'clock tomorrow, she will be in her office. She will be working. (将来的某个时刻正在进行的动作) 明天 10 点她将在办公室。她将在那里工作。
Don't phone me between 7 and 8. We'll be having dinner then. (在将来的某个时间段正在进行的动作) 七点至八点之间不要给我打电话,那时我们正在吃饭。
Representatives from the French police will be landing shortly. (Dan Brown, The Da Vinci Code) 法国警方马上会来这里。(《达·芬奇密码》)

B. 将来进行时能表示客气、委婉的口气,请对比:

When will you pay back the money? 你什么时候还钱？（说话人似乎在粗鲁地讨债）
When will you be paying back the money? 你应当在什么时候还钱呢？（说话人比较客气，他暗示还钱是将来“当然要做的事情”）
When will you finish these letters? 你什么时候会处理完这些信件？（上司对下属会这么说）
When will you be seeing Mr White? 你什么时候会见怀特先生？（下属对上司会这么说）
Will you be needing anything else? 您还需要什么吗?

future⁶

future indefinite tense

future⁷

future perfect tense $^{1}$

问

In the next few chapters, once we have understood Newton's Law, we shall apply it to the motions of the moon and planets. (PSSC, Physics, Chap. II)

[原译]在以下几章里,我们将运用已经学过的运动定律来研究月球和行星的运动。(《物理》(二),科学出版社,p.296)

请问从句中的 have understood 是现在完成时吗？

答

once 从句中的 have understood 并不是现在完成时,而是将来完成时。

英语动词的将来完成时表示在将来的某一时间点之前业已完成的动作。动词的将来完成时由 shall/will + have + v-ed 构成。例如：

I hope we'll have got the instructions ready before you come tomorrow. 我希望明天你来之前我们已把说明书准备好了。
By the end of this month, we shall have carried out our production plan. 到本月底我们将完成生产计划。
We'd better wait till 14 December. David will have had his exam by then so he'll be able to enjoy himself. (PEG) 我们最好等到12月14日。到那时大卫就考完试了，这样他就能痛痛快快地玩一玩。
The Church will have won their age-old war to rewrite history. The past will be erased for ever. (Dan Brown, The Da Vinci Code) 罗马教廷将会打赢这场世纪之战，从而改写历史。历史的真相将永远被抹去。（《达·芬奇密码》）

但是，在时间或条件状语从句中，当需要表达将来完成时的意义时，则须用现在完成时来代替将来完成时，即用 have + v-ed 结构来代替 shall/will + have + v-ed 结构。例如：

I will repair your bicycle when I have finished this job. 我做完这项工作之后就修理你

的自行车。

By the time the pressure has fallen to atmospheric pressure, the temperature will drop also to the steam temperature at that pressure. 当压力降到大气压力时，温度也将降到常压下的蒸气温度。
We'll start at five o'olock if it has stopped raining by then. 如果到了五点钟雨停下来的话,我们就在五点钟动身。
When I have done that, I shall have done all I was supposed to do. 做了这件事,我就做完了我应做的全部事情了。
After we have learned to control the distribution of atoms and defects in metals more closely than is the case today, we should be in a position to evolve materials with highly selective combinations of physical and plastic properties for use in the special application which advances in engineering science will create. 在我们学会了比现在更加严格地控制金属中的原子分布和缺陷以后，我们就能够研制出一些新材料，这些新材料的物理性能与塑料性能的组合情况具有很大的选择性，能适应工程科学进展所提出的特殊用途。

现在我们再回过头来研究一下你所提问的句子，便可以很容易地看出，从句中的 have understood 尽管在形式上是个现在完成时，但实际上却是个将来完成时（从属连词 once 和主句的谓语动词 shall apply 明显地表达出来了这一点）。原译文的译者显然是误解了这一点，因而把 have understood 译成了“已经学会”。“已经学会”，表示作者写这句话时已经学会，而这是与原文将来完成时意义相违背的（在作者写这句话时，作为该书读者的学生尚未学到牛顿定律），试比较：“他已经走了”。

[试译]在以下的几章里,待我们学会了牛顿定律之后,我们将运用它来研究月球和行星的运动。

练习

He will have learned English for eight years by the time he ____ from the university next year.
1. A
  will graduate
2. B
  will have graduated
3. C
  graduates
4. D
  is to graduate(上海高考,02-23)
It's reported that by the end of this month the output of cement in the factory ____ by about 10%.
1. A
  will have risen
2. B
  has risen
3. C
  will be rising
4. D
  has been rising(全国四级,96.1-39)
The conference ____ a full week by the time it ends.
1. A
  must have lasted
2. B
  will have lasted
3. C
  would last
4. D
  has lasted(全国四级,97.1-22)
“May I speak to your manager Mr. Williams at five o'clock tonight?” “I’m sorry. Mr. Williams ____ to a conference long before then.”
1. A
  will have gone
2. B
  had gone
3. C
  would have gone
4. D
  has gone(全国四级,00.6-41)
By the time he arrives in Beijing, we ____ here for two days.
1. A
  will have stayed
2. B
  shall stay
3. C
  have been staying
4. D
  have stayed(全国四级,01.6-31)
By the time you get to New York, I ____ for London.
1. A
  am leaving
2. B
  shall have left
3. C
  have already left
4. D
  would be leaving(全国四级,02.1-50)
By the time you arrive in London, we ____ in Europe for two weeks.
1. A
  shall stay
2. B
  have stayed
3. C
  will have stayed
4. D
  have been staying(全国研考,94-1)

future⁷

, first $^{3}$ 。

future⁷

。

future⁸

问

We shall not know whether the experiment has been successful until we have received a radio message. (New Concept English, Book 2, L.61) has been successful 是否表示已经成功？

答

请见上条。

future⁹

future perfect tense $^{3}$

问

This will be the first time I have visited China.

这句话摘自一位英国朋友的来信。我们大家都对从句中现在完成时的用法感到很奇怪:现在完成时表示迄今已完成的动作,这位朋友还没有到中国,怎么他说“访问过中国了”呢?

答

上句中的 have visited 表面上是现在完成时,但实际上它是将来完成时的替代形式,见

future¹⁰

future perfect tense $^{4}$

问

By the time you arrive in London, we ____ in Europe for two weeks.

A. shall stay B. have stayed C. will have stayed D. have been staying 答案为(C)。但这里为什么要用将来完成时,我一直搞不清楚:从句用一般现在时,而主句却用将来完成时。

答

使用将来完成时通常有两个条件：A. 用短语或从句来提供一个将来的时间点或时间点之前；B. 主句的动作是在这个将来的时间点之前完成的。在上句中，by the time 从句表示一个将来的时间点之前。要注意：在时间状语从句中通常是用一般现在时来表示将来时间的[参见 before(conj.) $^{1}$ ]：

If you go on at the present rate, you will have used up all the petroleum by the end of the month. 如果继续以目前的速率来使用石油，那么，到月末石油就会用光。
I hope her health will have improved greatly by the time we come back next year. 我希望等明年我们回去的时候,她的健康状况会大有好转。

future¹¹

future perfect tense $^{5}$

问

Breakfast will be ready by the time ____.

A. you dressed up B. you will be dressed C. you will have dressed D. you have dressed 有一篇文章对上题做了如下解答：

“以 by the time 开头的从句如表将来, 和 when 引导的表将来的从句一样, 其谓语动词皆用现在时……如强调完成, 即应该用现在完成时。”

请问上句中的 have dressed 是现在完成时吗？如果是的话，那它是与现在完成时的定义相矛盾的：“它的动作发生在过去，但对现在有影响（或结果）……”我们能说 have dressed 的动作发生在过去吗？

答

上面的 have dressed 是将来完成时的替代形式, 见