原书主词条 · 2 个连续词条

needn't have done/didn't need

原书 PDF 第 971—972

needn't have done/didn't need1

(1)‘You needn’t have said that,’ my wife answered... (New Concept English, Book 2, L.41)

(2) 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)

最新的一个中译本(《新概念英语》(二),朗文出版公司、世界图书出版公司,1993,p.379)将 need not have felt disappointed 译为“用不着遗憾”,这是否意味着 need not have donedid not need 同义?

这两个结构所表达的意义是完全不同的。请考察下列两对句子:

  1. [A] They didn't need to come here. 他们不必来这儿。

  2. {(B)\left\{(\mathrm{B})\right. They needn't have come here. 他们本来不必来这儿的。

  3. [A] I didn't need to take my overcoat. 我不必去取我的外套。

  4. {(B)\left\{(\mathrm{B})\right. I needn't have taken my overcoat. 我本来不必去取我的外套的。

句(A)表达在当时没有必要做某事,因而,实际上也没有做某事。而句(B)表示过去做过的事现在看来是没有必要的,即做了实际上不必做的事。They needn't have come here. = 他们本不必来这里的。此句含有“他们实际上已来到这里。”的意思。因此,你提问的第一个句子 You needn't have said that. = 你本用不着说这样的话。此句含有“你已经说了这样的话。”的意思。同样,你提问的第二个句子 who...need not have felt disappointed = 其实他们本不应该感到失望的。此句含有“他们实际上确实曾经感到很失望。”的意思。根据上述可以看出,在上面的两个句子里都不能用 didn't need 来代替 needn't have done。请进一步分析这两种结构在下列各句中的区别:

  1. They did not need to arrive so early. (Dreiser) 他们不必很早到达。

  2. I didn't need to show my passport. 我不必拿出我的护照。

  3. She was too nervous to reply, but fortunately she did not need to say anything. 她紧张得无法答话,但是,幸运的是她什么也不需要说。

  4. You needn't have mentioned it, mother. 妈妈,你本不必提这件事的。

  5. You need not have gone there yesterday. 你昨天本不必去那里的。

  6. You needn't have told them that. 你本不必把这件事告诉他们。

  7. They need not have been punished so severely. 他们本不该受到这么严厉的处罚。请做下面的英语考题:

  8. You ____ such a long essay, the teacher only asked for 300 words, and you have written 600. A. mustn't have written B. needn't have written

C. didn't have to write D. didn't need to write

  1. I ____ to him because he phoned me shortly afterwards. A. need have written B. needn't have written C. must have written D. may have written

  2. He told me I ____ (not need decide) it at once, I could let him know the following day.

  3. There was plenty of time. She ____. A. mustn't have hurried B. couldn't have hurried C. must not hurry D. needn't have hurried(全国高考)

  4. You ____ all those calculations! We have a computer to do that sort of thing. A. needn't have done B. must not have done C. shouldn't have done D. can not have done(全国四级,91.6-53)

  5. The meeting's been cancelled. Ann ____ all that work. A. need to do B. need have C. needn't have done D. needed not to do(全国英语专业四级,95-55)

Markdown:英语常见问题解答大词典-5.md · 1139111448PDF:第 971 页 · needn't have done/didn't need 1

needn't have done/didn't need2

(1) I didn't need to go to the office yesterday.

[原译]我昨天本来无需去办公室的。(《教你选词用字》,香港朗文出版社中国有限公司,p.186)

(2) I needn't have gone to the office yesterday.

[原译]昨天我没有必要去办公室。(《朗文英语语法》,外研社,p.437)

从中译文看不出上面的两个英文句子有什么差别。它们到底有没有区别呢?

上面的两个译文都是违背原意的。你所提到的句(1)表示:我昨天不必去办公室,我知道这一点,所以我没有去。而句(2)则表示:我昨天本来不必去办公室,而我却不知道这一点,竟然去了办公室。汉语并不是没有表达这两种不同含义的语言手段:

(1) 我昨天不必去办公室。

(2) 我昨天本来不必去办公室的。

练习

请做下面的英语试题:

  1. I ____ to him because he phoned me shortly afterwards. A. need have written B. needn't have written C. must have written D. may have written

  2. He told me I ____ (not need decide) it at once. I could let him know the following day.

  3. You ____ all those calculations! We have a computer to do that sort of thing. A. needn't have done B. must not have done C. shouldn't have done D. can not have done(全国四级,91.6-53)

  4. You ____ the class to tell me that; you could have come up to me afterwards. A. needn't have interrupted B. needn't interrupt C. needn't to have interrupted D. needn't to interrupt(全国六级)

Markdown:英语常见问题解答大词典-5.md · 1144911482PDF:第 972 页 · needn't have done/didn't need 2