8.16 基本用法（十一）：may的特殊用法

8.16 基本用法（十一）：may的特殊用法

may的含义主要有：“可能”“许可”和“请求”，这在前文中都已讨论过。may还有一种特殊的用法，即用在may…but这样的结构中，表示让步（May can be used to express although clauses.）。请看例句：

1 We may have our differences from time to time, but basically we trust one another’s judgment.

尽管我们常常有分歧，但是我们基本上还是信任彼此的判断。

这里的may几乎已失去了“可能”的含义，而是表示被认为是真实的陈述，所以上句应改写为：

We admit that we have our differences, but basically we trust one another’s judgment.

或者：Although we have our differences, basically we trust one another’s judgment.

而不是改写成“It is possible that we have our differences, but basically we trust one another’s judgement.*”。

人们之所以习惯用may have这一情态动词结构，而不是用一般现在时have，主要是出于礼貌或委婉表达的考虑。再比如：

2 You may have good reasons, but that doesn’t make it legal.

=Although you have good reasons, that doesn’t make it legal.

尽管你有很好的理由，但这并不意味着就合法。

3 She may be the boss, but that is no excuse for shouting like that.

=Although she is the boss, that is no excuse for shouting like that.

尽管她是老板，但这绝不是她那么大声嚷嚷的理由。

4 You may be older than me, but that doesn’t mean you’re cleverer.

=Although you are older than me, that doesn’t mean you’re cleverer.

尽管你比我年长，但这并不意味着你就更聪明。

5 You may be in charge, but it doesn’t give you the right to be rude.

=Although you are in charge, it doesn’t give you the right to be rude.

尽管是你负责，但这并不说明你就有权对别人粗鲁。

曾经看到一位身材矮小的学生干部的茶杯壁上写着这样一句话：

6 I may be small, but I am influential. 尽管我身材矮小，但我是很有影响力的。

基于may可以表示让步，因此它常常用于各种结构的让步状语从句中。比如：

7 But however amazed our descendants may be at how far from Utopia we were, they will look just like us.

妙语点睛　这个句子本来的结构是“Our descendants may be amazed at how far from Utopia we were, they will look just like us.”。现在因为有了连词however，所以amazed和however一同提到了句首。这里however引导一个让步状语从句，从句的谓语含有may。

精品译文　但是不管我们的后代对我们离乌托邦之遥远感到多么吃惊，他们的长相将和我们一样。

8 When a new movement in art attains a certain fashion, it is advisable to find out what its advocates are aiming at, for, however farfetched and unreasonable their principles may seem today, it is possible that in years to come they may be regarded as normal.

妙语点睛　这个句子有一定的难度。关键是要知道这里的for是表示原因的连词，引导原因状语从句，而在这个for引导的原因状语从句里面又套有一个however引导的让步状语从句。这个让步从句原本的结构是：their principles may seem farfetched and unreasonable today，现在因为有了连词however，所以farfetched and unreasonable和however一同提到了句首。

精品译文　当一种新的艺术运动达到某种程度的流行时，我们最好搞清楚这个运动倡导者们的目标是什么，因为不管他们的原则现在看来是如何牵强和不合理，很可能在将来它们会被视为正常的规范。

这里的may（或might）是用来加强让步语气的，相当于汉语中说“可能会多么的”。此外，有时甚至是把may或might省去，只剩下一个动词原形。请看下列例句：

9 Try as he will, no man breaks wholly loose from his first love, no matter who she be…We’ve only one virginity to lose and where we lost it there our hearts will be!

妙语点睛　这里no matter who she be就相当于no matter who she might be这种加强语气的形式，这里的no matter who引导的是一个让步状语从句。此外，该句中的try as he will也是一个让步状语从句的结构。

精品译文　不管怎么样，没有一个男人能够完完全全地忘却自己的初恋，不管她是谁。因为，我们的童贞只有一次，我们永远不会忘记自己奉献出的第一次。

思维训练 8.16 Key

请判断下面句子中的may或might表示“许可”“推测”还是“让步”。

1. I may be wrong, but that’s what I think.

2. These pills may cause dizziness.

3. I’d like to take this chair, if I may.

4. We may be old-fashioned, but we believe in good manners.

5. Might I trouble you for a glass of water?

6. They might think it isn’t worth the effort.

7. Customers may smoke in designated areas only.

8. These exercises, as difficult as they may seem to be, are really good for you.