only to 用法 (only to + 動詞)
問：He went to the seaside only to be drowned. 這裡的only to 是什麼意思?
答：only to + 原形動詞常常充當結果副詞, 它所表示的事件是緊接在前面的事件之後發生的, 往往表示意外或不幸的結果。上面你問的那個句子可以譯為:“他去海邊遊泳, 不幸被淹死了。”類似only to 用法的例子:
- At last he managed to lift one of the boxes but only to drop it with a thud.
最後, 他好不容易搬起了一隻箱子, 不料卻砰的一聲掉在了地上。 - He survived the crash only to die in the desert.
他在飛機墜毀事件中倖存了下來, 結果卻死在沙漠裡了。 - Mary drove all the way to Maine, (only) to find that her friends had moved to Florida.
瑪麗驅車一路駛到緬因州, 結果發現她的朋友已搬到佛羅里達州去了。 - I rushed to the door, only to discover that it was locked an barred.
我沖到門邊, 卻發現門已被鎖死了。
小練習：請選出正確的答案。（留言作答）
1. He got to the airport _______ to find that the plane had left two minutes ago.
A. just
B. only
C. in order
D. almost
2. George entered the box and picked up one of the directories inside, _______ that someone unknown had torn out the very page he needed.
A. only to discover
B. discovered
C. to discover
D. only discovering