suppose 用法1
問:我在Reading Laboratory, Book 2 中讀到這樣一個句子:
Suppose you did your homework first.
子句所表示的是將來時間的事, 它的動詞為什麼要用過去式(did) 呢?
答:在正式英語裡, suppose 用法引出的受詞子句的動詞要使用假設過去式(請與wish相比較) :
- Just suppose everyone were to give up smoking and drinking.
讓我們每一個人都戒掉煙酒。 - Suppose her father turned her out of doors!
要是她父親真把她趕出門, 那可不得了! - Let’s suppose we each had $100 to spend – what would we buy with it?
我們大家來想想, 要是我們每人都有一百英鎊來花的話, 我們會買些什麼? - Suppose(that) one of us died.
假定我們當中有一個人死了。
但是, suppose 的受詞子句的動詞也可以使用一般現在式:
- Suppose he is lost, what would you do?
要是他迷路了, 你怎麼辦? - But let us suppose that the Atlantic Ocean is now regularly crossed by enormous hovercraft. The hovercraft, with a thousand motor-cars on board, moves at 100 miles per hour, and is across the Atlantic in little more than one day. (復旦大學《英語》(三), p.168)
讓我們設想, 現在有巨大的氣墊船定期跨越大西洋航行。裝運上千輛汽車的氣墊船的航速每小時一百英里, 氣墊船只消花上一天的時間就能渡過大西洋。
suppose 用法2
問:I don’t suppose that he cares, (does he? / doesn’t he?)
請問在這種句型裡是應當用does he, 還是應當用doesn’t he 呢?
答:在think, believe, suppose, expect 等動詞後面的子句中, 如果在意義上需要否定受詞子句的某個成分, 常常要將否定轉移到主句中去。因此, 所提問的句子I don’t suppose…相當於I suppose that he does not care.這就意味著, that 子句實質上是個否定句。按照附加疑問句(tag question) 的使用規則, 這裡的附加疑問句, 只能使用肯定形式: does he?
suppose 用法3
問:“You won’t be here tomorrow, will you?”“I suppose not.”
[原譯]“你明天不來這裡, 是嗎?”“我不這樣想。”
I suppose not 是指“我不這樣想”嗎?
答:上面的譯法是錯誤的, 應譯為:“我認為是這樣。”或“我想我是不會來的。”更詳細的情形, 見expect(don’t expect so/ expect not), substitution/ ellipsis。
suppose 用法4 (suppose we went/ go)
問:(A) Suppose we go for a swim.
(B) Suppose we went for a swim.
上面兩個句子哪個句子是正確的?
答:上面兩個句子都是正確的。這就是說suppose 的受詞子句既可用陳述語氣, 也可用假設語氣。上面兩句中的suppose 用法用於提出建議或請求, 有時候相當於一個祈使句。
在suppose 後面的子句中使用過去式主要是為了使所提出的建議變得客氣、委婉, 或者使所提出的建議聽起來不那麼肯定。
- Suppose we have lunch now!
我們現在吃午飯好嗎? - Let us suppose that a child suddenly crosses the road in front of you. (New Concept English, Book 2, L.69)
現在假設一個小孩突然在你面前穿過馬路。 - Suppose you meet me at the post office at half-past seven.
你七點半到郵局來找我, 好嗎? - “Daddy, can I watch TV?”— “Suppose you did your homework first?”
“爸爸, 我能看電視嗎?”—“你先做家庭作業, 怎麼樣?”
(參見suppose 用法1)
suppose 用法 5 (be supposed to)
問:(1)“Why can’t you and Bill go to movies tonight?”
“We are _______ a history test tomorrow.”
A. supposed to having
B. supposedly to have
C. supposed to have
D. supposedly to having
(2) You’re supposed to be an expert.
我對上面兩句中的be supposed 用法和意義很不理解。請分析。
答:be supposed 最常見的用法有二。
A. Be supposed to 用作半助動詞
其文法特點同have to, be about to, be bound to, be going to 一樣: 其語意相當於ought to, 表示按照規則、規律、義務或約定“應當”、“理應”去做某事。
- People under eighteen aren’t supposed to buy alcoholic drinks.
十八歲以下的人不允許買含酒精的飲料。 - He is supposed to arrive at six o’clock.
他應該六點鐘到達。 - The machine is not supposed to make noise. (《韋氏辭典》, 電子版)
這台機器不會產生噪音。 - He told this to somebody else, not realizing that he was not supposed to.
他不知道這些話不該告訴別人, 結果告訴別人了。
be supposed to 如果與完成時不定詞連用, 則表示“本應該做某事而實際上卻沒有做”。例如:
- He was supposed to have told me about it.
他本應該把這件事告訴我的。 - Mrs. Brown is supposed to have left for Italy last week.
布朗太太本應上周動身去義大利的。
B. be supposed to 作“被認為”、“被看作是”解(往往暗含著“ 事實並非如此”的意思) 。例如:
- You’re supposed to be an expert, but you don’t know very much about it, do you?
大家都認為你是個專家, 可是你並不在行, 是不是? - Everyone went to the funeral, for the ‘ghost’ was none other than Eric Cox, a third brother who was supposed to have died as a young man. (New Concept English, Book 3, L.30)
大家都去參加葬禮, 因為“ 幽靈”不是別人, 而是考克斯的第三個兄弟, 叫埃裡克·考克斯。人們都以為他在年輕時就已經死了。
suppose 用法6 (I suppose not/ I don’t suppose so)
問:I suppose not 與I don’t suppose so 所表達的意思是否相同?
答:如同其他可否定轉移的動詞(think, believe) 一樣, suppose 用法也可採用兩種否定形式: I suppose not 和I don’t suppose so。但是前一用法非常正式。
- “I suppose you’ll be going to the meeting.”“ No, I don‘t suppose so.”
“我認為你將去參加會議。”“不, 我認為並不是這樣。” - “Surely her statement can’t be correct?”“No, I suppose not.”
“她的論述肯定是不正確的嗎?”“ 是的, 我認為是不正確的。”
suppose 用法 7 (supposing)
問:(A) Supposing the plane is late?
(B) Supposing you come with us.
句(A) 和(B) 是否是完整的句子? 如果答案是肯定的, 那麼可否將它們分別譯為:
(A) 假使飛機晚點?
(B) 假使你跟我們一起去。
答:上面的句子從表面上看似乎是不完整的, 但它們常常獨立使用, 表達完整的意思。
句(A) 可表達what if…句型所表達的含義, 可以理解為What would happen if…, What will happen if…, What does it matter if…所以句(A) 可譯為:“假使飛機晚點了, 那怎麼辦呢?”類似的例子:
- Supposing I don’t see her.
假如我見不到她, 那怎麼辦呢? - Supposing they are poor?
就算他們很窮, 那又有什麼關係呢? - But supposing one remained unconvinced?
但是, 假如有一個人說服不了, 怎麼辦呢?
句(B) 中的supposing 表示建議或請求:
Supposing you come with us.
請你跟我們一起去怎麼樣?
請比較:
What if you join us for lunch?
請你跟我們一起吃午飯, 好不好?
Suppose we go for a swim.
我們去游泳吧!
suppose 用法8 (supposing (that) he is/ were)
問:Supposing the weather _______ bad, where would you go?
A. is
B. will be
C. were
D. be
這裡有兩個問題: 1. supposing 是什麼詞? 2. Supposing 之後既然可以使用陳述語氣, 為什麼在上面的試題裡選A(is) 是錯誤的呢?
答:Supposing that 是個複合連接詞(complex subordinator), 其中的that 常常被省略。supposing (that) 引出的子句既可以使用陳述語氣, 也可以使用假設語氣。下面是一些實例:
- Supposing (that) she doesn‘t come, what shall we do?
假如她不來, 我們怎麼辦? - Supposing (that) you were left alone on a desert island, what would you do? (同上)
假如你隻身被留在一個荒島上, 你怎麼辦?
你所提問的句子是否可以在空白處填is, 這就要看主句和子句用的是何種語氣。也就是說supposing(that) 子句的語氣要和主句的語氣一致。由於作者在主句中使用了假設語氣(would you go), 所以子句也必須使用假設語氣(were) 。