谈谈Would Rather

    江苏铜山郑集中学  宋德富

 

一、would rather do sth．表示“宁可  (或宁愿)  ……”，其中的would在口语和非正式英语中可用had替换，其否定形式是would rather not．

      ---Which would you rather have，tea or coffee?  (您喜欢喝茶还是喝咖啡?)

      ---I'd rather have tea．(我喜欢喝茶。)

      I would rather not tell you．(SBI P60)  (我真不愿告诉你。)

 

二、Would rather后面可跟从句，that往往省掉，表示“一个人希望另一个人干某事”，从句中通常用过去时表示现在时和将来时；表示过去则用过去完成时。也就是说，从句中用虚拟语气。

      I'd rather you went home now．  (我想要你现在就回家。)

      Don't come tomorrow；I'd rather you came next weekend．(明天不要来，我希望你下周末来。)

      I'd rather you had stayed at home last night．  (我倒宁愿你昨晚呆在家里。)

 

三、would rather do sth．或would rather that从句后都可以跟than表示不愿干的事，往往译作“宁愿……而不……”，than后可跟单词、短语或that从句，从句中仍用虚拟语气。

      I would rather take this than that．  (我宁愿要这而不要那。)

      1 would rather live in the country than in a big city。(我宁愿住在乡下而不愿住在大城市。)  ．

      I would rather lose a dozen cherry trees than that you should tell a lie．  (我宁愿失去十几棵樱桃树，也不愿你撒一句谎。)

      1 would rather you came tomorrow than today．(我希望你明天来而不是今天。)

      I would rather the teacher scolded me than(that)you should do the homework for me．

          (我宁可挨老师指责，也不愿你替我做这家庭作业。)

 

中学生英语8:1987.jpg

      华中师范大学英语系《中学生英语》编辑部

    中学生英语8/1987