侃哥的第 1643 次原创 废话不多说,先上视频: (血腥镜头已打码) 这是美剧《丧尸乐园》里的一个桥段,我把原话打出来: And this lady could have avoided becoming a human happy meal. 译:这位女士本不会变成人肉大餐的。 Woulda coulda shoulda. 译:早知如此,何必当初。 我们先来看第一句里的“could have done”是一个虚拟语气的经典句型,表示“本可以做(却没做成)”。 比如有句发人深省的名言这样说的: Never say “I could have done that”, because you didn’t. 译:永远别说“我本可以做”,因为你没做。(没做就是没做,别找借口) 回到美剧桥段,画外音说 And this lady could have avoided becoming a human happy meal.意味着这位女士本可以避免被吃掉,但事实上还是被吃掉了。 有了 could have done 的预热,我们再来看“Woulda coulda shoulda.” 其实这是三个情态动词和 have done sth 的组合,因为是口语用法,done sth 被省略: woulda = would have (done sth) coulda = could have (done sth) shoulda = should have (done sth) 前面说过 could have(coulda)表示“本来可以…”,那么 would have (woulda)就是“本来会…”,should have(shoulda)表示“本应该…”。 这些都是虚拟语气,所谓的虚拟语气就是人们的脑补,事实并非如此。 正是 woulda, coulda, 或 shoulda 经常成为人们“没做某事”的托词,以至于三个词连在一起成为了对人们懊悔之情的反讽。 简而言之,当别人懊悔不已时,你就可以对 ta 说“Woulda coulda shoulda”。 注意要加入一点点“无奈”的语气哦!你对人说“早日如此,何必当初啊”用什么语气,Woulda coulda shoulda 就用什么语气。 因为这个短语很有趣,所以也经常成为书名: 歌名: 甚至印在 T恤上: 对了,提醒一下,这三个词的顺序可以替换,不同排列组合都可以: shoulda, coulda, woulda shoulda, woulda, coulda woulda, shoulda, coulda coulda, shoulda, woulda coulda, woulda, shoulda 再来看两个案例体会一下这个英文短语的用法: 对了 woulda-coulda-shoulda 还可以连在一起成为一个名词用法,表达“后悔之事”,来看例子: I've just had too many woulda-coulda-shouldas in my life. 译:我一生中有太多后悔之事。 “woulda, coulda, shoulda”学会了吗?点赞告诉我。 |
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