should是一个极其常用的情态助动词。然而正是因为它司空见惯,所以很多人忽略了这一平常词的不平常用法。下面就它的各种意义和用法说明如下:
1.意义与ought to很相近,表示一种必要性,它可理解为有责任、义务或正确地去做某事,例如:
We should mind our grammar and try to speak and write correctly.我们应该注意语法,力求说、写无误。
You should vote even if you don't agree with any of the candidates.即使你们不同意任何一位候选人,也应该去投票呀。
后面接完成时表示过去所发生的动作。在肯定句中,表示某事“在过去应该做却没有做”;在否定句中,表示某事“在过去不应该做却做了”。例如:
You should have told me so before.你以前就该告诉我。
You shouldn't have given the boy scissors to play with.你不该给孩子剪刀玩。
2.用在表示怀疑和不肯定的虚拟条件状语从句中,语气较强。例如:
If it should rain tomorrow,the game would be played indoors.万一明天下雨,比赛就在室内举行。
If I should go to Europe this summer,I would probably go by ship.倘若今年夏天我去欧洲的话,我很可能坐船去。
3.可表示推测或可能性。例如:
The report is written after carefull investigation,so it should be reliable.这份报告是经过周密调查之后写成的,所以应该可靠。
They should have arrived in Beijng by now.这个时候,他们该到北京了。
Let's go,the library should be open by now.咱们走吧,图书馆现在应该开门了。
4.在句子中,表示个人对事件的反应。例如:
It is really amazing that they should have done the work so quickly.他们这么快就把活干完了,实在令人惊奇。
When I fell on evil days,who should come to meet me but my new friendlouse,在我落魄潦倒之时,除了我的新朋友虱子还有谁会来看我!
She is most active in the technical revolution,and it is no wonder that she should be one of the pace-setters of the company.她非常积极地进行技术革新,怪不得成了公司的一名标兵。
5.可表示语气委婉或谦逊地陈述自己的意见或看法。例如:
You are mistaken,I should say.我倒想说,你搞错了。
I should advise you not to do that.我倒是奉劝你别那样做。
6.与if I were you连用时,表示提出委婉的劝告。例如:
If I were you,I should get the car serviced.我要是你,就把车送去检修。
I should not do that if I were you.换成我的话,就不那么做。
7.与why和how连用,可表示不能理解或生气之意。例如:
——Why should it get colder when we go up a mountain?——You're gettingnearer to the sun.爬山的时候,为什么越来越冷呢?你不是离太阳越来越近了嘛!
——“Give me a cigarette.”——“Why should I?”“给我一支烟。”——“凭什么给你?”