如何使用推測情態動詞 —— 英語微課堂：英語精讀講義

Everyone loves a good mystery.

大家都喜歡精彩的懸疑故事。

We love to imagine what might have happened, 文法

我們喜歡想像到底發生了什麼事，

who could have done it, 文法

是誰幹的，

and there's no better feeling than finally cracking the case. 講解

沒有什麼比最終破案更讓人興奮的了。

Today, we're going to focus on language

今天，我們要重點學習的語言知識

that you can use to speculate about the past. 表達脈絡

是可以用來推測過去發生之事的表達方式。

Do you remember Craig from my episode on just?

你還記得關於just那一集裡的Craig嗎？

He was having a wedding party

他當時正在辦一場婚禮派對，

and he wanted Marco to make a few changes.

並且他想讓Marco做些改變。

Well, something terrible has happened.

嗯，發生了一件可怕的事情。

Listen to the language that Craig uses

仔細聽Craig使用的語言，

to try to get to the bottom of the mystery. 慣用語

看看他是如何試圖查明真相的。

Oh, Sharon, you'll never guess what has happened. 片語搭配

哎呀，Sharon，妳絕對猜不到發生了什麼事。

The place, is ruined.

這個地方全毀了。

There's rubbish everywhere.

到處都是垃圾。

The drapes have been torn. 文法

窗簾被撕破了。

Well, the mirrors have been shattered.

還有，鏡子也被打碎了。

It couldn't have been the dog. 文法

肯定不是狗幹的。

He's with you.

牠跟妳在一起。

It could have been Marco. 文法

有可能是Marco。

I know he was angry,

我知道他很生氣，

but no, he wouldn't go that far. 片語搭配

但不對，他不會做得那麼絕。

It might have been the maid, 文法

可能是打掃阿姨，

but no, she's lovely.

但也不對，她人很好。

She wouldn't have done this. 文法

她不會做這種事的。

Oh,

噢，

there's feathers by the vent shaft.

通風井旁邊有羽毛。

Oh, a bird must have flown in. 文法

噢，肯定是有隻鳥飛進來了。

But a bird couldn't have done all this. 文法

但是一隻鳥不可能造成這麼多破壞。

It had to have been something else. 文法

肯定還有別的原因。

But what?

但是是什麼呢？

Before we start solving the mystery, 表達脈絡

在我們開始解開這個謎團之前，

let's take a look at the language that Craig used 片語搭配

讓我們來看看Craig使用了哪些語言

to speculate about what might have happened.

來推測可能發生了什麼事。

When he is sure that it wasn't the dog,

當他確定不是狗幹的時候，

he says,

他說，

"It couldn't have been the dog."

「It couldn't have been the dog.」

This has the structure couldn't plus have plus the past participle. 文法

這句話使用了couldn't + have + 過去分詞的結構。

Here, it's been.

在這裡，過去分詞是been。

Notice that could and not are contracted 文法

注意could和not縮寫了，

and have is in the weak form.

並且have是弱讀形式。

It's not stressed.

它是非重讀的。

So, we say,

所以，我們說，

"Couldn't have."

「Couldn't have.」

When Craig thinks there's a small chance that it was Marco, 片語搭配

當Craig認為有小機率是Marco幹的時候，

he says,

他說，

"It could have been Marco."

「It could have been Marco.」

And then,

然後，

when he thinks there's a small chance that it was the maid,

當他認為有小機率是打掃阿姨幹的時候，

he says,

他說，

"It might have been the maid."

「It might have been the maid.」

So, when Marco is certain that a bird flew in,

那麼，當Marco確定有隻鳥飛進來的時候，

he says,

他說，

"A bird must have flown in."

「A bird must have flown in.」

Notice that we're not using been here.

注意這裡我們沒有使用been。

We're using flown.

我們用的是flown。

Of course, you can use any past participle verb you want. 用詞

當然，你可以使用任何你想要的動詞過去分詞。

And when he is certain that the bird didn't cause all the chaos, 片語搭配

當他確信這一切混亂不是這隻鳥造成的時候，

he says,

他說，

"It had to have been something else."

「It had to have been something else.」

Notice here that have is not contracted,

注意這裡have沒有縮寫，

but it is in the weak form.

但它還是弱讀形式。

Had to have been.

Had to have been。

So, okay,

那麼，好吧，

what actually did happen? 文法

到底發生了什麼事？

Craig called the security guard afterwards,

後來Craig給保全打了電話，

and here's what he said. 表達脈絡

這是他所說的話。

Hi, I'm so sorry.

嗨，我非常抱歉。

We meant to call you, 片語搭配

我們本來想打電話給你的，

but we've been so busy.

但是我們太忙了。

I was called up to your apartment by your neighbor. 片語動詞

我是你鄰居叫到你公寓來的。

She said she heard noises coming from inside. 文法

她說她聽到裡面傳出噪音。

The moment I opened the door, 文法

就在我打開門的那一瞬間，

this little cat springs out. 片語動詞

這隻小貓竄了出來。

I had no idea how it got in. 片語搭配

我完全不知道牠是怎麼進去的。

I'm sorry.

抱歉。

It's all a mystery.

整個事情還是個謎。

A cat?

一隻貓？

Wow.

哇哦。

It's a new piece of information. 片語搭配

這是一個新線索。

Use modals of deduction 用詞

使用推測性情態動詞

to speculate about what might have happened.

來推測可能發生的事情。

So, we've got a cat, 片語搭配

那麼，我們現在有一隻貓，

a bird,

一隻鳥，

feathers by the vent shaft,

通風井旁的羽毛，

the drapes are torn,

撕破的窗簾，

the mirrors are shattered.

打碎的鏡子。

Oh, yeah,

噢，對了，

and there's rubbish everywhere.

還有到處都是的垃圾。

Hmm.

嗯。

Do you need more time?

你需要更多時間嗎？

I'll give you five more seconds.

我再給你五秒鐘。

So, here's what happened. 表達脈絡

所以，事情是這樣的。

It was the neighbor's cat.

那是鄰居家的貓。

And the poor cat was hungry.

這隻可憐的小貓肚子餓了。

And it saw the bird flying by the vent shaft, 文法

牠看到鳥從通風井飛過，

rubbed its hands together with glee. 慣用語

高興得直搓爪子。

Started chasing the bird.

開始追逐那隻鳥。

The bird flew into the apartment.

鳥飛進了公寓。

The cat followed the bird.

貓也跟著鳥進去了。

And then all hell let loose. 慣用語

然後簡直亂套了。

Do you remember those standing mirrors? 用詞

你還記得那些落地鏡嗎？

One bird became six birds reflected in all the mirrors, 文法

一隻鳥在所有的鏡子裡反射成了六隻鳥，

flying around the room.

在房間裡飛來飛去。

The cat thought it had won the cat lottery, 慣用語

這隻貓以為自己中了貓咪樂透，

started running around, 文法

開始到處亂跑，

destroying everything.

破壞了所有東西。

And then the bird flew out.

然後那隻鳥飛了出去。

And the cat was still in the room.

而貓還留在房間裡。

So, when the security guard opened the door,

所以，當保全打開門時，

out runs the cat. 文法

貓就跑了出來。

So, next time you have a mystery, 文法

因此，下次你遇到懸疑事件時，

you'll know exactly what to say.

你就會確切地知道該怎麼說了。