A 形式
过去完成时由had+过去分词构成,因此无人称变化:
肯定式:I had/I’d worked等
否定式:I had not/hadn’t worked等
疑问式:had I worked?等
否定疑问式:had I not/hadn’t I worked?等
B 用法
1 过去完成时是与现在完成时相当的过去式。
现在完成时:
Ann has just left.If you hurry you’ll catch her.
安刚刚走。如果你快一点,就能追上她。
过去完成时:
When I arrived Ann had just left.
我到的时候,安刚刚离开。
现在完成时:
I’ve lost my case.
我的手提箱丢了。
过去完成时:
He had lost his case and had to borrow Tom’s pyjamas.
他的手提箱丢了,不得不去向汤姆借睡衣睡裤。
但是,过去完成时不像现在完成时那样限于表达未指明时间的动作,因此可以说:
He had left his case on the 4∶40 train.
他把手提箱丢在4点40分的火车上了。
2 现在完成时可以和 since/for/always等词连用,表示一个开始于过去并仍在继续或刚刚结束的动作。(参见第186节。)与此同理,过去完成时也可以用来表示在所说的过去某一时刻之前就已开始的动作,这一动作:
(a)在该时刻仍然在继续;或
(b)在该时刻停止或刚刚停止。
但应注意,过去完成时还可以用来表示:
(c)在所说时刻之前某一时候停止的动作。
(a),(b),(c)这三种类型的例句分别列举如下:
(a)Bill was in uniform when I met him.He had been a soldier for tenyears/since he was seventeen,and planned to stay in the army till hewas thirty.
我遇到比尔的时候,他身穿军服。那时他已经当了十年兵了/他
从17岁就当兵,并且还计划在军队里呆到30岁。
Ann had lived in a cottage for sixty years/ever since she was born,andhad no wish to move to a tower block.
安在小屋里已经住了60年/安出生以来就一直住在小屋,也不想搬到塔楼去住。(这里也可以用过去完成进行时形式 had beeniiving。)
(b)The old oak tree,which had stood in the churchyard for300 years/since before the church was built,suddenly crashed to the ground.
屹立在教堂墓地上已300百年之久的老橡树/在教堂建造之前就屹立着的老橡树突然间哗啦一声巨响倒在地上。(这里也可以用过去完成进行时形式 had been standing。)
Peter,who had waited for an hour/since ten o’clock,was very angrywith his sister when she eventually turned up.
彼得等了一小时/从10点钟起就等着,他妹妹终于来到时他非常生气。(也可以用had been waiting。)
(c)He had served in the army for ten years;then he retired and married.
His children were now at school.
他在军队里服役十年,后来退伍并结了婚。他的孩子现在已上学了。
这里既不能用since也不能用过去完成进行时。还要注意到,这里的过去完成时没有与之相当的现在完成时。如果把句中最后一个动词变成现在时,其他动词时态都要变成一般过去时。
He served in the army for ten years;then retired and married.
His chil-dren are now at school.
他在军队里服役十年,然后退伍并结了婚。他的孩子现在都在上学。这些结构以图解形式分别表示如下,直线AB表示过去完成时的动作,TS表示过去说话的某一时刻:
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(另参见第196节关于间接引语中过去完成时的用法。)
3 过去完成时也是一般过去时的过去时,用来表示叙述者或主语在过去的某一时刻回顾更早的动作:
Tom was 23 when our story begins.His father had died five years beforeand since then Tom had lived alone.His father had advised him not to getmarried till he was 35,and Tom intended to follow this advice.
我们的故事开始时汤姆23岁。他父亲五年以前就已去世,打那以后汤姆一直独自生活。他父亲劝告过他不到35岁不要结婚,汤姆打算遵从这个忠言。
I had just poured myself a glass of beer when the phone rang.When Icame back form answering it the glass was empty.Somebody had drunkthe beer or thrown it away.
我刚刚给自己倒了一杯啤酒,电话铃就响了。我接电话回来时,啤酒杯空了。一定有人喝掉了啤酒或者把它泼掉了。
He met her in Paris in 1977.He had last seen her ten years before.Herhair had been grey then;now it was white.
1977年他在巴黎遇见了她。他上一次见到她是十年之前。那时她的头发是灰白的,这时已经全白了。
He met her in 1967 and again ten years later.Her hair,which had beengrey at their first meeting,was now white
他1967年见到过她,十年以后又见到了她。她的头发在他们第一次见面时还是灰白的,这时已经全白了。
但是如果只是依次叙述先后发生的事件,就不需要用过去完成时:
Tom’s father died when Tom was eighteen.Before he died he advisedTom not to marry till he was 35,and Tom at 23 still intended to followthis advice.
汤姆的父亲在汤姆18岁那一年去世了。在他去世之前,他劝告汤姆要到35岁再结婚。汤姆到了23岁仍然打算遵从父亲的忠言。
He met her first in 1967 when her hair was grey.He met her again in1977./He didn’t meet her again till 1977.Her hair was now white.
1967年他第一次遇见她,那时她的头发是灰白色。1977年他再次遇见她。/直到1977年才再次遇见她。这时她的头发全白了。
上述两个例句中,都没有从过去某时刻去回顾过去,因此就没有理由用过去完成时。
注意以下例句含义上的区别:
She heard voices and realized that there were three people in the nextroom.
她听到了说话的声音,知道隔壁房间里有三个人。
She saw empty glasses and cups and realized that three people had been inthe room.
她看到了空玻璃杯子和茶杯,知道房间里曾来过三个人。(他们已经不在那里了。)
He arrived at 2∶30 and was told to wait in the VIP lounge.
他在两点半到达并被告知在贵宾休息室等候。
He arrived at 2∶30.He had been told to wait in the VIP lounge.
他在两点半到达。来之前已被告知在贵宾休息室等候。
在倒数第二句中,他在抵达后才接到指示;在最后一句中,他
是在抵达之前就接到指示的,可能在出发之前就已接到。