英語(yǔ)中,任何時(shí)態(tài)都是“時(shí)間”與“動(dòng)作意義”的結(jié)合。過(guò)去完成時(shí)的時(shí)間很明顯是“過(guò)去”;它的動(dòng)作意義就是“已經(jīng)完成”。換句話說(shuō),過(guò)去完成時(shí)表示的是在過(guò)去某一時(shí)間或某一動(dòng)作之前已經(jīng)發(fā)生或完成了的動(dòng)作,它所指的時(shí)間為“過(guò)去的過(guò)去”。
一、過(guò)去完成時(shí)的主要用法
1.表示過(guò)去某一時(shí)間或動(dòng)作之前已經(jīng)發(fā)生或完成的動(dòng)作,其典型時(shí)態(tài)標(biāo)志為“by/by the end of+過(guò)去的時(shí)間點(diǎn)”或“by the time/when+謂語(yǔ)動(dòng)詞為一般過(guò)去時(shí)的從句。
例如:Before 12 oclock last night he had left for Shanghai.昨天晚上十二點(diǎn)以前他就已經(jīng)出發(fā)去上海了。
By the time she reached there, the rain had stopped.等她到那兒時(shí),雨已經(jīng)停了。
We had written five compositions by the end of last month.到上個(gè)月底我們已經(jīng)寫(xiě)了五篇文章。
He had finished doing the homework by yesterday.昨天之前他就做完了作業(yè)。
Her little brother hadnt gone into the bathroom by the time she got up.她起床時(shí),她弟弟還沒(méi)有進(jìn)入浴室。
2.過(guò)去完成時(shí)還可以表示由過(guò)去某一時(shí)間開(kāi)始,一直延續(xù)到過(guò)去另一時(shí)間的動(dòng)作或狀態(tài)。它常與for或since構(gòu)成的短語(yǔ)或由since引導(dǎo)的從句連用。
例如:By 2015 Xiao Wang had taught math at that village school for 18 years.到2015年為止,小王已經(jīng)在那所鄉(xiāng)村小學(xué)教了十八年數(shù)學(xué)。
She said she had lived in Jinan since five years before.她說(shuō)過(guò)她五年前就在濟(jì)南居住了。
Tom told me he had stayed here since he came back.湯姆告訴我,他回來(lái)后就一直待在這兒。
3.在含有賓語(yǔ)從句的主從復(fù)合句中,若主句的謂語(yǔ)動(dòng)詞為一般過(guò)去時(shí),且賓語(yǔ)從句的謂語(yǔ)動(dòng)詞表示的動(dòng)作發(fā)生在主句謂語(yǔ)動(dòng)詞所表示的動(dòng)作之前,那么賓語(yǔ)從句的謂語(yǔ)動(dòng)詞要用過(guò)去完成時(shí)。
例如:The teacher told us that our country had sent up another man-made satellite into the space.老師告訴我們我國(guó)又向太空發(fā)射了一顆人造衛(wèi)星。
He told me that he had heard of the good news.他告訴我他已經(jīng)聽(tīng)說(shuō)了那個(gè)好消息。
二、過(guò)去完成時(shí)與現(xiàn)代完成時(shí)的區(qū)別
過(guò)去完成時(shí)表示的是在過(guò)去某一時(shí)間或某一動(dòng)作之前已經(jīng)發(fā)生或完成的動(dòng)作,強(qiáng)調(diào)動(dòng)作發(fā)生在“過(guò)去的過(guò)去”;而現(xiàn)在完成時(shí)則表示動(dòng)作發(fā)生在過(guò)去,一直延續(xù)到現(xiàn)在或者仍然和現(xiàn)在有關(guān),強(qiáng)調(diào)發(fā)生在過(guò)去的動(dòng)作對(duì)現(xiàn)在產(chǎn)生的影響或結(jié)果。請(qǐng)比較:
We had seen five English movies by the end of last month.到上個(gè)月末,我們已經(jīng)看了五部英文電影。
We have seen five English movies so far.到目前為止,我們已經(jīng)看了五部英文電影。
三、過(guò)去完成時(shí)與一般過(guò)去時(shí)的區(qū)別
過(guò)去完成時(shí)與一般過(guò)去時(shí)雖然都可以和表示過(guò)去的時(shí)間狀語(yǔ)連用,表示過(guò)去發(fā)生的動(dòng)作或存在的狀態(tài),但它們的側(cè)重點(diǎn)有所不同:過(guò)去完成時(shí)表示過(guò)去某一時(shí)間或某一動(dòng)作之前就已經(jīng)完成的動(dòng)作或存在的狀態(tài),而一般過(guò)去時(shí)則主要表示在過(guò)去某一時(shí)間發(fā)生的動(dòng)作或存在的狀態(tài)。請(qǐng)比較:
How many houses had they built in their village by the end of last year?到去年年底他們村建造了多少房屋?
How many houses did they build in their village last year?去年他們村建造了多少房屋?
四、不用過(guò)去完成時(shí)的情況
1.主句的時(shí)態(tài)是一般過(guò)去時(shí),而賓語(yǔ)從句中有明確表示過(guò)去的時(shí)間狀語(yǔ)時(shí),則賓語(yǔ)從句中的時(shí)態(tài)不用過(guò)去完成時(shí),仍然使用一般過(guò)去時(shí)。
例如:Ted said Julia visited her uncle three days ago.特德說(shuō)茱莉亞三天前去看望了她的叔叔。
2.敘述在過(guò)去時(shí)間里按順序連續(xù)發(fā)生的兩個(gè)以上的動(dòng)作或事件時(shí),雖然這些動(dòng)作或事件在時(shí)間上有先后之別,可以都用一般過(guò)去時(shí)態(tài)。
例如:They decided to stay there, so they built their homes and made their farms.他們決定留在那里,因此他們建起了家園和農(nóng)場(chǎng)。
Donna got up, washed her face, brushed her teeth, took a shower, had a quick breakfast and then went to school this morning.今天早上丹娜起床后,洗臉、刷牙、洗淋浴,匆匆吃了早飯,然后上學(xué)去了。
3.當(dāng)句中有yesterday, last week(month,year…),in 2015,five years ago等表示很確定的過(guò)去時(shí)間時(shí),謂語(yǔ)動(dòng)詞只能用一般過(guò)去時(shí)。
例如:I went to the Great Wall three years ago.三年前我去過(guò)長(zhǎng)城。
4.漢語(yǔ)中雖然有“了”“曾經(jīng)”“過(guò)了”等字眼表示動(dòng)作已經(jīng)完成,但它們并不表明動(dòng)作是在過(guò)去某一時(shí)間以前完成的,所以譯成英語(yǔ)時(shí)通常要用一般過(guò)去時(shí),不用過(guò)去完成時(shí)。
例如:He taught English for ten years.他教過(guò)十年英語(yǔ)。
5.在含有before,after,when,until,as soon as等引導(dǎo)的狀語(yǔ)從句的主從復(fù)合句中,如果主句的動(dòng)作與從句的動(dòng)作緊接著發(fā)生,則主句和從句中的謂語(yǔ)動(dòng)詞都可以用一般過(guò)去時(shí)態(tài)。
例如:When she entered the room, she found the boy crying.她進(jìn)屋時(shí)發(fā)現(xiàn)那個(gè)男孩在哭。
As soon as the teacher came into the classroom, the students stopped talking.老師一走進(jìn)教室,學(xué)生們就不再說(shuō)話了。
注意“had+名詞或代詞+過(guò)去分詞”這種結(jié)構(gòu)形式上很像過(guò)去完成時(shí)態(tài),但實(shí)際上卻是一般過(guò)去時(shí),表示“請(qǐng)或讓別人做某事”,名詞或代詞作賓語(yǔ),過(guò)去分詞作賓語(yǔ)補(bǔ)足語(yǔ)。
例如:Isabel had her hair cut yesterday afternoon.昨天下午,伊莎貝爾理了頭發(fā)。
He had the TV set repaired yesterday afternoon.昨天下午他讓人把電視機(jī)修了修。