had better 用法, 例句, 詳解

had better 用法1

問：在中文裡,“你最好……”, 是提出建議、請求或勸告的一種很客氣、很委婉、很有禮貌的說法。把它譯成英語, 便是you had better。不知它們之間有無區別?

答：在英語裡you had better 用法並不是提出建議或請求的一種很客氣的說法。因此, 它並不與中文的“你最好”等值。記得有一篇文章提到, 一位中國譯員經常對一位外國客人說you had better, 結果引起了這位外國客人的反感。為什麼呢? 因為在英語裡you had better 含有“有義務做某事”(have a duty to) 的意思, 近似於you should, you ought to。例如:

He warned me that I had better not say anything about that.
他警告我對這件事最好隻字不提。

因此, 在客氣、委婉的請求或建議中應避免使用它, 而換用其他表達方式:

1. Could you help me? 你能幫下忙嗎?
2. Would you like to come for a walk? 你來散散步好嗎?
3. Will you come for a walk? 你來散散步好嗎?
4. I wish you wouldn’t smoke any more. 我希望你不要再吸煙了。

[ 參見had better 用法4(‘d) better, may 用法10, might 用法2 ]

had better 用法2 (had better vs better)

問：Better not wait for them. (最好不要等他們。) 請問這裡用better 代替had better (‘d better) 是否正確?

答：R. Quirk 等人在CGEL 中說:“在口頭英語中, had better 中的had 常常省略: You better try it again.其中主詞也可省略: Better try it again. M. Swan 在PEU 中也說:“在極不正式的語體中, 有時候把had better 中的had 省略掉”。

1. The boy felt he better go before the fight started. (《英漢辭海》)
   這孩子覺得他最好在打架前走開。
2. You better not do it. (《英漢辭海》)
   你最好不做這件事。

had better 用法 3 (had better not vs hadn’t better)

問：(A) Had we better not leave now?
(B) Hadn’t we better leave now?
句(A) 與句(B) 哪一個是正確的? 如果兩者都是正確的, 那麼它們在意義上有無區別?

答：had better 用法有兩種否定形式。

A. 否定詞not 放在整個習語had better 之後, 即had better not:

1. I’d better not disturb him.
   我最好不打擾他。
2. We had better not begin just yet.
   我們最好不要現在就開始。
3. Had we better not go to the station? (Would it be advisable if we didn’t go?)
   我們是不是最好不去車站?

B. 否定詞not 放在had better 的第一個詞之後, 即hadn’t better 或had not better 。這種形式一般用在疑問句裡:

1. Hadn’t you better go with her?
   你跟她去, 不是更好嗎?
2. Hadn’t we better go to the station to meet your mother?
   我們最好去車站接你母親, 是不是?

從上面的譯文不難看出, 這兩種否定結構在意義上常常是不同的:

• a) Had we better not go? (“Would it be advisable if we didn’t go?”
  我們不去不是更好嗎? (我們不去, 好不好?)
• b) Hadn’t we better go? (“I think we had better go; don’t you agree?”)
  我們去不是很好嗎? (我想我們還是去好, 你不同意嗎?)

小練習：請選出正確的答案與改錯。（留言作答）
1. “I usually take a walk at night.” “_______ do that.”
A. You have better not
B. You had better not
C. You had better not to
D. You have better not to
2. You had not better wake me up when you come in.

had better 用法4 (‘d better)

問：請解釋’d better 的意義和用法。

答：’d better 是had better 的縮寫形式, 意思是“最好”、“ 最好還是”。有時也使用would better, 但它沒有前者用得普遍, 比較少見。

1. I think you had better pay him a visit tomorrow.
   我想你明天最好還是去看看他。
2. We’d better leave soon. Yes, we’d better.
   我們最好還是快點走吧。是的, 我們快點走吧。

由於中文的“你最好⋯ ⋯”表達的是一種很有禮貌的建議, 所以中國人便把you had better 看作是一種很有禮貌的表達方式。其實, 正像語言學家們所指出的那樣, had better, 如同should, ought to 一樣, 表示“有義務做某事”。有時還用於下達命令或進行威脅:

1. You had better go out, or I will throw you out of the window.
   你最好出去, 不然的話, 我就把你從窗戶扔出去。
2. You had better go to the hospital at once if you want to see him before he dies.
   如果你想在他死之前見到他的話, 你最好馬上去醫院。

因此, 對於長輩和需要表示尊敬的人, 不應當說you had better, 而應採用其他比較有禮貌的說法: you might, it might be better to, I suggest 等等。