suppose 用法, 詳解及例句

suppose 用法1

問：我在Reading Laboratory, Book 2 中讀到這樣一個句子:
Suppose you did your homework first.
子句所表示的是將來時間的事, 它的動詞為什麼要用過去式(did) 呢?

答：在正式英語裡, suppose 用法引出的受詞子句的動詞要使用假設過去式(請與wish相比較) :

1. Just suppose everyone were to give up smoking and drinking.
   讓我們每一個人都戒掉煙酒。
2. Suppose her father turned her out of doors!
   要是她父親真把她趕出門, 那可不得了!
3. Let’s suppose we each had $100 to spend – what would we buy with it?
   我們大家來想想, 要是我們每人都有一百英鎊來花的話, 我們會買些什麼?
4. Suppose(that) one of us died.
   假定我們當中有一個人死了。

但是, suppose 的受詞子句的動詞也可以使用一般現在式:

1. Suppose he is lost, what would you do?
   要是他迷路了, 你怎麼辦?
2. But let us suppose that the Atlantic Ocean is now regularly crossed by enormous hovercraft. The hovercraft, with a thousand motor-cars on board, moves at 100 miles per hour, and is across the Atlantic in little more than one day. (復旦大學《英語》(三), p.168)
   讓我們設想, 現在有巨大的氣墊船定期跨越大西洋航行。裝運上千輛汽車的氣墊船的航速每小時一百英里, 氣墊船只消花上一天的時間就能渡過大西洋。

suppose 用法2

問：I don’t suppose that he cares, (does he? / doesn’t he?)
請問在這種句型裡是應當用does he, 還是應當用doesn’t he 呢?

答：在think, believe, suppose, expect 等動詞後面的子句中, 如果在意義上需要否定受詞子句的某個成分, 常常要將否定轉移到主句中去。因此, 所提問的句子I don’t suppose…相當於I suppose that he does not care.這就意味著, that 子句實質上是個否定句。按照附加疑問句(tag question) 的使用規則, 這裡的附加疑問句, 只能使用肯定形式: does he?

suppose 用法3

問：“You won’t be here tomorrow, will you?”“I suppose not.”
[原譯]“你明天不來這裡, 是嗎?”“我不這樣想。”
I suppose not 是指“我不這樣想”嗎?

答：上面的譯法是錯誤的, 應譯為:“我認為是這樣。”或“我想我是不會來的。”更詳細的情形, 見expect(don’t expect so/ expect not), substitution/ ellipsis。

suppose 用法4 (suppose we went/ go)

問：(A) Suppose we go for a swim.
(B) Suppose we went for a swim.
上面兩個句子哪個句子是正確的?

答：上面兩個句子都是正確的。這就是說suppose 的受詞子句既可用陳述語氣, 也可用假設語氣。上面兩句中的suppose 用法用於提出建議或請求, 有時候相當於一個祈使句。
在suppose 後面的子句中使用過去式主要是為了使所提出的建議變得客氣、委婉, 或者使所提出的建議聽起來不那麼肯定。

1. Suppose we have lunch now!
   我們現在吃午飯好嗎?
2. Let us suppose that a child suddenly crosses the road in front of you. (New Concept English, Book 2, L.69)
   現在假設一個小孩突然在你面前穿過馬路。
3. Suppose you meet me at the post office at half-past seven.
   你七點半到郵局來找我, 好嗎?
4. “Daddy, can I watch TV?”— “Suppose you did your homework first?”
   “爸爸, 我能看電視嗎?”—“你先做家庭作業, 怎麼樣?”

(參見suppose 用法1)

suppose 用法 5 (be supposed to)

問：(1)“Why can’t you and Bill go to movies tonight?”
“We are _______ a history test tomorrow.”
A. supposed to having
B. supposedly to have
C. supposed to have
D. supposedly to having
(2) You’re supposed to be an expert.
我對上面兩句中的be supposed 用法和意義很不理解。請分析。

答：be supposed 最常見的用法有二。

A. Be supposed to 用作半助動詞

其文法特點同have to, be about to, be bound to, be going to 一樣: 其語意相當於ought to, 表示按照規則、規律、義務或約定“應當”、“理應”去做某事。

1. People under eighteen aren’t supposed to buy alcoholic drinks.
   十八歲以下的人不允許買含酒精的飲料。
2. He is supposed to arrive at six o’clock.
   他應該六點鐘到達。
3. The machine is not supposed to make noise. (《韋氏辭典》, 電子版)
   這台機器不會產生噪音。
4. He told this to somebody else, not realizing that he was not supposed to.
   他不知道這些話不該告訴別人, 結果告訴別人了。

be supposed to 如果與完成時不定詞連用, 則表示“本應該做某事而實際上卻沒有做”。例如:

1. He was supposed to have told me about it.
   他本應該把這件事告訴我的。
2. Mrs. Brown is supposed to have left for Italy last week.
   布朗太太本應上周動身去義大利的。

B. be supposed to 作“被認為”、“被看作是”解(往往暗含著“ 事實並非如此”的意思) 。例如:

1. You’re supposed to be an expert, but you don’t know very much about it, do you?
   大家都認為你是個專家, 可是你並不在行, 是不是?
2. Everyone went to the funeral, for the ‘ghost’ was none other than Eric Cox, a third brother who was supposed to have died as a young man. (New Concept English, Book 3, L.30)
   大家都去參加葬禮, 因為“ 幽靈”不是別人, 而是考克斯的第三個兄弟, 叫埃裡克·考克斯。人們都以為他在年輕時就已經死了。

suppose 用法6 (I suppose not/ I don’t suppose so)

問：I suppose not 與I don’t suppose so 所表達的意思是否相同?

答：如同其他可否定轉移的動詞(think, believe) 一樣, suppose 用法也可採用兩種否定形式: I suppose not 和I don’t suppose so。但是前一用法非常正式。

1. “I suppose you’ll be going to the meeting.”“ No, I don‘t suppose so.”
    “我認為你將去參加會議。”“不, 我認為並不是這樣。”
2. “Surely her statement can’t be correct?”“No, I suppose not.”
   “她的論述肯定是不正確的嗎?”“ 是的, 我認為是不正確的。”

suppose 用法 7 (supposing)

問：(A) Supposing the plane is late?
(B) Supposing you come with us.
句(A) 和(B) 是否是完整的句子? 如果答案是肯定的, 那麼可否將它們分別譯為:
(A) 假使飛機晚點?
(B) 假使你跟我們一起去。

答：上面的句子從表面上看似乎是不完整的, 但它們常常獨立使用, 表達完整的意思。
句(A) 可表達what if…句型所表達的含義, 可以理解為What would happen if…, What will happen if…, What does it matter if…所以句(A) 可譯為:“假使飛機晚點了, 那怎麼辦呢?”類似的例子:

1. Supposing I don’t see her.
   假如我見不到她, 那怎麼辦呢?
2. Supposing they are poor?
   就算他們很窮, 那又有什麼關係呢?
3. But supposing one remained unconvinced?
   但是, 假如有一個人說服不了, 怎麼辦呢?

句(B) 中的supposing 表示建議或請求:

Supposing you come with us.
請你跟我們一起去怎麼樣?

請比較:

What if you join us for lunch?
請你跟我們一起吃午飯, 好不好?

Suppose we go for a swim.
我們去游泳吧!

suppose 用法8 (supposing (that) he is/ were)

問：Supposing the weather _______ bad, where would you go?
A. is
B. will be
C. were
D. be
這裡有兩個問題: 1. supposing 是什麼詞? 2. Supposing 之後既然可以使用陳述語氣, 為什麼在上面的試題裡選A(is) 是錯誤的呢?

答：Supposing that 是個複合連接詞(complex subordinator), 其中的that 常常被省略。supposing (that) 引出的子句既可以使用陳述語氣, 也可以使用假設語氣。下面是一些實例:

1. Supposing (that) she doesn‘t come, what shall we do?
   假如她不來, 我們怎麼辦?
2. Supposing (that) you were left alone on a desert island, what would you do? (同上)
   假如你隻身被留在一個荒島上, 你怎麼辦?

你所提問的句子是否可以在空白處填is, 這就要看主句和子句用的是何種語氣。也就是說supposing(that) 子句的語氣要和主句的語氣一致。由於作者在主句中使用了假設語氣(would you go), 所以子句也必須使用假設語氣(were) 。