shall和should用作助动词时, should是shall的过去式;用作情态动词时, shall和should是两个不同的词。
shall的用法:
1. shall表义务,用于第二、第三人称。如:
You shall do as you see me do.
你照我的样子办。
He shall be punished if he disobeys.
他若不服从就要受到处罚。
★在当代英语中,shall多用于正式法律文字。如:
The vendor shall maintain the equipment in good repair.
卖方须完好地维护设备。
★shall有时在从句中相当于must。如:
It has been decided that the proposal shall not be opposed.
已经决定不得反对这项提议。
2. shall表许诺,用于第二、第三人称,用于肯定句和否定句。如:
You shall have my answer tomorrow.
你明天可以得到我的答复。
She shall get her share.
她可以得到她的一份。
3. shall表征询意见,用于第一、第三人称,并用于疑问句。如:
Shall I get you some coffee, Miss Fleure?
What shall he do next? 他下一步干什么呢?
should的用法:
1. 用于第一人称疑问句,表征询意见。如:
Should I open the window? 我可以开窗户吗?
2. should表义务,可用于各种句式,通常指将来。如:
You should do what your parents tell you.
你应该照你父母的话去做事。
He should do some work, but he doesn’t want to.
他应该做些工作,但是他不想做。
也可指现在。如:
You shouldn’t feel so unhappy over such
trifles.
对这种小事,你不应该感到这么不高兴。
You shouldn’t be sitting in the sun.
你不应该坐在阳光下。
3. should表推测,暗含很大的可能。如:
It’s 4:30. They should be in
现在是四点半,他们应该到达纽约了。
Three weeks should suffice.
三个星期应该足够了。
4. should可在某些从句中,表虚拟语气。如:
I suggest that you should stay here as if nothing had happened.
我建议你应该待在这儿,好像什么事也没有发生。
She was terrified lest they should go on talking about her.
她感到害怕,唯恐他们再说她的事。
If he should drop in, give him my message.
他若来访,就将我的消息给他。
5. should表感情色彩,常用在以why, how开头的疑问句中。如:
Why shouldn’t you invite him?
为什么你不邀请他?
I don’t see why we shouldn’t make friends.
我不明白为什么我们竟不能成为朋友。
How should I know? 我怎么知道?
★在that引导的从句中,should也可表惋惜、忧虑、欢乐、惊讶等感情色彩。如:
I’m sorry that you should think so badly of me.
你竟把我想得这样坏,我感到遗憾。
It is absurd that such things should happen to a family like theirs.
真可笑,这种事竟发生在他们那样的家庭中。
★should还用于一些特殊结构,表感情色彩。如:
That it should come to this!
事情竟到了这种地步!
To think that it should have happened to me! 谁想到这种事竟发生在我身上!
