(資料圖片)

　　以下是小編為大家整理的might的用法總結，希望能幫助大家更好的認識might句型，提高英語水平。

　　may /might well…與 may /might (just) as well…雖然只有一詞之差，但含義迥異，稍不注意，容易混淆。總的來說，may/might as well…是may /might as well…as的省略形式，含比較含義，表示一種建議(recommendation )， 后接動詞原形、進行時和完成時;而may/ might well …則無比較含義，只是表示一種辯護的理由(justification)，后接動詞原形和完成時。下面筆者擬根據一些權威詞典和語法參考書，試就這兩個句型的用法作一論述，不對之處，敬請各位同仁斧正。

　　一、may /might well … 此句型結構中“well”的作用是暗示較大的可能性，助動詞本身只表可能性。”

　　(見夸克等著《英語語法大全》P803)，其英文解釋為：used to say that something is likely to happen or is likely to be true. 根據此解釋，句型may /might well…的含義主要有以下三點：

　　A. 意為“have good reasons to do something”，即作“完全有理由，難怪，那么”解， 但譯成漢語時其具體含義要根據具體語境做靈活變通處理，不可死譯。例如：

　　He may well say so.他完全可以這么說。(或：他完全有理由這么說。)

　　You might well try again. 你再試一下也無妨(也不無道理)。

　　Those are excellent photographs and we may well be able to use them in our magazine.那些照片很出彩，應該能用于我們的雜志。(《朗文當代英語詞典》 P885)

　　You might well find that youll need more by the weekend. 你應該會發現到周末的時候要的更多。(《朗文當代英語詞典》 P901)

　　This decision may well be questioned. 對這個決定完全可以提出異議。

　　You may well be surprised. 難怪你會驚訝。(或：你感到驚訝是有道理的。)

　　He may well be praised. 他很值得表揚。

　　She is proud of her work， and well she may. 她為自己的工作感到自豪，這是理所應當的。

　　2013淺談may/might well…與may/might(just)as well…的用法第3期但要注意的是，might well 不一定只是過去，有時是用來表示一種委婉的、客氣的說法。例如：

　　She might well ask that. 她那樣問一聲，也是應該的。

　　They were confident， as they well might， that the experiment would be a success. 他們相信，而且也確有理由相信，這次試驗一定成功。(《新英漢詞典》增補本 P1601上海譯文出版社 1979年3月)

　　B. 意為“be very likely to do something”，作“很可能”解。例如：

　　Her appearance has changed so much that you may well not recognize her. 她的外貌變化如此之大，你很可能認不出來了。

　　You could try the drugstore， but it may well be closed by now. 你可以去那家藥店，但有可能關門了。(《朗文當代英語詞典》1995年最新版 P1624 外語教學與研究出版社)

　　What you say may well be true. 你所說的有可能是事實。

　　C.和it連用構成句型結構It may /might well be true+ that從句等于It is likely / possible that+從句，意為“做……是有可能的”。例如：

　　It may / might well be true that he beat her. 他打她完全有可能是事實。

　　It may well be true that we will finish the work by Friday. 我們在星期五之前完成那項工作是有可能的。

　　It may well be true that she will pass the examination this time. 她這次考試及格是有可能的。

　　另外，“may well + have ved”與“might well + have ved”二者也有區別。前者意義肯定，意為“很可能”;而后者含有否定意味，意為“本來完全可以(可能)做某事而實際上未能”。試比較：

　　The team may well have won the football game， but I dont know because I wasnt there. 這支球隊很有可能已經贏了比賽，但我不在場，所以不知道。

　　We lost the football， but we might well have won if one of our players hadnt been hurt. 我們輸了那場比賽。不過，要是我們的一個隊員不受傷的話，本來是完全可以取勝的。

　　同時值得一提的是，may / might well…強調形式是“Well may / might + 主語+ 謂語 +其他”或者“Well + 主語 + may /might + 其他。(錢歌川， 1982) 例如：

　　He may / might well ask that. = Well may / might he ask that. =Well he may / might ask that.他要是那樣問也是應該的。(錢歌川)

　　Well may you say why! 你盡可以問原因呀!

　　Well might the doctor say that she was well nourished. 難怪醫生說她營養良好。

　　此外，as well…may / might可以等于“and well…may / might”， 相當于“and with reason(那也是應該的)”，此處的as是which之意;而“may / might as well …”的“as”是表“同樣”之意，二者含義也大不相同。試體會：

　　She hopes that they will respond grateful as well they may. (= and well they may =which they may well do) 她希望他們將給予感激的答復，而他們也應該這樣。She took pride，as well she might， in her hair.(=and well they might= which they might well do) 她以自己的秀發而驕傲，這也是理所應當的。

　　Old residents speak of it with considerable affection， as well they might. (=and well they might.) 老居民們談起此事時無不親切萬分，這也是合情合理的。She is proud of her son， and well she may. 她以自己的兒子為榮，這也是應該的。(錢歌川《英文疑難詳解》)

　　Marilyn looked guilty when she saw me， as well she might. Marilyn看到我時帶有歉意， 這也是合情合理的。(《朗文當代英語詞典》1995年最新版 P1625 外語教學與研究出版社)

　　二、may / might as well…又有哪些含義和用法呢?根據《朗文當代英語詞典》(P1624 1995年最新版)的英文解釋：

　　a) informal used when you dont particularly want to do something but you decide to do something. 例如：

　　I suppose we may as well get started. 我們還是馬上開始的好。(《牛津英漢雙解詞典》P1307)

　　b) used to mean that another course of action would have an equally good result. 例如：

　　The taxi was so slow. We might just as well have gone on the bus.出租車太慢了，我們倒不如坐公交車。

　　c) (usually spoken) used to suggest doing something that you do not really want to do， because you have no better ideas.(通常用于口語)用來建議做并不是太想做的事情，由于沒有更好的選擇又只能如此。這個搭配的表達有點像漢語中的讓步狀語從句，經常會在翻譯時加上“既然”“反正”之類的詞加強相應的語氣。例如：

　　Youll need a new suit at Spring Festival anyway. You might as well have it now.反正你春節也得添一套新衣服，還是現在添了吧。

　　Since Jack wouldnt take up the job， we might as well ask Richard to do it.既然杰克不愿意承擔這個任務，我們只好請理查德來干了。

　　Its no good waiting for the bus. We might as well walk. 反正等公交車是無用的，我們只好走路算了。

　　從上面的解釋來看，may / might (just) as well…的含義主要有三：

　　A. “may / might (just) as well…”表示“所含的意思是一個人做某事，是因為沒有更好、更有趣或者更有用的事可做。”故常譯為“ 最好，不妨，倒不如，還是……的好”等意。例如：

　　You may (just) as well tell me the truth. 你還是對我說實話的好。(《新英漢詞典》增補本 P1602)

　　You may as well keep it a secret. 你最好將這件事保密。

　　Since nobody else wants the job， we might as well let him have it. 既然誰也不要這份工作，咱們不妨讓他去做吧。(《牛津高階英漢雙解詞典》第四版增補本P1725)

　　I might as well die as marry him. 我與其嫁給他，倒不如去死算了。

　　Business is terrible. I might as well pack up.生意很不好做——我還是關門算了。

　　In that case， I might as well bring them back with me.那樣的話，我還不如拿回去。

　　There is nothing to do， so I may as well go to bed. 沒什么事可做，我還是上床睡覺好了。

　　He decided that he might as well have it out with them.他決定還是和他們把問題談清楚的好。

　　You are not (physically) strong， so you may as well take care of your health. 你的體格不壯，因此最好注意健康。

　　I expect I might as well be going.我看我也該走了。

　　B. “may / might (just) as well + v原形”表示“某種譏諷或者不情愿的建議(a sardonic or reluctant recommendation)”，此種情況下通常省略比較狀語從句，常譯為“還不如，無異于，等于是說，還是……的好 (with equal reason， advantage， justification， etc)”等意。例如：

　　You might just as well go (as not). = There is just much to be said in favour of going as there is against.你去也好，不去也好。(《牛津現代高級英漢雙解詞典》P703)

　　Since it is raining hard， you may as well stay here as leave. 既然雨下得這么大，你與其離開倒不如待在這兒。

　　You might as well tell the truth (as continue to tell lies). (= without worse consequence)

　　你(與其繼續撒謊)倒不如還是講實話的好。(表“譏諷”)(《新英漢詞典》增補本 P1602)其意為“Because if you dont tell me， I shall certainly hear it from others.”

　　We may as well stay here the night (as look for a better place elsewhere). (與其到別的地方找個更好的住處)我們還不如就呆在這兒過夜。(表“不情愿 (unreluctant)”)

　　But I might as well have saved my breath. 但是這話還不如不說。

　　You might just as well say that white is black (as say that…) 你(那樣說)無異于是說白的就是黑的。(表“譏諷”)(《牛津現代高級英漢雙解詞典P1307 商務印書館/牛津大學出版社》

　　You may quite well give illness as an excuse.(=with good reason)你盡可把生病當借口。(表“諷刺”)

　　You might as well throw your money into the sea as lend it to him. 你借他錢不如把錢扔到海里去。

　　I might as well have been speaking to a brick wall.我還不如對著磚墻說話呢。

　　C. “might as well + have done something ”表“對過去未做之事不滿或者責備”，通常也省略比較狀語從句，強調意義的否定面。常譯為“當時還不如……”。例如：

　　Our holidays were ruined by the weather; we might just as well have stayed at home. 我們的假期被這種惡劣的天氣糟蹋了。當時還不如呆在家里好。(表“不滿”)(《牛津現代高級英漢雙解詞典P1307 商務印書館/牛津大學出版社》

　　We might as well have gone by bike as you suggested. 我們其實還不如按你的建議騎自行車去的好。(表“自責”)

　　The weather was so bad that we might(just)as well have stayed at home. 天氣太壞了，早知道如此，倒不如呆在家里為好。

　　I might as well have been speaking to a brick wall. He took no notice at all. 我還不如對磚墻講話好。他根本不理會。

　　在“may /might as well…”句型結構中，有人認為may 和might沒有現在與過去之分，而實際情況卻并非如此，而且差別還非常大。例如：

　　Now that they were all there she might as well speak her mind. 既然大家都在，她不妨把想法講出來。

　　Alice thought she might as well wait for a while. Alice心想索性等一下。

　　上述兩個例子均不能用may as well…來代替， 因為might as well…是表過去。

　　有時我們不說may as well…而用can as well…例如：

　　We cannot well refuse him. 我們沒有好的理由來拒絕他。(錢歌川 《英文疑難詳解》)

　　另外，還要注意“may / might as well…”句型結構的否定形式為“may / might as well not …”。例如：

　　You might as well not have known it. 其實你還不如不知道這件事情的好。

　　You might as well not know a thing at all as know it only a little. 只知道一點點，不如完全不曉得。

　　同時需要說明的是，“may / might as well…”可以表達上述的意思，但具體表哪種意義，要根據句子上下文意義和具體語境而定。