Употребление и перевод глаголов may, might, could

Глаголы may и might в качестве модальных были рассмотрены выше, в разделе «Инфинитив и инфинитивные обороты» (см. стр. 40—43).

В случае употребления may и might в качестве вспомогательных глаголов сложной формы сослагательного наклонения они обычно не переводятся.

В уступительных придаточных предложениях:

However difficult this book may be from the point of view of the language, you are to read it.

Как ни трудна эта книга с точки зрения языка, вы должны читать ее.

Don't contradict him, whatever he may say.

He противоречьте ему, чтобы он ни сказал.

В придаточных предложениях цели:

Try to speak clearly, so that you may be understood better.

Старайтесь говорить ясно, чтобы вас лучше поняли.

Глаголы might, could в сослагательном наклонении в значении возможности употребляются:

в простых предложениях

This rule might be appliedhere.

Это правило можно было бы применитьздесь.

в определительных придаточных предложениях

I can give you some materials that might be helpfulin your work.

Я могу дать вам некоторые материалы, которые могли бы бытьполезны в вашей работе.

Упражнения

1. Переведите.

1. Не could do this, if he tried.

2. The letter said that the materials might be used by us.

3. There was no rope whereby the boat might be tied to the river's bank.

4. He spoke so rapidly that we could not clearly understand him.

5. He drew the plan of the building more skillfully than any one else could have done it.

6. Could I but see that thing myself, I would believe in its existence.

7. He had come here that he might help me to finish the task.

8. Whatever may happen, we must accomplish this task in time.

9. You may have noticed it before.

10. The work could not have been done during such a short period.

11. The book may have been left here by some of our students.

12. I have some documents here that might be of some interest to you.

13. He tried to behave as if nothing had happened, so that nobody might notice the change.

14. I couldn't have been seen at the Institute on that day for the simple reason that I wasn't there.

Т. Н. Мальчевская 145

15. There were too many details in his work which he couldn't have foreseen.

16. He may have been the author of this play.

2. Переведите.

1. The cave deposits contain two standardized tools in enormous quantities. Both could be used as knives and scrapers.

2. Later, when writing came into more extensive use, some material was needed on which writing could be done easily and conveniently.

3. Lest the sound of the filming mechanism might be heard, he had simulated a little refreshment and had sung during the critical period.

4. Japan's large population could not have been self- supporting for so long had soil and climate not been favourable.

5. One of the greatest merits of Bacon's prose is his short sentences, in which respect he may have been influenced by his study of Montaigne.

6. Language enters all human activities and few, if any, of them could be carried on without language.

7. This authoritative knowledge of Hittite (language) could not have come about if the deciphering scholars had not been linguists who had slowly and carefully ascertained by scholarly methods, with profound respect for the text as a text, the exact words and grammar, conceiving this as their paramount duty.

8. This author, Koj'iina by name, may have utilized materials collected in the manner just described.

9. Alfred the Great himself, when over forty years of age, learned the Latin tongue in order that he might translate into English works which he thought would be of benefit to his people.

10. A man isolated from childhood in a confined space, for instance, might have as good a brain as anyone else, but he would have very little to think about, and his ideas and the range of his ideas would be very limited.

11. Especially if the period of separate development (of languages) is long, many of the features which were introduced during the earlier stage may have ceased to be reflected in the modern languages.