生活英语对话 Episode 65: A tricky meeting

本单元是关于讨论棘手问题的会议的对话

Boss: Come in. Ah, Tim, how can I help?
Tim: Erm, well, I think you should read this letter from the watch repairers.
Boss: Oh yes, let me see it? hmm, well, I imagine someone in their office must have made a mistake.
Tim: Perhaps, but this isn't the first time this has happened.
Boss: Well, do you think you might have made a mistake when you took the watch from the customer?
Tim: I don't think so.
Boss: But you're not certain? You could've made a mistake, couldn't you?
Tim: Well, I always check the paperwork.
Boss: Well, let's not worry about it now, but in future, I'll deal with customer complaints. And try to be more careful in future, okay?

Vocabulary (词汇):
the paperwork (文件):
official documents, usually connected to a business transaction¹

本单元的语言点是情态动词，情态动词可表可能，肯定和推出等，请看下面的解释和例句

Modals - past possibilities, certainties² and deductions⁴

Modals - basics (情态 - 基本情态)
Common modals include: must, should, might, may, can, could, will, would. Modals affect the meaning of sentences. For example, some of them can be used to show possibility or probability⁵.

I meet my boss at ten o'clock every day.
(a statement of fact)

I might see my boss tonight.
(the modal 'might' expresses a probability or possibility)

John can't see his boss tonight.
(the modal 'can't' means that it is not possible for John to see his boss tonight)

Grammar note:
With a present or future reference⁶, the modal is followed by a base verb (the infinitive⁷ form of the main verb, without 'to').
I might see my boss tonight.
He could be in London.
She may arrive late.

Modals - possibility, probability, guesses and deductions (情态 - 表示可能、概率、猜测或推论)

Modals can be used to show possibility, probability, a guess or a deduction³ (a guess which is based on evidence).
For example, you are in your house and the doorbell rings (you can't see who is at the door). You say:

That must be the postman.
(This means you are certain it is the postman)

That might be the postman.
(You are not certain, but it is possible/probable)

That may be the postman.
(You are not certain, but it is possible/probable)

That could be the postman
(You are not certain, but it is possible/probable)

That can't be the postman.
(You are certain that it is NOT the postman)


Modals and past events （情态和过去时）
Must, might, may, could and can't are also used to talk about past probability and possibility, and to make guesses and deductions about things that happened in the past.
For example, after a shopping trip you go to the train station to return home. You can't find your wallet.

Past certainty⁸
I must have left it in the last shop. I don't remember putting it in my pocket. (This means you are certain about something that happened in the past)

I can't have left it in the last shop. I remember putting it in my pocket. (This means you are certain about something that DIDN'T happen in the past)

Past possibility/probability
Someone might have stolen it.
Somebody may have taken it.
I could have dropped it.

Grammar note:
When modals are used to talk about past events, the modal is followed by the perfect infinitive, without 'to'.

The perfect infinitive is made with 'have' + the past participle of the main verb. Here are some examples of modal verbs followed by perfect infinitives:
must have left
might have stolen
may have taken
could have dropped

Remember, if you don't use a modal, then you are giving a fact, for example: I left it in the shop.

Be careful: Modal verbs often have other different meanings. For example, 'could' can be used to show ability as well as possibility. Use the context⁹ to help you understand which meaning is being used. 'Can' is NOT normally used to talk about the past: use 'could'.

1 transaction   

n.处理，交易，相互作用

参考例句：

• He was twenty dollars in pocket by the transaction.他在这笔生意中赚了20美元。
• He left the transaction of the matter to his secretary.他把这件事交给秘书办理。

2 certainties   

n.必然的事( certainty的名词复数 )；确定的事；确实；确信

参考例句：

• If a man will begin with certainties, he shall end in doubts. 如果一个人以种种肯定的立论开始，他必将以各种怀疑而终止。 来自辞典例句
• Are no probabilities to be accepted merely because they are not certainties? 难道仅仅由于事情不具备必然性，我们就不承认它们也有或然性？ 来自辞典例句

3 deduction   

n.减除，扣除，减除额；推论，推理，演绎

参考例句：

• No deduction in pay is made for absence due to illness.因病请假不扣工资。
• His deduction led him to the correct conclusion.他的推断使他得出正确的结论。

4 deductions   

扣除( deduction的名词复数 )； 结论； 扣除的量； 推演

参考例句：

• Many of the older officers trusted agents sightings more than cryptanalysts'deductions. 许多年纪比较大的军官往往相信特务的发现，而不怎么相信密码分析员的推断。
• You know how you rush at things,jump to conclusions without proper deductions. 你知道你处理问题是多么仓促，毫无合适的演绎就仓促下结论。

5 probability   

n.可能性，可能发生的事，概率

参考例句：

• The probability that it will rain today is high.今天下雨的可能性很大。
• He must calculate the probability of failure.他必须计算一下失败的概率。

6 reference   

n.提到，说到，暗示，查看，查阅

参考例句：

• We spent days going through all related reference material.我们花了好多天功夫查阅所有有关的参考资料。
• I like to have my reference books within my reach.我喜欢把参考书放到伸手可取的地方。

7 infinitive   

n.不定词；adj.不定词的

参考例句：

• The use of the split infinitive is now generally acceptable.分裂不定式的用法现在已被广泛接受。
• Modal verbs generally take the bare infinitive.情态动词通常用不带to的不定式。

8 certainty   

n.必然的事，确定的事实，确信，确实

参考例句：

• I can't say with any certainty where I shall be next week.我不能确切地说下周我在什么地方。
• I know for a certainty that the company has been bought up.我确实知道公司已经被人收购了。

9 context   

n.背景，环境，上下文，语境

参考例句：

• You can always tell the meaning of a word from its context.你常可以从上下文中猜出词义来。
• This sentence does not seem to connect with the context.这个句子似乎与上下文脱节。