should是一个极其常用的情态动词。然而正是因为它司空见惯,所以很多同学忽略了这一平常词的不平常用法。下面就它的各种意义和用法说明如下:

　　1. 意义与ought to 很相近,表示一种必要性,还可理解为有责任或义务做某事。如:

　　We should mind our grammar and try to speak and write correctly.

　　我们应该注意语法,力求说、写无误。

　　You should vote even if you don't agree with any of the candidates.

　　即使你们不同意任何一位候选人,也应该去投票。

　　注意:should后面接动词不定式的完成式表示过去所发生的动作。在肯定句中,表示某事"在过去应该做却没有做";在否定句中,表示某事"在过去不应该做却做了",含有责备的语气。如:

　　You should have told me so before.

　　你以前就应该告诉我。

　　You shouldn't have given the boy the knife to play with.

　　你不该把刀给孩子玩。

　　2. 用在虚拟条件状语从句中,语气较强。如:

　　If it should rain tomorrow, the game would be played indoors.

　　万一明天下雨,比赛就在室内举行。

　　If I should go to Europe this summer, I would probably go by ship.

　　倘若我今年夏天去欧洲的话,我很可能坐船去。

　　3. 表示"推测或可能性"。如:

　　The report is written after careful investigation, so it should be reliable.

　　这份报告是经过周密调查后写成的,所以应该可靠。

　　Let's go, the library should be open by now.

　　咱们走吧,图书馆现在应该开门了。

　　4. should可表示"个人对事件的反应"。如:

　　It is really amazing that they should have done the work so quickly.

　　他们这么快就把活儿干完了,实在令人惊讶。

　　When I fell on evil days, who should come to meet me but my old friend Bob?

　　在我落魄潦倒之时,除了我的老朋友Bob 还会有谁来看我!

　　5. should还可表示"委婉或谦逊地陈述自己的意见或看法"。如:

　　You are mistaken, I should say.

　　我倒想说,你搞错了。

　　I should advise you not to do that.

　　我倒是奉劝你别那样做了。

　　6. 与if I were you连用时,是虚拟语气,表示"提出委婉的劝告"。如:

　　If I were you, I should get the car repaired.

　　我要是你,就把车送去维修。

　　I should not do that if I were you.

　　换成我的话,就不那么做。

　　7. 与why和how连用时,可表示"不能理解;生气"之意。如:

　　-Give me a cigarette.给我一支烟。

　　-Why should I?凭什么给你?

　　(文/白建伟；英语辅导报高三版2003-2004学年第47期；版权归英语辅导报社所有，独家网络合作伙伴新浪教育，未经许可，不得以任何形式进行转载。)