Ask & Learn闻问切英语口语:Time Was...

读者 Wai Kwok 读电影 Notting Hill 的剧本时读到一句对白："No, no, I love that you tried. Time was I'd have done the same thing."

Wai Kwok 想问 "time was" 是什么意思？他的一位英国朋友怀疑剧中人说的应该是 "At one time, I'd have done the same thing."

Notting Hill 电影我没有看过，剧本也没有读过，但我相信 Wai Kwok 的朋友猜对了意思。然而，句子的结构却并非 "At one time,..." 而是 "There was a time when..." 的倒装。

这样的倒装屡见不鲜，例如："There is a chance that..." 或 "There is a possibility that..." 有时故意会说成 "Chance is..." 和 "Possibility is..."。

"There was a time when I'd have done the same thing" 的意思就是我年轻时也会做同样的事。说成 "Time was (that) I'd have done the same thing" 就更加老气横秋，大有「我是过来人」的气概。

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