VOA慢速英语:May, Might, Must - Modals of Certainty

For VOA Learning English, this is Everyday Grammar.
VOA英语学习每日语法。
This week’s Everyday Grammar looks at how to use the modals may, must and might.
本周的每日语法中，我们将学习怎样使用情态动词may、must和might。
Modal verbs (called modals for short) are auxiliary verbs that express a speaker’s attitude and the strength of that attitude.There are about 17 modals in English. They have multiple meanings and sometimes overlap in ways that are confusing to English learners.
情态动词是助动词，用以表达说话者的态度以及态度的强度。英语中共有17个情态动词。它们拥有多重意义，有时会有所重合，这让英语学习者大为困惑。
Today we will look at how we use these modals to express how certain, or sure, you are of something.
今天我们将学习如何使用这些情态动词来表达对某事的确定程度。
Grammar expert Betty Azar explains that these modals tell us how sure speakers are about what they are saying.
语法专家Betty Azar解释道，这些情态动词表现的是说话者对所说内容的确定程度。
A person who is 100 percent sure uses the verb be, as in, “I am sick.”
百分百确定的人将采用动词be，如I am sick.(我生病了)。
If they are mostly sure, say 95 percent, they will use the modal must, as in, “I must be sick.”
如果他们基本肯定，或者95%的肯定，他们将采用情态动词must，如I must be sick. (我一定是病了)。
When speakers are about 50 percent sure, they will use the modals may, might, or could; as in “I may be sick.I might be sick.I could be sick.”
如果说话者只有50%的肯定，他们将会用情态动词may、might或者could；比如“我也许生病了。我可能生病了。我或许生病了。”
Might is used as the past form of may.For example: “I may take more pictures.” (This is a direct quote.)
Might是may的过去式形式。比如：“我该多拍点照片。”（这是直接引用。）
She said she might take more pictures.(This is reported speech.)
她说她该多拍点照片。（这是间接引用。）
Notice how may changed to might.Modals change to a past form in reported speech.
注意may是怎样转变成might的。情态动词在间接引语中要转化成过去式形式。
Yesterday we had a staff meeting.I looked around the room and noticed my co-worker Anna was not there. I asked, “Where’s Anna?”and got three answers from my co-workers.
昨天我们开了员工内部会议。我环顾会议室，发现同事Anna不在。我问道：“Anna去哪了？”然后，有三个同事回答了我的问题。
Jonathan answered, “Oh, she may be making a video in the studio.”
Jonathan答道：“她可能在演播室制作视频。”
Kelly said, “She might have stayed home today.”
Kelly说道：“她今天可能在家。”
Adam told us, “She called me to say she was doing an interview at the Capitol this morning.So she must still be working over there.”
Adam告诉我：“她今天早晨给我打电话说，她在国会大厦做采访。所以，她现在一定是在那里工作。”
In this conversation, you can see a change from may to might.May shows the speaker is not sure in the present moment:“She may be making a video.” May changes to might to express a possible state in the past: “She might have stayed home.”Finally, must expresses a strong certainty: “She must be working there.”
在这个对话中，可以看到从may到might的转变。May表示说话者目前并不确定：“她可能在制作视频。”May转化成might来表示过去可能的状态：“她可能待在家里了。”最后，must表示的是强烈的肯定：“她一定是在那里工作呢。”
People today do not always follow these rules about present and past tense for may and might.You will hear both words to express the same degree of certainty.English speakers still express strong certainty in phrases like, “It must be love.”
今天，人们不太遵守may和might分别用于现在式和过去式这些规则。这两个词可能都表示同等程度的可能性。说英语的人仍然会表达十分的肯定，如“这一定是爱。”
Listen for the word might in this song by The Cars.
听以下由汽车合唱团演唱的歌曲，注意里面的might。
You might think I’m foolish.
你可能觉得我很傻
Maybe it’s untrue.
觉得不真实
You might think I’m crazy.
你或许认为我很疯狂
All I want is you.
我想要的只有你
By using might, the singer is expressing about 50 percent certainty.
歌手使用might来表达50%的确定性。
Now let’s look at how we express certainty about the future.
现在我们学习下如何表达有关将来的肯定性。
My friend Andy has a test next week. He has studied very hard for months.I told him, “You will do well on the test.Don’t worry.”I believe with 100 percent certainty that Andy will pass the test.
我朋友Andy下周有个考试。几个月来，他一直刻苦学习。我告诉他：“你肯定能考好。别担心。”我百分百相信Andy能够通过这次考试。
On the other hand, Carrie, who has to take the same test, just began studying last week.I warned her, “You might not do well on the test.You should study more this weekend.”I am not so sure that Carrie will pass.In fact, I doubt it.I express that future possibility with might.
另一方面，同样也要参加考试的Carrie上周才开始学习。我会警告她：“你可能不能通过这次考试。这周要多多学习了。”我不确定Carrie是否能够通过这次考试。事实上，我深表怀疑。我用might来表示这种未来的可能性。
The idea of possible future events lets English speakers use may to talk about hopes.You will see may on greeting cards and in prayers or religious writings.
未来可能发生的事这种想法让说英语的人用may来表示希望。你可以在贺卡或者祝福语以及宗教作品中看到may。
A quick look at Google Ngrams shows that few people are using may in this way.Now, it is much more common to hear “I hope that.”
快速浏览一下Google Ngrams就可以发现很少有人这样用may。但现在更常见的是“I hope that（但愿如此）。”
The group Celtic Woman sings of their wishes in “May it Be:”
凯尔特女人乐队在《但愿如此》（May it Be）中就唱出了她们的希望。
May it be an evening star,
但愿有颗暮色之星，
Shines down upon you.
照耀着你。
May it be when darkness falls,
即使黑暗降临，
Your heart will be true.
你将揣着颗真诚的心。
Traditional poems and prayers also use may to express positive sentiments.
传统的诗歌和祈祷文中也会用may来表示积极的情绪。
This is part of an old Irish blessing:
以下是爱尔兰祈祷曲的一部分：
May the road rise up to meet you.
愿道路在你脚下延展。
May the wind always be at your back.
愿清风在你背后缠绵。
May the sun shine warm upon your face.
愿阳光暖着你的脸。
With that in mind, the Everyday Grammar team says, “May you find our articles useful.”
根据以上，每日语法团队会说：“愿您发现我们的文章有益。”
I’m Jill Robbins.
Jill Robbins以及
And I’m Adam Brock.
Adam Brock 为您报道。