各位网友好，从今天起，“迪朗翻译”网站要分享一系列英文翻译与写作的专题文章。有心学习“高阶”翻译与英文写作的网友必定可以从中学到版主宝贵的实务经验与技巧，请大家广为宣传。

◎ 现在完成式

1. 表示“累计”
Investigations are ongoing and so far, two people have been arrested.
（调查正在进行，目前已有两人被逮捕。）

2. 表示“持续状态”
与since （自从……） 和 for （有……之久） 连用
I’ve wanted a baby since I was a girl.
（我从少女时代就一直想生个小孩。）

The system has been in operation for two months.
（这个系统已经运转两个月了。）
（解说）since是表示“自……到现在”，无法用来指“一段时间”，所以不能说：I’ve been learning Chinese since two years. 这句话要改成：I’ve been learning Chinese for two years.

3. 现在完成式与过去式的区别
现在完成式是连接“过去”与“现在”的时态。

现在完成式：使用“不明确”或“连续”的时间叙述，着眼于现在。
过去式：使用“明确”或“不与现在连接”的时间叙述，着眼于过去，通常表示“确实发生”的事件。

I saw John yesterday.
（我昨天看见过约翰。）──明确且和不与现在连接的时间叙述。
I have only seen John once since yesterday.
（从昨天到现在为止，我只见过约翰一次。）──连续的时间叙述。
I haven’t seen John this morning.
（今早我还没看到约翰。）──说话者认定今早还没过去，时间从过去持续到现在。
I didn’t see John this morning.
（今早我没看到约翰。）──说话者认定今早已经过去，因此使用过去式。

（解说）故事书通常采用过去式，不会采用现在完成式。
Once upon a time there was a beautiful princess who lived in a kingdom far far away. （很久很久以前，有一位美丽的公主，住在一个遥远的国度。）

4. 现在完成式与动词性质的配搭
动词性质与完成式要搭配得宜，才不会出现荒谬的错误。

John has been killed since 1985.
──kill 这个动作无法持续，还要凌迟约翰多久呢？千刀斩吗？
（解说）这句话要改写成John has been killed或John was killed last week。

The company has been established since 1985.
（这家公司从 1985 年起就“一直设立”至今？！）
The company has been established for 50 years.
（这家公司50年来“一直设立”？！）
──establish 这个动作无法持续，无法一直设立某家公司。
（解说）上面的句子应该改成：
The company has been in business since 1985.
The company was established in 1985.
如果要说明公司在哪一年成立，以及公司成立了多久，可以采取下面的说法：
It is thirty years since the company was established in 1985.
= It has been thirty years since the company’s inception in 1985.

5. 特殊句型
• 说明第几次的经验
This is the second time I have seen a 3D movie.
（这是我第二次看3D电影。）

It was the third time he had been in love that year.
（那已经是那年他第三次谈恋爱了。）

（解说）
1. 上面的例句表示过去的经验，因此使用现在完成式（或过去完成式）。
2. 英文与中文的时态表达虽有所不同，但行文仍要符合逻辑，不能太过拘泥，请参考下列英美人士所写的例句：

Right now is the first time in history that anyone can grab the opportunity presented by the Internet to make a real full-time income working from home.
──使用现在式。

“Do you enjoy carpentry work?”
“Yes, I do. It is the first time I have done it.” ──已经完成
“Yes, I do. Right now is the first time I am doing it.” ──正在进行

It’s the first time I’m visiting this website, and I’m pleasant with the way you’re talking about events and people. ──说话者目前正在浏览网站

Right now is the first time I’m touring to the bigger cities. I’m in San Francisco right now; next city will be Seattle, New York, Chicago, and then Los Angeles. ──使用现在进行式，表示持续行为。

Normally Mars is not visible with the naked eye. However right now, or soon to now I not sure which, Mars will be closer to Earth than it has in 65,000 years or somewhere in that neighborhood. So right now is the first time in a very long time that Mars will be visible to the naked eye. ──使用未来式，表示尚未首次发生的事件。

Last Tuesday was the first time that I did it. ──使用过去式
= Last Tuesday was the first time that I have done it. ──使用完成式
（解说）Last Tuesday是过去的时间点，所以可用过去式与现在完成式来表达过去做过的动作或行为。

• It is …years／a long time since…
It is fifteen years since we last met.
（从我们上次见面到现在已经有十五年了。）

It is a long time since we last heard from him.
= It is a long time since we have heard from him.
（我们已有好久没有听到他的音讯了。）
（解说）
since 前面通常都用完成式，为何唯独这种句型要用非要用现在简单式（It is a long time…）？美国人或多或少也会搞不清楚吧。
“How have you been? It’s been such a long time since we’ve seen each other.”
（最近怎么样? 真是好久不见了。）
“Good, just really busy with school.”
（还不错，只是前阵子忙着课业。）

• It is …only／best／worst…
It’s one of the most interesting books I’ve ever read.
（这是我读过最有趣的一本书﹝之一﹞。）

This is the strangest debate I’ve ever seen.
（这是我看过最奇怪的辩论。）