297 would rather/sooner 和 prefer/would prefer
would rather 和 would sooner 之间没有区别，但经常听到的是 would rather。
A would rather/sooner 的主语与后面的动作的主语相同时，would rather/sooner 之后常常接不带to的不定式：
Tom would rather read than talk．
汤姆宁可读书而不愿谈天。
1 would rather/sooner + 不带 to 的不定式可用来表示现在的动作，以代替prefer + 动名词：
Tom prefers reading to talking．
汤姆喜欢读书而不喜欢谈天。
注意：would rather 后跟不带 to 的不定式 + than + 不带 to 的不定式，而 prefer 后跟动名词 + to + 动名词。
prefer 后面也可跟名词，而在 would rather 之后要求只带动词原形：
He prefers wine to beer．相当于：
He would rather drink wine than beer．
他喜欢喝红葡萄酒而不喜欢喝啤酒。
I prefer tennis to golf．相当于：
I'd rather play tennis than golf．
我喜欢打网球而不喜欢打高尔夫球。
某些 prefer + 名词的情况不能用 would rather 完全确切地表达出来：He prefers dogs to cats（他喜欢狗而不喜欢猫）和 He would rather have dogs than cats（他宁可养狗而不愿养猫）意思并不完全相同。
2 would rather + 不带 to 的不定式不能表示过去的偏爱。所以与 Tom would rather read than talk 相当的过去形式为 Tom preferred reading to talking/liked reading better than talking。（参见下面4。）
3 would rather + 不带 to 的不定式可代替 would prefer + 带 to 的不定式：
I'd rather fly than go by sea．/I'd prefer to fly．
我宁愿乘飞机也不愿乘船。
注意：用 would prefer 时，只提到你愿意做的这件事，而不提另外一件你不愿做的事，如上所述。因此，如想把愿意和不愿意的两个动作都提到，则要用 would rather。
这两个结构后面带名词时情况也一样：
—Would you like some gin？
—I'd prefer a coffee．/I'd rather have coffee than gin．
—您想喝点杜松子酒吗？
—我想喝点咖啡。/我想喝点咖啡，不想喝杜松子酒。
4 would rather/sooner 和 would prefer 后面都可跟完成式，但后者带 to：
We went by sea but I'd rather have gone by air/I'd prefer to have goneby air．
我们是乘船去的，可我本想乘飞机去。（我愿意乘飞机去，可我的愿望未能实现。）
这和 would like + 不定式的完成式有点相似，would like + 带 to 的不定式的完成式也表示未能实现的愿望。（参见第296节D。）
B 如句子的两个主语不相同，可用主语 + would rather/sooner 后面跟主语 + 过去时（虚拟语气）结构：
—Shall I give you a cheque？
—I'd rather you paid cash．
—我付给您支票行吗？
—我想您最好付现金。
注意：用 would rather + 主语 + didn't 表示带否定意义的偏爱：
—Would you like him to paint it？
—No，I'd rather he didn't（paint it）．
—您想让他给它上油漆吗？
—不，我希望他不要这么做。
Ann wants to tell Tom，but I'd rather she didn't（tell him）．
安想告诉汤姆，但我不想让她告诉他。
然而，prefer 与 like 相同，后面都跟宾语 + 带 to 的不定式：
I'd prefer you to pay cash．
我想你最好付现金。
I'd prefer him not to paint it．
我不想让他给它上油漆。
I'd prefer her not to tell Tom．
我不想让她告诉汤姆。 |
