★ "When do you expect them?"

"I expect them this afternoon."

"你想他们什么时候会来?"

"我想他们今天下午会来."

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这两句不能译作:"你什么时候等他们?"--"我今天下午等他们." 一般的英汉词典大都将expect译作"期待"和"等待"，实际上，在某些场合下， expect的真正涵义是"现在认为(或相信)某一事将会发生"， 相当于英语的to believe or think that something will happen. 因此， 上面两句中的expect不能译作："期待"或"等待"，这两个句子相当于:

When do you expect them to come?

I expect them to come this afternoon.

现在请注意下列句子的汉译:

Do you expect him at Kowloon City Pier?

你想他会在九龙城码头吗？

I expect to see your brother there.

我预料会在那里见到你的兄弟。

You are expected tomorrow.

希望你明天来。

They arrived before I expect.

我没料到他们会到得这么早。

I didn't expect you till five o'clock.

我知道你要到五点钟才会来。



在另一些场合下，expect强调客观的可能性，不涉及到主观愿望。例如:

Everybody must expect to grow old.

每一个人都要变老的。



在口语里，expect还可以作"想像"，"认为"解，相当于suppose或think。例如:

Who did it? --I expect it was Hsiao Li.

这是谁干的？ -- 我想是小李干的。

Is there any lobsters in Jumbo today? --I expect so.

今天"珍宝"酒家有龙虾吗？ --我想会有的。

Do you think they will object?-- I expect they will, though I wish they wouldn't.

照你看他们会反对吗？ -- 依我看，他们会反对的，虽然我希望他们不反对。
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