Ask & Learn闻问切英语口语:Present Perfect

今期继续回答 Calvin 的问题。他从网上新闻看到一句：Around two dozen Tibetans have set themselves on fire to protest repressive Chinese rule in the past year. 想问作者为什么不用 simple past，而用 present perfect？

没错，这句的确可以用 simple past。文法就这个问题的规定很简单，只要句子明确显示事件发生在过去（句中时间为 "past year"），就可以用simple past。

但这句同时又可以用 present perfect。因此，Calvin 问的不单是文法问题，而是修辞问题。

我们比较以下两句：

1. Around two dozen Tibetans set themselves on fire to protest repressive Chinese rule in the past year.

2. Around two dozen Tibetans have set themselves on fire to protest repressive Chinese rule in the past year.

第一句只不过把在过去一年自残的人数说出来，语气比较客观，纯属叙述；而第二句因采用了 present perfect 的关系，暗示故事还没有结束：去年是二十多人，但自残的人数还在增加。

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