Ask & Learn闻问切英语口语: Wouldn't want to

读者 Daniel 在电影 Spread 中听到以下对白：

I'd let you sleep in my bed, but I wouldn't want to get you confused.

Daniel 问：如果把 "I wouldn't want to" 改成 "I don't want to"，会否令意思有所不同？

如果改成 "I don't want to"，是会对意思有些微的改动。要了解 don't 和 wouldn't 的分别，应从 subjunctive mood 入手。但中文没有 subjunctive mood ，要解释恐怕会相当费劲。

Subjunctive mood 中文是虚拟语态，用来描述一些不会发生或者发生机会不大的事情。例如：如果地球是平的，我就不要住在地球的边缘，因为掉下去的机会太大了。但事实上地球是圆的，所以我们表达上述的意思时，就要采用 subjunctive mood ："If the earth were flat, I wouldn't want to live on its edge." 这里必须用 wouldn't，don't 是肯定错的。

Daniel 提出的句子也用了 subjunctive mood。"I'd let you sleep in my bed" 就是指出虽然说话的人不介意，但他不能让对方睡在自己的床上，因为他不想对方会错意。因此这里应用 "wouldn't want to"。

相反，如果剧中人打算让对方睡在自己的床上，但提醒对方不要会错意，就应采用 declarative mood 了：

I'll let you sleep in my bed, but I don't want to get you confused.

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