Was able to的用法与翻译

Able 一词往往令人望文生义,见到 able便想到"能够",于是便译作"能够";殊不知 was able to 可以表示行为的完成,翻译时未必需要"能"或者"能够"这类字样。Was able to 的惯用法常被误解,初学者姑且不论,就连我国出版的甚至颇有影响的辞书也有不当的说法。一种说法是"able 指能力,并不意味着实行"。(英语惯用法辞典)其实,able有时指能力,有时也意味着实行。英国学者L.G.Alexander 说过:"We must use wasable to when we want to show that an actionhas been completcd successfully."显然,beable to