4. 修辭功能

英語(yǔ)動(dòng)詞進(jìn)行體還可以用來(lái)表示禮貌、委婉或親切等等，如：

(l) He was shaking her hand before I could finish the introduction. I noted that he was not wearing any of his Banker Costumes.

還沒(méi)等我介紹完，他就跟她握起手來(lái)了。我發(fā)現(xiàn)他也沒(méi)有穿銀行家那種堂而皇之的禮服。（進(jìn)行體was shaking表示 親切）

(m) I'm happy to have you with us this morning，and I hope you'll be feeling at home here.

今天上午能跟你們一起度過(guò),使我很高興，大家千萬(wàn)別客氣啊。(進(jìn)行體表示親切或禮貌）

(n) As a matter of fact，we've been hoping you will come, Edith. And I was expecting you to phone me in any case. 我們真的一直在盼你來(lái)啊，艾迪絲。我想你無(wú)論如何會(huì)給我打一個(gè)電話。（進(jìn)行體表示殷切）

5. 表示主語(yǔ)的特征或傾向

(o) Kiplingwas being humerous, of course, but none the less, that is an excellent statement of the attitude that many people have in all seriousness,

當(dāng)然，吉卜林在這里表現(xiàn)出的是他那種幽默感。但他以絕 妙的方式說(shuō)出了許多人一本正經(jīng)時(shí)說(shuō)的話。

(p) Jackie Felt hovered around the med room，telling the physician how I wasn't eating right and that all this might have been averted had I been taking sufficiant salt.

杰姬?費(fèi)爾特在診室里纏住醫(yī)生,說(shuō)我吃的東西不對(duì)頭， 說(shuō)我要是在食物里放夠鹽,情況就會(huì)完全改變。

(q) This may be a large factor in your failure. You may be putting off your colleagues by the expression on your face.

你很可能敗就敗在臉上那副表情怠慢了同事。

進(jìn)行體在當(dāng)代英語(yǔ)中有增多趨勢(shì)，它的情態(tài)表意功能很可能不限于以上五個(gè)方面。譯者在翻譯中遇到具體上下文宜多琢磨其精微涵義，加深理解，不必斤斤于見(jiàn)諸文字，以免過(guò)猶不及，以詞害義。