核心问题
“The F. B. I. knows all about it.” “How?” “I told them.” Henry looked across at Julius. “Yes,” he said. “There had to be something like that. You...” [原译]“联邦调查局知道了全部情况。”“怎么会的?”“是我告诉他们的。”亨利朝朱利叶斯看着。“唔”,他说“竟然会有这样的事。你……”① 请问 have to 在这里译成“竟然会”,对否?
词典解答
have to 除表示“必须”(be obliged to)之外,还可以表示“推断”“揣测”。在表示后一含义时,have to 与 must 很相似,不过 have to 强调从客观上推论,因此,肯定性比 must 还要强。
然而,英译汉时有时很难把这种区别表达出来,只好也译为“肯定”“必定”“一定”“必然”等等。例如:
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Someone has to be telling lies. (Leech) 肯定有人在说谎。
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There has to be some mistake. 这里一定有错误。
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If Bley was aboard, he had to have heard me. 如果布雷在船上,他一定会听到我的喊声。
你所提问的句中的 had to, 根据上下文来看, 应属“推测性用法”。也就是说, There had to be something like that. 的意思是: 早就估计到会发生这样的事, 而不是像译文所说的那样, 完全没有料到会发生这样的事。因此, 这个句子可译为:
“果然发生了这样的事。你……”