下面是许孟雄教授编著的《英语难题解答400则》(北京师范大学出版社,1993年)的第278条问答：
“问[278]《新概念英语》第2册40课，101页：“A new play is coming to ‘the Globe’ soon,” I said. “Will you be seeing it?”我知道像see, hear, glance这一类感觉或短暂动作的动词不能用进行时，但上句用了将来进行时，对此应作何解释？又有：“Will you be spending your holidays abroad?”“Will you be staying in England?”这两句中的将来进行时的含义是什么？
▲答 Will you be seeing...? 的含义有:(1)“很近的将来去看”;(2)联系在演出期限内的将来动作。因此不能用单纯的将来时 Will you see...。Will you be spending your holidays abroad? 的含义指:(1)在假期内的将来动作;(2)感觉到即将发生的动作。因此不能用单纯的将来时 Will you spend...。will you be staying...? 的含义也与此相同。现在的问题在于 see 究竟(1)在什么情况下要用一般时而不能用进行时。(2)又在什么情况下要用进行时而不能用一般时。我的答案是:(1)see 单指用眼睛看见实物时要用一般时,如 I see a table in the corner of the room. He saw his mother marching in the procession.(2)see 单指思想活动、理会等,而与眼睛看见无关系,要用一般时,如 We(can)see that China is rapidly coming back into her rightful place in the sun. I see what you mean. I cannot lend you so much money at this moment, but I'll see about it.(3)see 指负责去办理一事,用一般时,如 We will see that the work is finished according to schedule. 另一方面,see 指有目的的动作时,如(1)观看、观赏(除眼睛外还有思想活动,即混合地看,也可称为“双重看”),可有各种不同的时态包括进行时:The new play is now on at the Great China Theater. Will you be seeing it; I'm going to Beijing on holiday, and I'll be seeing the scenic spots.(2)see 指“看病”The doctor is seeing a lot of patients at the moment. He can't see you now.(这句中现在时的 see 与将来进行时的 see 都指“双重看”。)(3)see 指“看错”,虽用眼睛看实物或人,但把物看成人,或把人看成物:You are seeing things! This is a tree, not a man. This is a rope, not a snake.(4)探亲、访友虽用眼睛看,但更重要的目的是谈话,交情等:The American Ambassador is seeing Chairman Li on March 10 and will be seeing some other Chinese leaders.(这里的 is seeing 指将来动作如现在已经安排好了的时间:will be seeing 也指将来动作,而且很快就要发生但无指定的时间。)总之,变义时,即上面(4)各例所证明的特用 see,可以用进行时,但较难掌握,必须重视具体实例具体分析,不宜单纯用语法术语,笼统对待。”
读了上面的回答很受启发,但答者并没有解释 will see 与 will be seeing 的区别。不知您能否就此发表意见?
英国著名语言学家R.Quirk等人对这个问题作了明确的解释：
"It may be used especially following the auxiliary will (or shall) with the special implication that the action will take place ‘as a matter of course’ in the future: I'll be seeing you next week." (CGEL, p. 210)
(“现在进行体,尤其是用在助动词 will (shall) 之后,可用来表示动作在将来会作为一件‘当然事件’而发生的特殊含义:I'll be seeing you next week.”)
“We’ll be flying at 30,000 feet.”
This's spoken by the pilot of an aircraft to his passengers, means ‘30,000 feet is the normal and expected altitude for the flight’. If, on the other hand, the pilot said:
The impression might be quite different: it could well be that the pilot had just decided to fly at
the specified height."
"We'll be flying at 30,000 feet.
当飞机驾驶员向他的乘客说这句话时，它的意思是：“三万英尺是这次飞行预定的正常高度”。另一方面，如果他说：
We'll fly at 30,000 feet.
那么给人的印象就会颇有差异:很可能是飞机驾驶员刚刚决定在这一高度上飞行。”
由此不难作出结论: will be doing 表示按计划、安排要做的事情, 而 will do 可表示临时决定去做的事情。
请做下面的英语试题：
“Did you write to Grace last summer?” “No, but I'll ____ her over Christmas vacation.”
A. be seen B. be seeing C. have seen D. have been seeing(TOEFL)