It is the first time…類結構只能后接完成時態嗎？

本站特約作者  李  翔

■郭長經主編《學生英語答疑解難手冊》(金盾出版社2004年3月第1版)p814：

問：It is the first time +從句的結構中，從句應該用什么時態？

答：It is the first time +從句的結構中，從句用現在完成時。It was  the first time +從句的結構中，從句用過去完成時。沒有別的時態。例如：It is the first time that Mr Smoth has visited China. 這是史密斯先生第一次到中國來游覽。

It was the first time that Mr Smoth has visited China. 譯文同上。

句型中主句it 可以用this，that，序數詞first也可根據句意改變其他序數詞。例如：This is the third time that Mr Smoth has visited the Summer Palace. 這是史密斯先生第三次游覽頤和園。

That was the fourth time that Mr Smoth has visited the Summer Palace. 這是史密斯先生第四次游覽長城。

■趙振才編著《初高中英語考點難點詳解詞典》(黑龍江人民出版社2002年10月第1版) p937：

【問】—Do you know our town at all? —No, it is the first time I ____ here.

A. was   B. have been   C. came  D. am coming  (全國高考，92—22)

我選了C，對嗎？

【答】This is the first (second, third, …) time這個結構要求后面使用現在完成時，This was the first (second, third, …) time這個結構要求后面使用過去完成時。 例如：… 當主句為將來時(It/This/That will be the first time)時，從句要用將來完成時，但用現在完成時來代替：…

從以上可以看出兩書均認為It / This / That + be + the first (second, third, …) time之中只能使用完成時態。然而最近出版的王福禎老師主編的《薄冰英語慣用法詞典》(商務印書館國際有限公司2009年1月北京第1版) p1179卻認為：“It is (或was) the first (second, third, fourth, etc.) time + (that) 從句”句型中，從句常用現在完成時或過去完成時，也可以用一般過去時。如果表示動作正在進行，也可用進行時。例如： “You know”, he told the guard, “that’s the first time I ever touched a real flower.”

實際上It / This / That + be + the first (second, third, …) time… 之中除使用完成時態以外，還可以使用其他時態。這一點從著名語言學家Michael Swan所著得Practical English Usage (Third Edition) 中可以得到證實：

Practical English Usage (Third Edition) p586:

Present (simple or progressive) and future tense are both possible with This is the last … and similar structures:

This is the last time I pay / I’m paying for you. (Or This is the last time I’ll pay for you. )

再請看英美語中的真實例證：

1. Lingoes ( http://www.lingoes.cn/) 之“句酷雙語例句”：(Agence France-Presse, Busan, South Korea, 23rd) - North Korea's athletes arrived in Busan today for the Asian Games. It is the first time that North Korea athletes attend an international sporting event in South Korea.（法新社南韓釜山二十三日電）北韓選手今天抵達釜山參加亞運，這是北韓首次參加在南韓舉辦的國際運動比賽。

2. BNC (英國國家語料庫http://www.natcorp.ox.ac.uk)和BUY-BNC BRTISH NATIONAL CORPUS (UK,1980s-1993) (Mark Davies, Brigham Young University ) http://corpus.byu.edu/bnc/：

This is the first time we actually feel sympathy for Blanche because she is so upset by the death of her husband.

I think it is the first time he actually worked hard.

This is the first time that the two companies will provide a total supply and maintenance contract for ARAMCO, …

…, it is the first time you realise that there are places like ours that you can go,…

It is the first time I have an internal examination.

But this is the first time that RA members are being so actively encouraged to trespass.

This is the first time that the paintings will be shown as a group outside the Hermitage.

“This is the first time you really see everything,” he told The Art Newspaper.

That is the last time I shall put myself at a loss or disadvantage for her, she decided, unable as she was to thank me.

This is the last time I'll be part of these people.

Barry is ready for his hols so this is the last time we will see the talking sweater in action.

I fear that this is the last time we shall ever see each other.

This was the last time they saw him.

That was the last time we spoke.

It was the last time Endill would believe anything a teacher told him.

It was the last time Kenneth ever saw Rory.

It was the last time we were ever to see him alive.

It was the first time I was able to say it.

It was the first time we made a connection.

That was the first time I was to see pain and suffering at close quarters.

This was the first time that everyone else on the station at that time became aware of the danger,…

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