08811 未完成

未完成式表达了动作、过程或状态是未完成的, 它有
很多意思:

1a) 用来叙述过去的单一 (与重复相对) 动作; 跟完
    成式不一样之处, 在于未完成式更有生气、更生
    动。完成式表达了「事实」, 未完成式暗示着「
    过程」即将完成, 因此增色不少, 也加上动作。
    
     他伸出手准备开门
     事情半途中止
     我渐渐听到

1b) 「谁找你?」这样的说法, 指的不只是现在, 也
    假设寻找的动作已经持续一段时间了。

     你为何哭泣?
     为什么不肯吃?
     你为何忧伤?

   与其说这些句子讲的是一个时刻, 不如说讲的是
   持续的状态。

2) 进行、未完成是与尚未完成的这一类动作可能在
   于屡次重复。

    2a) 现在:

        今天有人这么「说」
        睿智的儿子会「取悦」父亲

    2b) 过去:

        「他如此作」 - 定期地, 年年如此
        「以前常起的」雾
        「我们以前常吃」的鱼
        「降下」吗哪   - 定期地
        他「说」- 不断地

3) 未完成式用来表达未来, 指的不但是即将完成的
   动作, 也是还没开始的动作

    3a) 从现在式真正的观点来看, 这可能是未来式;
        如:

          好了, 「你走着瞧」
          「我们要烧掉」你的房子

    3b) 从任何其他假设的观点来看, 这可能是未来
        式; 如:

          他把「即将就任王位」的儿子带走了
          她留下来看还有什么是「应该做的」

4) 3b 的用法可以视为常用的未完成及物动词,表达
   的行为和思想之间的各种关系,英语喜欢用条件
   语气表达。这里提到的假定关系完全是「未来」,所以用
   简单的未来语气足以表达; 例如

       你「可以吃」任何树上的果子
       「我们能不能知道」
       他「会」说

5a) 未完成跟在质词/语助词后面, 表达的是「变
    迁」、「目的」、「结果」等等, 还有「为了」
    ,「免得」; 例如

       说你是我妹妹,「这样对你比较好」
       让我们睿智治国,「免得国民增多」

5b) 然而, 当「目的」的感觉很强烈, 或当它需要
    特别强调时, 那么当然就要使用语气了; 例如

       高举我,「我好回报他们」
       他要引诱亚哈王「上去」
       我们要怎么做,「海浪才会平静下来」

    我们也会用语气来表达未来动作的等级, 这动
    作我们是用「祈愿语态」表达的

       「让我死了好了」
       「愿」主「坚立」他的话
       「愿」这孩子「活下去」

08811 Imperfect

The imperfect expresses an action, process or condition which is
incomplete, and it has a wide range of meaning:

1a) It is used to describe a single (as opposed to a repeated) action
    in the past; it differs from the perfect in being more vivid and
    pictorial. The perfect expresses the "fact", the imperfect adds
    colour and movement by suggesting the "process" preliminary to its
    completion.

     he put forth his hand to the door
     it came to a halt
     I began to hear

1b) A phrase such as "What seekest thou?", refers not only to the
    present, but assumes that the search has continued for some time.

     Why do you weep?
     Why refuse to eat?
     Why are you distressed?

   These relate not so much as to one occasion, as to a
   continued condition.

2) The kind of progression or imperfection and unfinished condition
   of the action may consist in its frequent repetition.

    2a) In the present:

        it is "said" today
        a wise son "maketh glad" his father

    2b) In the past:

        "and so he did"        -  regularly, year by year
        a mist "used to go up"
        the fish which "we used to eat"
        the manna "came down"  - regularly
        he "spoke"             - repeatedly

3) The imperfect is used to express the "future", referring not only
   to an action which is about to be accomplished but one which has
   not yet begun:

    3a) This may be a future from the point of view of the real
        present; as:

          Now "shalt thou see what I will do"
          "We will burn" thy house

    3b) It may be a future from any other point of view assumed; as:

          he took his son that "was to reign"
          she stayed to see what "should be done"

4) The usage of 3b may be taken as the transitive to a common use of
   the imperfect in which it serves for an expression of those shades
   of relation among acts and thoughts for which English prefers the
   conditional moods. Such actions are strictly "future" in reference
   to the assumed point of relation, and the simple imperfect
   sufficiently expresses them; e.g.

       of every tree thou "mayest eat"
       "could we know"
       he "would" say

5a) The imperfect follows particles expressing "transition",
    "purpose", "result" and so forth as, "in order that", "lest"; e.g.

       say thou art my sister, "that it may be well with thee"
       let us deal wisely with the nation, "lest it multiplies"

5b) When however there is a strong feeling of "purpose", or when it
    is meant to be strongly marked, then of course the moods are
    employed; e.g.

       raise me up "that I may requite them"
       who will entice Ahab "that he may go up"
       what shall we do "that the sea may be calm"

    The moods are also employed to express that class of
    future actions which we express in the "optative"

       "may I die"
       "may" the LORD "establish" his word
       "may" the child "live"