英语语法网(www.yygrammar.com/Article/200905/1215.html)之“与《朗文当代高级英语辞典》商榷一个句子时态”的作者目佳先生认为：“《朗文当代高级英语辞典》(商务印书馆1998年8月第1版 2001年10月南京第8次印刷 书号ISBN 7-100-02605-9 / H・672)第1095页的past3词条有这样一个例句：In the past he has been a bricklayer and a milkman, and now he’s a farmer. 从前他曾当过砌砖工人、送牛奶工人，现在他是个农民。”中的has been用得不是很妥。 ……显然，将句中的现在完成时has been解释为“持续到现在的状态”不合适――因为他曾当过砌砖工人，又当过送牛奶工人，所以用has been来表达“持续到现在”显然不合适；如果将句中的has been解释为“对现在造成的影响或结果”更不合适――因为“他当过砌砖工人和送牛奶工人”与“他现在是农民”没有任何必然的联系，前后没有任何因果关系。
建议：将句中的has been改为was，或改为used to be。即改为：In the past he was a bricklayer and a milkman, and now he’s a farmer. 或In the past he used to be a bricklayer and a milkman, and now he’s a farmer.
笔者认为：目佳先生所谓的“错句”完全是正确的，根本没有必要改。在当今的英语中，现在完成时完全可以和像in the past等表示表示笼统的过去时间的状语连用。请看例证：
1. 薄冰编著《英语时态》(开明出版社北京2000年1月第1版)p133：现在完成时可以和表笼统的过去时间的状语连用，如...，in the past, ...
2. 【日】田中茂范等编《外研社英汉多功能词典》(杨文江等编译 外语教学与研究出版社 2008年7月第1版)p1534：He has been a boxer in the past. 他以前是个拳击手。
3. 陆谷孙主编《英汉大词典》(第2版) (上海译文出版社2007年3月第1版)p1428：I have played tennis in the past, but I don’t want to play again. 过去我一直打网球，但是现在我不想再打了。
3.《朗文当代英汉双解词典》(First published 1988) p1017：In the past I have had many jobs. 过去我做过很多种工作。
4.《朗文当代高级英语辞典》(英英•英汉双解)(外语教学与研究出版社2004年7月第1版)p1433：James has done many things in the past, but he’s happy now in his job as a teacher. 詹姆斯以前做过很多工作，但他对现在当教师感到最开心。(笔者注：此句与所谓的“错句”惊人的相似)
5.《牛津高阶英汉双解词典》(第四版)(商务印书馆1997年9月第1版) p1073：I’ve been there many times in the past. 我从前去过那儿很多次。
6. BNC(英国国家语料库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/：
In the past he has worked for John Moore, Cecil Parkinson and Nigel Lawson.
In the past the British Film Industry has produced many great directors, Sir Reed, Michael Powell, David Lee to name but three.
7. BYU: THE OXFORD ENGLISH DICTIONARY
(http://corpus.byu/oed/):
1944 In the past the main instrument of the Church in upholding its principles has been the Church School.
1962 In the past the air force has been led by aviators, as the navy has been led by * saltlicked admirals.
8. TIME CORPUS OF AMERICAN ENGLISH (1923-2006) (Mark Davies, Brigham Young University ) (http://corpus.byu.edu/time):
1961/10/27 In the past they have concerned contributions to NATO, or arguments over colonialism or summitry or economic cooperation.
1975/10/20 In the past he has been stringently criticized for the careless manner in which he mixed the facts of these lives with his personal responses.
9. BUY CORPUS OF AMERICAN ENGLISH (1990-2008) (Mark Davies, Brigham Young University) http://www.americancorpus.org/：
2008 Over the weekend, he expressed his support for a ballot initiative that would ban affirmative action in his home state - though in the past he has criticized such measures.
2007 In the past he has made guest appearances on the TV shows " Girlfriends " and " One On One " but now he’s focused on getting more roles for the silver screen.
10. Lingoes(http://www.lingoes.cn/)之“句酷双语例句”：He will cast away this money just as he has done in the past. 他会像过去所做的那样把这笔钱浪费掉。
In the past they have often backed the Parti Qué bé cois, which twice held referendums on independence and came within a few thousand votes of winning one of them in1995. 原来，这些选民一般都支持魁人党，该党就独立问题举行了两次全民公投，在1995年那次公投上，该党只差几千票就能获胜。
从以上例证可以看出：无论在英国英语中，还是在美国英语中，in the past可以和现在完成时连用都是不容置疑的。那为什么目佳先生用现在完成时的两种基本用法无法解释这种现象呢？用一句冠冕堂皇的话解释，就是语言学家Edward Spair所说“条条语法规则有例外。”
然而薄冰在其编著的《英语时态》(开明出版社 保定2000年3月第2次印刷)p12-122上似乎已经给出明确的答案：
[实例] I have lived in China. 我曾在中国住过。
[说明]现在完成时have lived在这里着重说明过去的经验。这种现在完成时与现在关系不大。
[实例] The house has been painted, although no trace of paint can now be detected. 房子曾油漆过，虽然现在油漆已都剥落了。
[说明]有时由于时过境迁，现在完成时的动作所造成的直接结果已不复存在，只变为一种经历。
这样以来，我们对目佳先生所谓的“错句”就可以进行合理的解释了：本句主要强调他有过“当过砌砖工人、送牛奶工人”的经历，可这一切都已经成为过去，和现在关系不大了。
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