有读者问: 有这样一句话:
(1)I've not seen the letters; only his secretary sees any of his letters, for he is pretty reticent about business letters, as big business men have to be.
第二分句中为何用any? 它意谓“任何”吗?
这里的any不意谓“任何”。any在这里表示一种含蓄的条件,any of his letters有一种“如果他的秘书能看到他的什么信件的话”的含义。有时any则有“是否有什么”的含义,如:
(2)Bending over the dead body of the dog, she tried to discover any signs of life. (any signs of life意谓“是否有什么活着的迹象”)
总之,不要一看到肯定结构中的any,就将它等同于“任何”。any在肯定结构中往往有种种不同的含义,读者在阅读中应随时加以注意。
