有读者问：高中英语第二册第13课 Madame Curie and Radium 中有这样一句话：
(1)This something in Madame Curie's own life was to lead science down a new path to a great discovery.
课文注释将 was to 译作“将”，我则认为应将 was to ... 看作是一表语结构，谁对谁错，请赐教。
这里的 was to ... 不是一种表语结构。 was to 在此是一种表示“过去的将来”的手段，是 be to 中的一种形式（也有的语法家管它叫做“边际情态动词”）。它在此并不单纯地表示“过去的将来”，而是具有“后来结果”或“注定”的内涵。 was to 的这种用法并不罕见，再如：
(2)Einstein was still a young man. His discoveries had not yet been published, but they were to change our whole view of the universe. （were to 在此可译作“后来”）
(3)While holding Stalingrad the Soviet Army was gathering forces to deal the enemy a blow that was to become the turning point in the war. （这里的 was to become 可译作“后来成为”）
(4)The joys of sincere work and worthy aspiration and congenial friendship were to be hers; nothing could rob her of her birthright of fancy or her ideal world of dreams. （were to 可译为“都将为她所有”）
