テクストと文法問題 Textual and Grammatical Problems

ひさしぶりに他人のブログをのぞいていたら、『赤毛のアン』の引用でつぎのような英語があった。――

Even Josie Pye came to see me. I received her as politely as I could, because I think she was sorry she dared me to walk a ridgepole. If I had been killed she would had to carry a dark burden of remorse all her life. Diana has been a faithful friend. She's been over every day to cheer my lonely pillow. 〔太字強調付加〕

"would had" はねーべさ、とコメントで指摘してやろうと思ったが（←イヤなおやじｗ）、念のため調べてみることにした。 　　

　　まず、文法問題を扱ったQ&Aのページ（DailyWritingTips）から――

Rita Levin asks: Can you please explain the difference between could had/could have and would had/would have.

To begin with, the combinations “could had” and “would had” are impossibilities in standard English. It was with great dismay that I found the following utterances (and many more like them) on the web:

If I had been killed she would had to carry a dark burden of remorse

If Greece and Greeks would had been converted to islam… would Greece had the problems of debt currently?

Encore could had been a masterpiece

If you could had $100 GC at Amazon, which cans for Rock music would you get?

The combination could have is always followed by a past participle.

 NOTE: This discussion is limited to the use of have and had with could and would. 　〔"Could Have and Would Have," DailyWritingTips〕<http://www.dailywritingtips.com/could-have-and-would-have/>

　　リタさんの質問がありえなく間違っているという悲惨な始まりなのだけれど、回答者はていねいに説明を行ないます。実際にWEBに同様の "could had" とか "would had" を見つけて愕然としたという例の最初のが、典拠が示されていないけれども、『赤毛のアン』なのでした――"If I had been killed she would had to carry a dark burden of remorse"。 　　

　　そして、回答者は解説（内容として、「過去の推測」的記述の問題を含んでいて興味深いのだけれど、今回の話とは別筋なので省略）を経て、"incorrect examples rewritten"　と直しを入れます。――

If I had been killed, she would have had to carry a dark burden of remorse

If Greece and the Greeks had been converted to Islam…would Greece have the current problems of debt?

Encore could have been a masterpiece

If you could have $100 GC at Amazon…

　　まあ、まことに至極もっともなことであり、文句のつけようもありません。 　　

　　そして、テクスト問題として見つかったのが、まずグーグル・ブックスなのでした。 　　

　　つまり、一般市民個人の写し間違いというのではなく、プロがつくった本の段階で誤りがあったようなのです。このリプリント版を作って売っているのはForgotten Books です。この本屋はもっぱらE-text を使った本を作っており、しかし紙にしないE-text の状態で無料でWEBに出してもおり、カリフォルニアにいたときにアマゾン経由で英国民謡5巻本を買って、その無意味さに怒って返本した、本屋でした。 　　つづく

タグ：text Anne of green gables 『赤毛のアン』 e-texts