| 词组 | had rather |
| 释义 | had rather Had rather is a perfectly respectable and perfectly standard English idiom. It seems to have come into use during the 15th century. It competed with the older had liefer (sometimes spelled with a v as lever or liever) and by Shakespeare's time had pretty well replaced the older phrase. From the middle of the 18th century until early in the 20th, it was the subject of considerable controversy. It appears in present-day handbooks chiefly in the form of notices that both had rather and would rather, the alternative prescribed during the controversy, are standard. The controversy seems to have had its origin in Samuel Johnson's Dictionary of 1755. Under rather is this notice: 6. To have RATHER, [this is, I think, a barbarous expression of late intrusion into our language, for which it is better to say will rather.] Here Johnson made two blunders. He had failed to read his Shakespeare attentively: had rather is used thirty-eight times in Shakespeare's plays. And he seems not to have considered whether he used it himself. Later evidence shows that it was part of his vocabulary: • ... and every hour shows the careful observer those who had rather live in ease than in plenty —The Idler, 10 June 1758 • The first experiment, however, was bold, and deserved applause and reward: but since it has been performed, and its event is known, I had rather now find a medicine that can ease an asthma —letter, 6 Oct. 1784 From Johnson's Dictionary the question spread to the 18th-century grammarians—Lowth, Campbell, Lindley Murray. In his later editions Lowth has a footnote on the subject in which he cites "two grammatical essays" of 1768 (Leonard 1923 identifies the author as William Salisbury) in which the origin of had is explained as a mistaken expansion of'd—as in I'd rather—which was asserted to be a contraction of would. Salisbury's explanation proved to be popular; it was repeated by many later commentators, including Campbell 1776, Webster 1828, Alford 1866, Ayres 1881, and Bierce 1909. Another question about had rather troubled Lowth. He did not understand how the past had could be used to signify present time. What he missed was the fact that had was a subjunctive. McKnight 1928 explains how the historical development of these expressions involved the subjunctive all along, from the early impersonal me were lever (me is a dative there and the whole phrase means "it would be preferable to me") to the later personal form I had lever, in which rather replaced lever by Shakespeare's time. Noah Webster was accounted an opponent of had rather. He undoubtedly picked the controversy up from Johnson's Dictionary, on which he based his 1828 edition. Noah seems to have been a bit skeptical; he repeats Salisbury's explanation but qualifies it with supposed and may have been. He unequivocally recommends would rather, however, as had all the 18th-century commentators. The editors of Webster 1864 stated the case in stronger language, calling had "a blundering interpretation" of the supposed'd in their version of Salisbury's explanation. This eventually brought them a strong rebuke from the New England Journal of Education (reprinted in Bardeen 1883) for not having made use of more recent philological information. Would rather, universally recommended, and should rather were combinations that had actually been in use for some time before the controversy. • Your knowing of Mr. Dorimant, in my mind, should rather make you hate all mankind —George Ether-ege, The Man of Mode, 1676 • ... my loaves (cakes I should rather call them) of barley bread —Daniel Defoe, Robinson Crusoe, 1719 Hall 1917 thinks would rather may actually be older than had rather; he found an instance in Chaucer and another in Sir Thomas More. McKnight cites a European study claiming eight instances of would rather in the First Folio of Shakespeare, though they do not turn up in the Concordance to Shakespeare (there is one instance of rather would). Be that as it may, would rather was an existing form available to compete with had rather, and it has done so right down to the present day. Bryant 1962 reports two studies, one of which found would rather in the majority and the other of which found had rather in the majority. So in present-day English you can use either had rather or would rather. No one objects to either form any more. In speech, of course, you'll find 'd rather, which you are free to interpret as you please. • I wouldn't let them do it, though. I'd rather die in the poorhouse than do a thing like that —Harry S. Truman, quoted in Merle Miller, Plain Speaking, 1973 There are long and detailed treatments of had rather in Lounsbury 1908 and Hall 1917. See also had better, had best. |
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