【问】 (1)‘You needn't have said that，'my wife answered...(New Concept English，Book 2，L.41)
 (2) Those who failed to get in need not have felt disappointed as many of the artistes whoshould have appeared did not come. (New Concept English，Book 2，L. 89)
 最新的一个中译本(《新概念英语》(二)，朗文出版公司、世界图书出版公司，1993，P.379)将need not have felt disappointed译为“用不着遗憾”，这是否意味着need not havedone与did not need同义?
 【答】 这两个结构所表达的意义是完全不同的。请考察下列两对句子：
 1. {(A) They didn’t need come here.他们不必来这儿。(B)They needn’thavecomehere.他们本来不必来这儿的。
 2. {(A) I didn’t need to take my overcoat.我不必去取我的外套。(B)Ineedn’thavetakenmyovercoat.我本来不必去取我的外套的。
 句(A)表达在当时没有必要做某事，不会有反现实的含义。而句(B)表示过去做过的事现在看来是没有必要的，因此具有反现实的含义。They needn’t have come here.=他们本不必来这里的。此句含有“他们实际上已来到这里。”的意思。因此，你提问的第一个句子Youneedn’t have said that.=你本用不着说这样的话。此句含有“你已经说了这样的话。”的意思。同样，你提问的第二个句子who... need not have felt disappointed=其实他们本不应该感到失望的。此句含有“他们实际上确实曾经感到很失望。”的意思。根据上述可以看出，在上面的两个句子里都不能用didn’t need来代替needn’t have done。请进一步分析这两种结构在下列各句中的区别：
 1. They did not need to arrive so early. (Dreiser)
 他们不必很早到达。
 2. I didn’t need to show my passport.
 我不必拿出我的护照。
 3. She was too nervous to reply，but fortunately she did not need to say anything.
 她紧张得无法答话，但是，幸运的是她什么也不需要说。
 4. You needn’t have mentioned it，mother.
 妈妈，你本不必提这件事的。
 5. You need not have gone there yesterday.
 你昨天本不必去那里的。
 6. You needn’t have told them that.
 你本不必把这件事告诉他们。
 7. They need not have been punished so severely.
 他们本不该受到这么严厉的处罚。
 请做下面的英语考题：
 1. You ____such a long essay，the teacher only asked for 300 words，and you havewritten 600.
 (A) mustn’ t have written (B) needn’ t have written
 (C) didn’t have to write (D) didn’t need to write
 2. I ____ to him because he phoned me shortly afterwards.
 A. need have written B. needn’t have written
 C. must have written D. may have written
 3. He told me I____(not need decide) it at once，I could let him know the followingday.
 4. There was plenty of time. She ____.
 A. mustn’ t have hurried B. couldn’t have hurried
 C. must not hurry D. needn’t have hurried(全国高考英语试题，1987)