I would if I could.

人生難免有遺憾的事情，譬如你身邊的朋友在玩樂(lè)的時(shí)候，唯獨(dú)你要工作，不能參加，是否有點(diǎn)可惜，有點(diǎn)遺憾的感覺(jué)呢?如果你必須拒絕別人的邀請(qǐng)，又不想人家誤會(huì)你沒(méi)誠(chéng)意，你可以說(shuō)：I would if I could.(如果可以的話，我也想)，也可以說(shuō)：I would if I could but I can't.(可以的話我也想，但我不能)。這句已經(jīng)否定了一切可能性，如果還有一點(diǎn)兒機(jī)會(huì)參加的話，可以說(shuō)：I'll see what I can do.(我想想有沒(méi)有辦法)。如果下次老板叫你加班，你也可試試說(shuō)：I wish I could(我都希望，如果可以的話)。

對(duì)話

A: Why can't you be at work earlier? Everyone was expecting you this morning.

B: I would if I could. But I have been really busy every night.

A: You disappoint me. I'm just tired of your excuses.

B: Can't you see my side of this?

A: No, I'm afraid not.

B: Thank you. That's so kind of you.

甲：你不能早點(diǎn)上班嗎?今早每個(gè)人都在等你。

乙：如果可以我也想，但我每晚都很忙。

甲：你令我失望，我聽(tīng)厭了你的借口。

乙：你不能替我想想?

甲：對(duì)不起，恐怕不能了。

乙：謝謝，你真好人!

一個(gè)人受到責(zé)備，回答說(shuō)：Can't you see my side of this? 這一句值得談?wù)?。Side可以解作事情的‘一面’。西諺有言：There are two sides to every question.(問(wèn)題總有正反兩方面)。成語(yǔ)To look on the bright side. 就是‘看事情好的一面’，例如：Why not look on the bright side? You've lost your job, which means you have lots of free time now.(為什么不看好的一面?你失業(yè)了，現(xiàn)在就不愁沒(méi)有閑暇了)。

Can't you see my side of this? 或Can't you see this from my side? 即‘你不可以從我的立場(chǎng)考慮一下么?’這類問(wèn)題，不是一般真要有答案的問(wèn)題，說(shuō)話者明顯是要對(duì)方同意自己的話，有強(qiáng)調(diào)作用，語(yǔ)言學(xué)界稱為‘修辭問(wèn)句’(rhetorical question)。

用否定句法的修辭問(wèn)句，預(yù)期對(duì)方會(huì)說(shuō)Yes;用肯定句法的，則預(yù)期對(duì)方會(huì)說(shuō)No，例如：(1) Isn't it stupid of him to do that?(他那樣做不是很愚蠢嗎?)(2) Could I have done otherwise?(我當(dāng)時(shí)可以不這樣做嗎?)第一句預(yù)期對(duì)方會(huì)說(shuō)Yes, it is.(不錯(cuò)，他很愚蠢)，第二句則預(yù)期對(duì)方說(shuō)No, you couldn't.(你別無(wú)選擇了)。修辭問(wèn)句只要用得其法，寫議論文章會(huì)更加有力。

Can't you see my side of this? 一語(yǔ)，本來(lái)是要對(duì)方說(shuō)Yes, I can (see your side of this).，但對(duì)方偏偏說(shuō)：No, I'm afraid not. 那你只好語(yǔ)帶諷刺的說(shuō)：Thank you. That's so kind of you.(謝謝你，你真好)。