could和may区别请求_区别辨析can与may

这两个情态动词均含有“能，可能，可以”之意。

can 和 may 常被错用，应注意3点:

1.can 表示体力或智力方面的能力。may没有这种功能。

Can you drive?

你会开车吗？

She can speak four languages.

她会讲4门语言。

Can you read that sign from this distance?

你从这么远的距离能看清楚那标牌上的东西吗？

The doctors are doing all that they can, but she's still not breathing properly.

医生们在竭尽所能，可是她仍然不能正常呼吸。

2.can 和may 都可表示请求允许做某事，前者较口语化，最常用；may用于正式文体，多含尊敬之意。

If you see Brett, can you tell him I'm in town next weekend?

如果你见到布雷特，能告诉他我下周末在伦敦吗？

Can you make a little less noise, please? I'm trying to work.

请你别发出那么大声音好吗？我正在工作。

A reader may borrow up to six books at any one time.

读者一次最多可借阅6本书。

"May I help myself to some more food?" "Yes, of course."

“我能再取些吃的吗？”“好的，当然可以。”

Hi, my name's Tiffany. How may I help you?

“你好，我叫蒂法尼，能帮你做些什么吗？”

3.can 和 may 都可能表示可能性，前者表理论上的可能性，而后者表示现实的可能性。在这种用法中，can一般不能用来表将来的可能性，多用在否定和疑问句中表现在的可能性，而may既可表现在又可表将来的可能性。

You can get stamps from the local newsagents.

你可以在当地的报刊销售店买到邮票。

You can get very nasty skin diseases from bathing in dirty water.

在脏水里洗澡会得严重的皮肤病。

Smoking can cause cancer.

吸烟可能会导致癌症。

Noise can be quite a problem when you're living in a flat.

住公寓噪音会很成问题。

He can be really annoying at times (= he is sometimes very annoying).

有时候他很烦人。

There may be other problems that we don't know about.

可能有我们不知道的其他问题。

I may see you tomorrow before I leave.

明天我走前也许还能见到你。

The cause of the accident may never be discovered.

事故的原因也许永远无法查清。

The explosion may have been caused by a faulty electrical connection.

爆炸可能是由电路连接错误引起的。

We'd better not interfere - she may not like it.

我们最好别干涉——她可能会不高兴。

There may be some evidence to suggest she's guilty, but it's hardly conclusive.

也许有迹象显示她有罪，但不怎么令人信服。