should 、whether
I have lived outside my home country 20+ years and many people I know raise their children this way. The children often grow up speaking 2-3 languages and being comfortable in various cultures just as if it is nothing. We should all be so fortunate. this sentence is one of comment to a video.
"We should all be so fortunate." this part in the comment I'd grasp that we might all be so fortunate or probably we are all be so fortunate. Google translate this part we ought to be all be so fortunate. whether "might be" or "ought to be" would be depend on the reader? would this whether-sentence be correct grammatically or as a using? please teach me these two.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9AwPUy7a_8
回答
Kevin@MusicoLingo
I've get some importance of grasping method of sentences from your answer.
Understanding of the context should needs not only understanding the words of the sentences but also comprehending of the writer's intention/character. It's not always unilateral and is bilateral. Understanding of the context is more important than grammar or translation.
many thanks for your precise/polite answer.
This “should” indicates that something is highly probable. It is worthy of being accepted as true (真実として認めるのに値する).
Example:
It is highly probable that we all are so fortunate.
Depending on the context, “should” is similar to “ought to,” which is used when something is expected as a logical consequence (論理的な結果として予期される).
Example:
My brother left home an hour ago, so he ought to arrive here in any moment.
The other auxiliary verb, “might,” expresses a lower probability (かもしれない).
Example:
I might go, but I might not.
Your whether-sentence can be corrected as below.
Example:
Would it depend on the reader whether “should be” is interpreted as “might be” or “ought to be?”
Example:
Would each reader interpret “should be” differently as either “might be” or “ought to be?”
The answer is no. The meaning does not depend on the reader’s interpretation. The meaning depends on the context in which the language is used. It is the context shared by both the writer and the reader.
Unfortunately, many English learners in Japan do not seem to know that all meanings depend on the context in which the language is used. Understanding of the context is more important than grammar or translation.
Only by understanding the context, we are able to see various aspects of interpersonal communication. We do it every day. Even “good morning” can mean different things when the speaker is headed for a field trip on a sunny day or when the speaker is dying in a hospital.