may well与may as well的区别

may well与may as well的区别

1. may well

may well 主要用于加强推测的语气，表示具有较大的可能性。如：

The plan may well be over-ambitious, and is clearly open to discussion. 该计划可能太过好高骛远，势必要招致争论。

On a global scale, AIDS may well become the leading cause of infant death. 艾滋病很可能会成为造成全球婴儿死亡的首要原因。

It may well be worth waiting for better times before making any irrevocable commitment. 最好等到更合适的时候再作出不能反悔的承诺。

They may well decide that their interests would be best served by joining in. 他们很有可能认定参与其中才会令其利益最大化。

其中的may也可换成might，但语气更不确定。如：

We might well get injured. 我们很可能受伤。

I might well regret it later. 我很可能以后会对此后悔的。

Nervous politicians might well feel more comfortable with a step-by-step approach. 神经脆弱的政治家们似乎更容易接受一种循序渐进的做法。

The whole speech might well be interpreted as a coded message to the Americans. 整个演讲完全可以看成是在向美国人传递编码信息。

2. may as well

may as well 其意思为“不妨”“还是……为好”等。如：

You may as well ask him. 你不妨问问他。相当于：

It’s not very far, so we may as well go on foot. 那地方不太远，所以我们还是走着去吧。

再如：

I may as well start at once. 我还不如马上就动身。

You are here，so you may as well give me a hand. 你们既然在这儿，不如就帮我一下。

If I’ve got to go somewhere I may as well go to Birmingham. 如果要去什么地方，那就去伯明翰吧。

As there isn’t anything more to do，I may as well go home early. 既然这里没有别的事要做，我还不如早点回家。

其中的may也可换成might，但语气更不确定。如：

You might as well stay with us. 你不妨和我们一道住。

另外，有是还可在as well前加上一个副词just。如：

This holiday isn’t much fun. We might just as well be back home. 这个假日过得很乏味，还不如回家去。