About gerund and infinitives

1, ... which would mean spending( spend ) tens of thousands of pounds.

2, ... I don't mean to disappoint ( disapoint) you...

你第一句的mean的意思是:意味著的意思，而隨後多用v-ing或that
如：If I want to buy this car, that will mean working overtime.

但你第二句的例子mean的意思是＂有意，打算＂這時可跟to-infinitive
如：I didn't mean to hurt you.

希望幫到你！

2010-11-14 21:14:58 補充：
你的第一句，用to-infinitive也可以，句子可以說成：

1, ... which would mean to spend tens of thousands of pounds.

2010-11-14 21:16:07 補充：
用to-infinitive，或gerund就要看那個動詞在句子的意思而定

Q1: 這是動作上的(時間)問題,用 gerund是跟主動詞mean同時發生.

... which(東西)would(過去之前)mean極想spending(花費咗)一萬磅(買了它.)

如用INFINTIV=to spend也可,只是時間上遲于mean發生的不同:

...那一樣東西之前會是極想to spend去花費(而未實行)一萬磅來買它呢.


Q2 : to disappoint (infinitive)我極之不想to disappoint令到你(失望=尚未發生.)

SAME MEANING

You can either use gerund or to-infinitives to describe an action
after "mean". It's the same in meaning.