英语虚拟语气实例详解[1]

 

[本站整理 2007-03-27]

 

所谓虚拟语气，通俗地说，相当于中文所说的“如果……/假如……”。本为应该是很好理解的内容，为什么变得很复杂呢？我觉得，学习虚拟语气要抓住一些基本点，在此基础上再进行一些变化。

 

我们在说到“如果……/假如……”的时候，大体上可以分为两大类情况：

 

一、对真实情况的假设

 

 例如：“假如明天下雨的话，我们就延期比赛。” 在这句中，假设的事件很可能发生的话，它是一种真实的情况，是正常的一般的条件语句，有的书上称作“真实条件句”。

 

If he comes, he will bring his violin. (如果他来，他会带上小提琴。)
The volleyball match will be put off if it  rains. (如果下雨的话，排球赛将会推迟。)
As long as a volume hold together, We don't care much about its outer appearance
This, if the news be true,  will mean a lot to us.

 

[注意]在真实条件句中，主句不能用be going to表示将来，该用shall/will. 例如：
[错] If you leave now, you are never going to regret it.
]对] If you leave now, you will never regret it.

 

二、表面上看说的是肯定的意思，实际上是否定的意思。

 

例如：“假如你昨天在的话，我们更加开心。” 请注意：这句话的真实意思是：你昨天不在这儿。这种假设就叫做“虚拟语气”，或者称之为“与事实相反情况的假设”或“非真实条件句”。掌握了虚拟语气的基本概念，分析下面句子就容易多了。

 

1、对过去事情的假设

 

[结构]
条件从句用过去完成时，主句用将来完成时。

 

[例句]　　　
　　　
If she had worked harder, she would have succeeded.　　
如果她以前努力的话，她就可能成功。( 实际上，她过去没有努力。)

 

The rice would not have been burnt if you had been more careful.　
如果你更加细心的话，稻子就不会发生病虫害。(事实上，稻子已经生了病虫害。)

 

If my lawyer had been here last Saturday, he would have prevented me from going.
If he had come yesterday, I should / would have told him about it.
If he had not been ill and missed many classes, he would have made greater progress.
If a better material had been used, the strength of the part would have been increased.
If only there had been a doctor at the moment.
Peter wishes that he had studied law instead of literature when he was in college。
If she had known that you were there, she might have come.
Without your cooperation, we would not have completed the experiment so smoothly.
The baby was cut badly; she shouldn't (oughtn't to) have let him play with the scissors.
We couldn't have succeeded without your help.
The production would have gone up under more favorable conditions.
He telephoned to inform me of your birthday, or(=If he hadn't telephoned ...) I would have known nothing about it.

 

2、对当前情况的的假设

 

[结构]
条件从句用一般过去时或should/were to，主句用过去将来时。

 

[例句]

 

If they were here, they would help you.
如果他们在这里的话……。(实际上他们现在不在这儿。)

 

If you succeeded, everything would be all right.
如果你现在成功的话……。(实际上你现在不成功。)

 

I would certainly go if I had the time. (The fact is that I have no time.)
If you should succeed, everything would be all right.
If you were to succeed, everything would be all right.
If I knew the fact, I would tell you.
A nation which stopped working would be dead in a fortnight(=If a nation stopped working, it would be dead in a fortnight).
Even if they were to fail, they wouldn't lose courage.
If you were the manager here, what would you do?
Without air, there would be no life on the earth.

 

3、对将来情况的假设

 

在表示与将来事实相反的条件句中，只能用 should。如：

 

If it should rain tomorrow, we would not go camping.
It is a great pity that you should miss such a good film.
If I should have a chance to try it, I would do it in another way.
If he should act like that again, he would be fired immediately.
If I were to do it, I would do it in a different way. (I will not do it.)
We wouldn’t lose courage even if we should fail again.