安徽 王玉峰(特級教師)
解讀表示與事實相反的虛擬語氣
安徽 王玉峰(特級教師)
與事實相反的虛擬語氣包括所說的話與將來事實相反或與將來事實可能相反、與現(xiàn)在事實相反、與過去事實相反三種情況。除if條件句外,還有短語等也可表示條件。此外,上下文也能創(chuàng)造虛擬的語言環(huán)境。但有時條件從句與結(jié)果主句可能發(fā)生的時間不一致,有時虛擬語氣會出現(xiàn)倒裝情況。常見與事實相反的情況見下表(以動詞do為例)。
類別項目 if從句 ____主句 _________例句與將來事實相反were to do/ should do/__________did should/would/ could/might do If it were to be/ should be/ were hot today,we will_____________not stay home.__________與現(xiàn)在事實相反 did should/would/ could/might do If I were you,I should seize the opportunity to go abroad.與過去事實相反 had done should/would/ could/might____________________have done If you had taken my advice,you would not have failed in the exams.______
在與將來事實可能相反的虛擬條件句中,條件從句的謂語用should+動詞原形、were to+動詞原形或動詞的過去式(be的過去式用were),主句用should(would,might,could)+動詞原形。表示在現(xiàn)在看來將來發(fā)生的可能性的大小,其中should 表示的可能性最大,動詞過去式的可能性次之,were to do 的可能性最小。如:
If she should invite me tomorrow,I should go to the party.如果她明天邀請我參加聚會,我會去的。(真實含義是:It is unlikely that she will invite me tomorrow ,so I shall not go to the party. 明天她不可能會邀請我,因此我不會去。)
If it snowed tomorrow,our plan would be put off.如果明天下雪,我們的計劃就得推遲。(真實含義是:It is unlikely that it is going to snow,so our plan won’t be put off. 明天很可能不會下雪,計劃不會推遲。)
【典題】(改編自2015湖北卷,30) This meeting room is a non-smoking area. I would like to warn you in advance that if you smoked here you_______(f ne).
【答案與解析】would be f ned。題干中的“if you smoked here”是虛擬語氣的條件句,主句用would do形式,根據(jù)句意可知用被動語態(tài)。句意:這個會議室是無煙區(qū)域。我想提前警告你:如果你在這里吸煙,會被罰款。
在與現(xiàn)在事實可能相反的虛擬條件句中,條件從句的謂語用動詞過去式(be的過去式用were),主句的謂語用should(would,might,could)+動詞原形。如:
If he studied at this school,he would know you well.如果他在這所學(xué)校學(xué)習(xí)的話,他會對你很熟悉。(真實含義是:He doesn’t study at this school,so he doesn’t know you well. 他不在這所學(xué)校學(xué)習(xí),所以他對你不是很熟悉。)
If there were no music,the world would be very dull. 如果沒有音樂,世界將非常單調(diào)。(真實含義是:There is music,so the world is not dull. 世界上有音樂,所以并不單調(diào)。)
【典題】(2015四川卷,短文改錯)If you are me ,would you talk to them?
【答案與解析】are改成were。根據(jù)句意可知,此處為虛擬語氣,“你”不可能是“我”,與現(xiàn)在事實不相符,故把are改成were。
在與過去事實相反的虛擬條件句中,條件從句的謂語用had+過去分詞,主句的謂語用should(would,might,could)+have+過去分詞。如:
If they had started at two o’clock,they would have got there by now.他們?nèi)绻莾牲c出發(fā)的,現(xiàn)在該到那兒了。(真實含義是:They didn’t start at two o’clock,so they haven’t got there by now.)
If they had not been content,they would have been anxious to f nd out some way to change it.如果不滿意,他們早就迫切地想辦法來改變它了。(真實含義是:They are content,so they weren’t anxious to find out some way to change it.他們很滿意,所以并不急著去想辦法來改變它。)
【典題】(改編自2015北京卷,34)If I________(see)it with my own eyes,I wouldn’t have believed it.
【答案與解析】hadn’t seen。根據(jù)“wouldn’t have believed”可以判斷是對過去的虛擬,所以從句應(yīng)是“if+主語+ had+done”的形式。句意:如果不是我親眼看到,我不會相信。
當(dāng)條件從句與主句所表示的時間不一致時,主句和從句的謂語動詞并不相互呼應(yīng),虛擬語氣的形式應(yīng)做相應(yīng)的調(diào)整,這種條件句叫混合條件句。較常見的是從句用過去完成時(指過去行為),而主句用一般時(指目前狀態(tài))。如:
If I had a bike,I would have lent it to you yesterday. 假如我有自行車,昨天就借給你了。(主句與過去事實相反,從句與現(xiàn)在事實相反。)
If I had spoken to him yesterday,I should know what to do now. 假如昨天我對他說了,現(xiàn)在我就知道該怎么辦了。(真實含義是:I didn’t speak to him yesterday,so I don’t know what to do now. 我昨天沒有跟他說,所以現(xiàn)在我不知道該怎么辦。)
【典題】(改編自2013北京卷,34)If we_______(book)a table earlier,we wouldn’t be standing here in a queue.
【答案與解析】had booked。根據(jù)if和主句中的“wouldn’t...here”看出是虛擬語氣,主句表示與現(xiàn)在事實相反的情況,從句中的“earlier”提示是對過去的虛擬,用過去完成時態(tài)。句意:如果我們早點訂桌的話,我們就不可能在這里站著排隊了。
虛擬條件句中的條件從句有時不表現(xiàn)出來,只暗含在上下文中,這種句子叫含蓄條件句。常見的暗示在without(如果沒有),but for(要不是),otherwise(要不然),or(else)(否則)等單詞或短語中。如:
Motionless,old Jolyon stared at the wall;but for his open eyes,he might have been asleep.老Jolyon一動不動,望著墻壁;除卻一雙眼睛還睜著外,他簡直可以說是還在睡覺。(but for his open eyes= if it hadn’t been for his open eyes)
I’m not feeling very well today—otherwise I would do it myself.今天我身體不太舒服,否則這事我就親自去做了。(otherwise = if I were feeling well today)
What would I have done without you? 如果沒有你,我會怎么辦呢?(without you= if it hadn’t been for you)
He must be as strong as a horse,or he never could have defeated that great beast. 他一定是力大如牛,否則他絕不會擊敗那只龐大的野獸。(or = if he were not as strong as a horse)
【典例】(改編自2015江蘇卷,34) Many of the things we now benefit from would not be around but for Thomas Edison. 要不是愛迪生的發(fā)明,今天我們身邊享用的很多東西都將不復(fù)存在。
【典例】(改編自2015安徽卷,32)It is lucky we booked a room,or we would have nowhere to stay now.
【典題】(改編自2015重慶卷,7)_______his wartime experiences,Hemingway wouldn’t have written his famous novel A Farewell to Arms.
【答案與解析】Without。根據(jù)“wouldn’t have written”看出是虛擬語氣,根據(jù)短文填空的要求知道沒有提示詞的空只填一個詞,所以用Without,不用But for。句意:沒有他戰(zhàn)時的經(jīng)驗,海明威就不可能寫出著名的小說《永別了武器》。
如果虛擬條件句的謂語部分有were,had和should時,則可以省略if,把were,had和should放到從句主語前面去,從而形成倒裝句和省略結(jié)構(gòu)。注意:虛擬語氣否定句的倒裝結(jié)構(gòu)中的助動詞不用weren’t,shouldn’t,hadn’t等縮略形式,如:
Should it rain/Were it to rain tomorrow,the sports meeting would be put off.(= If it should rain/were to rain,...)
Were it not raining,we should go for a picnic. (=If it were not raining,...)
Had he seen you yesterday,he would have returned your book.(=If he had seen you yesterday,...)
【典題】(改編自2015江蘇卷,28)It might have saved me some trouble________I known the schedule.
【答案與解析】had。根據(jù)題干中的“might have saved”可知,主句是對過去的虛擬,從句應(yīng)用“if I had known”與主句保持一致。if虛擬條件句中含有had時,可將if省去,同時將had提前構(gòu)成倒裝結(jié)構(gòu)。句意:如果我早知道日程安排,可能會省去我一些麻煩。
(作者單位:安徽省蚌埠市懷遠(yuǎn)第一中學(xué))