-
- 146 -
第九讲
虚拟语气
第九讲
虚拟语气
一、虚拟语气与陈述语气的区别
语气
（
mood
）是一种动词形式，用以表示说话者的意图或态度。
英语中的语气有陈述语
气（
indicative mood<
/p>
）
，祈使语气（
imperative
mood
）以及虚拟语气（
subjunctive
mood
）
。
陈述语气与虚拟语气所表示的概念不一样。
前者陈述一个事实，
或提出一个想法，
而后者
是用来表示非真实的假设，
或者用来表示命令、
建议或说话人的主观感想，
它表达的是说话人
的怀疑、忧虑、要求、推测、假设、想象或祝愿等。此外，陈述语气与
虚拟语气在形式上也不
一样。例如：
If it rains tomorrow, the match will be
cancelled.
如果明天下雨，比赛就取消。
（陈述语气，天气表明下雨的可能性很大）
If it rained tomorrow, the match would
be cancelled.
万一明天下雨，比赛就取消。
（虚拟语气，说话人认为下雨的可能性很小）
Oil floats if you pour it on water.
把没倒在水里，油就浮起来。
（陈述
语气，表示的假设是科学事实）
If I have
enough money next year, I will go to Japan.
假若明年有钱，我就去日本。
（陈述
语气，表示的假设是可能发生或实现的）
二、虚拟语气用于非真实条件状语从句中
1.
谓语形式
非真实性条件句表示的假设是不可能或不大可能发生或实现的，句中的条件从句和主句
（表结果）
皆须用虚拟语气。
用于此处的虚拟语气有三种情况
，
分别是：
与现在事实相反的虚
拟语气
；
与过去事实相反的虚拟语气；
与将来事实相反的虚拟语气。<
/p>
三种情况下的主句谓语动
词和从句谓语动词时态对应形式如下表所
示：
与现在事实相反
与过去事实相反
与将来事实相反
从句谓语动词
过去式
(be
用
were)
had +
动词过去分词
1
）
should +
动词原形
2
）
were to +
动词原形
主句谓语动词
would /
should / could / might
+
动词原形
would /
should / could / might
+
have +
动词过去分词
would / should / could / might
+
动词原形
说明：
1
）
与现在事实相反，
If +
主语
+
过
去式
（
be
动词的过去式一律用
were
）
，
主语<
/p>
+ would
/ should
/ could / might +
动词原形。例如：
If I knew the answer to all your
questions, I
’
d be a genius.
假如我能回答你所有问题，那我就成天才了。
（不可能实现的事实）
第九讲
虚拟语气
- 147 -
What would you do if you saw an injured
bird?
假如你看到一只受伤的鸟，你会怎么办？（与现实相反）
2
）
与过去事实相反，
If +
主语
+ had +
过去分词，
主语
+ would / should / could / might +
had +
过去分词。例如：
The soup
would have been better if it had had less salt.
这汤如果少放点盐就好了。
（与过去
事实相反）
If it had been raining
this morning, I would have taken my umbrella.
如果今天上午一直下雨的话，我就会带着雨伞。
（与过去事实相反）
3
）与将来事实相反，
If +
主语
+ should / were to +
动词原形，主语
+ would /
should /
could / might +
动词原形。例如：
What
would happen, if I put the paper on the fire?
假如我把纸放在火上，那会怎么样？（与将来事实可能相反）
If it should rain tomorrow, the
football match would be put off.
要是明天下雨的话，足球赛将会推迟。
（表示将来情况成为事实的可能性极
小）
2.
连词
if
的省略
当虚拟条件从句中含有助动词
had, were, shou
ld
时，可将它们提到句首而省略连词
if
。例
如：
Were you
in my position (=If you were in my position), you
would do the same.
假如你处在我的位置，你也会这样干的。
Had I time (=If I had time), I would
come.
假如我有时间，我会来的。
Had they not (= If they
hadn
’
t) wasted their time,
they would have arrived there on time.
要不是他们浪费时间，他们肯定会按时到那儿的。
Should they attack us (= If they should
attack us), we
’
ll wipe them
out completely.
假如他们进攻我们的话，我们就把他们彻底消灭干净。
注意，在否定的条件从句中，
not
等否定
副词不能同时提前。如我们可以说：
Were it not
their fault, we wouldn
’
t
have done so bad.
要不是因为他们的过失，我们怎么也不会做得这么糟糕。
但不以说：
Weren
’
< br>t (Were not) it their fault, we wouldn
’
t have done so bad.]
3.
错综时间
非真实条件句中的主句和从句可以表示时间层面
（现在、
过
去或将来）
相同的情况
（如上
述表格说
明的情况）
，也可以表示在不同的时间层面下发生的动作或存在的状态，即主句与从
句动作不在同一时间发生，
这就是错综时间虚拟条件句，
也即通常所说的混合虚拟条件句。
在
这种情况下，
主句与从句谓语动词的形式必须根据各自表示的具体时间加以调整。例如：
If you were older, I would have allowed
you to go there alone yesterday.
如果你再大点，我就会让你昨天自己去那里。
（现在与过去的交错）
If they
hadn
’
t been trained hard,
they wouldn
’
t be doing so
well now.
如果他们没有被认真培训过，他们现在
就不会干得这么好了。
（过去与现在交错）
If the work were going on smoothly now,
the whole work would be completed next week.
如果目前进展顺利的话，全部工作到下周就会完成。
（现在与将来的交错）
If it
hadn
’
t been raining those
days, the work would be completed next week.
如果不是那些天一直下雨的话，这工作下周就可以完成。
（过去与将来交错）
- 148 -
第九讲
虚拟语气
4.
含蓄条件
非真实条件句中的条件从句
有时不明显地表示出来，
只暗含在上下文中，
或是用某些介词<
/p>
短语、副词、连词、比较级、非谓语形式、并列分句等方式含蓄地表示出来，这就是含蓄条
件
句。例如：
That would
have been considered miraculous
in the
past.
要是在过去，那会被看作是奇迹的。
（隐匿条件）
A
more careful
student
wouldn
’
t have made such
glaring mistake.
一个认真一些的学生是
不会犯这样明显错误的。
（隐匿条件）
But for
their help, we
couldn
’
t have finished the
work on time.
要不是他们帮助，我们不会按
时完成工作。
（介词短语引起）
Without
trees our entire
world would be a much drier place.
如果没有树木的话，整个世界会变得更干燥。
（介词
< br>without
引起）
Given more attention, the work could
have been better. (
过去分词引起
)
The traffic was very heavy,
otherwise
I would have been
here 50 minutes sooner.
(
并列分句表示虚拟
)
此外，非真实条件句除用
if
引导外，还可以用
when, unless, lest,
suppose (supposing), as if
/ though, in
case, even if / though, for fear that, on
condition that
等词语引导。例如：
Unless I were well, I
wouldn
’
t be at school.
除非我好了，否则我不会上学。
Susan is walking slowly as if she were
tired.
苏珊走得很慢，就像是累了似的。
Suppose / Supposing you were given a
chance to study in America, would you accept it?
假如给你一个到美国学习的机会，你会接受吗？
Even if you had enough money, you could
never buy health and happiness.
即使你有足够的钱，你也买不来健康和幸福。
还有一种省去
（表结果的）
主句的非真实条件句，
它常表示一种不可能实现的愿望。
这种
条件
句常用
if (only)
来引导。如：
If I had
never married.
我要是不结婚就好了。
If only you would listen to reason.
你如听从道理就好了。
三、虚拟语气用于名词性从句中
1.
虚拟语气用于主语从句中
在主语从句中，虚拟语气用
should
+
动词原形，
should
可以省略，表示惊奇、不相信、
惋惜、理应如此等。常用于下面三种结构
中：
①
型如：
It is / was strange
(important, necessary, incredible, urgent,
possible, natural, desirable,
advisable,
essential,
preferable,
ridiculous,
vital,
imperative,
best,
appropriate,
obligatory,
proper,
crucial, etc.)
that
…。例如：
It is
necessary that he be sent to prison at once.
他必须被立即送往监狱。
It
will be better that we (should) meet some other
time.
我们最好是另改时间约会吧。
②
型如：
It is / was a pity
(shame, wish, no wonder, suggestion, etc.)
that
…。例如：
It’
s my desire that a
medical man should stay here.
我希望有一个医务人员在这里。
It
was Tom
’
s suggestion that
everyone have a map.
汤姆建议每人有张地图。
第九讲
虚拟语气
- 149 -
It is thought to be of importance to a
man that he know himself.
一个了解自己被认为是很重要的。
③
型如：
It is / was suggested
(desired, settled, proposed, requested, decided,
advised, agreed,
declared,
ordered,
demanded,
arranged,
recommended,
required,
urged,
preferred,
expected,
planned, etc.)
that
…。例如：
It was
arranged that they should leave the following
spring.
按照安排他们第二年春天离开。
It is desired that we should get
everything ready by tonight.
希望我们能在今天晚上之前将一切准备就绪。
It was not to be expected that the
enemy should give up fighting without a struggle.
不要期望敌人会放弃挣扎。
2
．虚拟语气用于宾语从句中
虚拟语气用于宾语从句中又有四种情况：
①
用在动词
wish
后面，
表示愿望。
宾语从句可
以用过去式表示与现在事实相反；
用过去
完成式表示与过去事实
相反；用“
would /
could
等
+
< br>动词原形”则表示将来不能实现的愿望。
可译作“可惜…”
，
“…就好了”
，
“悔不该…”
，
“但愿…”等。例如：
I wish I were as strong as you.
我要是和你一样强壮就好了。
How
I wish I had gone there with you!
多么希望我和你一起去那儿。
I
wish you would stay a little longer.
希望你再待一会儿。
②
用在
would / had rather, would
(just) as soon, would sooner
等后面的宾语从句中。<
/p>
从句中
使用过去式表示某种愿望（英式英语）或者与现在事实相反
的愿望（美式英语）
；使用过去完
成时则表示与过去事实相反的
愿望。例如：
I’
d rather
you came next weekend.
我宁愿你下周到来。
（愿望）
Jane would rather it were winter now. <
/p>
简宁愿现在是冬季。
（与现在事实相反的愿望）
< br>
I’
d sooner she left the
heavy end of the work to someone else.
我宁愿她把重活留给别人。
Tom
would rather that his brother
hadn
’
t gone to the park last
Sunday.
(In fact, his
brother had gone to)
③
用在一些表主观意愿、
心理活动等意义的动词引起的宾语从句中。
宾语从句要用
< br>should
+
动词原形或只用动词原形。这类动词有：
suggest,
order, demand, propose, command, request,
desire, insist, advise, beg, decide,
deserve, determine, prefer, inquire, recommend,
urge, vote, ask,
suppose, promise,
declare, maintain (
坚持认为
)
，
etc.
例如：
The teacher recommended that each
student (should) buy the dictionary.
老师推荐让每个学生都买这个词典。
The boss ordered that the goods be
delivered at once.
老板指令这些商品立即运出。
I
propose that we not set off early.
我建议不要出发这么早。
In
the past men generally preferred that their wives
work at home.
过去男人们一般喜欢让妻子在家里干活。
The doctor suggested that the patient
should have a bath every day.
医生建议病人每天都要洗澡。
④
在形式宾语句中，如果宾语补足语
是由上述主语从句中①型提到的形容词，则真正的
宾语也要用虚拟语气即
should +
动词原形或只用动词原形。如：
I think it advisable that we not take
any action against it for the time being.