含蓄条件句
(1) …restricting smoking in public places “would set up two classes of citizens and would make many people angry” . (Passage A, Unit 4)
(2) …creating no smoking areas would cost too much money and waste too much time. (Passage A, Unit 4)
(3) …any country fighting a war would surely be destroyed. (Passage A, Unit 1)
(4) Two years ago, before their parents’ death, it would have been fun. (Passage A, Unit 3)
在上述四例中，谓语动词用的都是虚拟语气，而其中的条件分句都没有出现。其实，从它们的意义和上下文来看，上述每一句都包含着一个隐匿的条件分句，它们分别是：
(1) If smoking were restricted in public places, it would set up two classes of citizens and would make many people angry.
(2) If no smoking area were created, it would cost too much money and waste too much time.
(3) If a country fought a war, it would surely be destroyed.
(4) If they had had a chance to travel in an airplane three years ago, it would have been fun.
虚拟条件句 (sentences of unreal condition) 是英语虚拟语气常见的用法之一。这种句子通常包含一个由if引导的条件分句 (conditional clause, 或称if-clause) 和一个主句。在表示现在和将来时间的虚拟条件句中，条件分句用一般过去时，主句用would / should / could / might + 动词原形；在表示过去时间的虚拟条件句中，条件分句用过去完成时，主句用would / should / could / might have + 过去分词。例如：
If I were you, I would take his advice.
If I had left a little earlier, I would have caught the train.
但是，有时条件分句可以不出现，而只出现主句。这种只有主句，而分句隐匿的条件句被称为含蓄条件句 (sentences of implied condition)，如上述四例所示。在含蓄条件句中，尽管条件分句被隐匿，但所假设的条件还是通过其他手段表示出来。有时这种条件由介词短语表示。例如：
You would do better in a different way. ( = … if you tried a different way.)
He could find a better job in another company. ( = … if he were in another company.)
Such things wouldn’t have happened in your country. ( = … if it had been in your country.)
Without your help, I couldn’t have finished this task. ( = If it had not been for your help, …)
You couldn’t have bought such good shoes in another shop. ( = … if it had been in another shop.)
People couldn’t have enjoyed such welfare in the past. ( = … if it had been in the past.)
But for (如果没有，要不是) the rain, we should have arrived earlier. ( = If it had not been for the rain, …)
有时假设的条件也可通过上下文或其他方式表示。例如：
Too many beautiful clothes would cost too much money. ( = If you bought too many beautiful clothes, they would cost…)
To have a dog at home would keep you busy. ( = If you had a dog at home, it would keep…)
It would be a mistake not to help him. ( = … if we didn’t help him.)
Discussing unimportant things would waste a lot of time. ( = If we discussed unimportant things, it would waste…)
Who but a fool would believe that? ( = Who would believe that if he were not a fool?)
He would have given you more help, but he has been so busy. ( = … if he hadn’t been so busy.)
I would have written to you before, but I have been ill. ( = … if I hadn’t been ill.)
She was sick that day. Otherwise she would have come to the party. ( =If she hadn’t been sick that day, she would have come…)
A less brave man wouldn’t have dared to do that dangerous job. ( =If he had been less brave, he wouldn’t have dared…)
含蓄条件句 语法讲解
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