虚拟语气

虚拟语气(Subjunctive mood)
一、三种语气简介
语气是表示讲话人对说话内容的看法的一种语法范畴。

英语中有三种语气：
1 陈述语气
表示谓语动词所表达的动作或状态是符合客观现实的，也就是说把动作或状态当作事实表达出来。

You are very generous.
2 祈使语气
表示号召、命令、请求、劝告、禁止等。

Let us help you.
Do drop in to see us.
3 虚拟语气
虚拟语气把动作当作一种只存在于讲话人想象中的“假使”或“推测“，而不是当作客观现实中的真实事件。

它表达的是怀疑、忧虑、推测、假设、想象或祝愿。

Mother told me to put on my sweater lest I should catch cold.
二、虚拟语气在条件句中的运用
英语中的条件句一般有两种：真实条件句与非真实条件句。

虚拟语气用在非真实条件句中。

非真实条件句包括虚拟条件句、推测条件句及错综时间条件句等。

注：would有时也可以按句意换用should, could,或might
[1] Execute every act of the life as though it were the last.
[2] A woman would be more charming if one could fall into her arms without falling into her hands.
[3] War would end if the dead could return.
He wouldn’t feel so cold if he were indoors.
I am sorry I am very busy just now. If I had time, I would certainly go to the movies with you.
The conference wouldn’t have been so successful if we hadn’t made adequate preparations.
The flood would have caused great damage to the people if we hadn’t built so many reservoirs.
2 推测条件句
对未来的事进行推测，在讲话人心目中，虽然不认为推测条件的实现违背事实或绝对可能，但却认为可能性极小。

这种怀疑和推测要用虚拟语气表示，其构成形式如下：
If I were to see him, I would speak to him about it.
I would not believe it, unless I should see it.
3 错综时间条件句
在错综时间条件句中，虚拟条件从句和主句动作发生的时间不一致，因此，主句和从句的谓语动词要根据各自所指出的不同时间选用适当的虚拟语气形式。

Had I taken my umbrella with me when I came out this morning, I should not be wet now.
If you had spoken to him last time you saw him, you would know what to do now.
If I were you, I wouldn’t have missed the film last night.
4 虚拟条件句的简化
有些虚拟条件句可以不用从句表现出来，而是简化为介词短语、动词不定式短语或利用上下文等形式表现出来。

比如：with, but for, suppose, supposing, or, otherwisw, but, though, even 等。

因此，在形式上往往是有主句而无从句。

But for your help we couldn’t have succeeded.
They wouldn’t have reached the agreement so easily without that common ground.
这里，But for和without可以用If it were not for 来代替。

Under such circumstances I would probably have done the same.
It would be wrong not to take this into consideration.
She wasn’t feeling very well. Otherwise she wouldn’t have left the meeting so early.
I would do so in your place.
Suppose there were no gravitational force, objects would not fall to the ground when dropped.
5 含蓄条件句
有些句子中没有任何表示虚拟语气的词、短语或从句，但仍要用虚拟语气。

这时，要么是省略了表示虚拟语气的部分，要么隐含在上下文中，称为含蓄条件句。

I would do anything for her (if I could).
Such mistakes could have been avoided (if one had been more careful).
We would have made a lot of money (but we gave up halfway).
Even stones would shed tears (to hear the sad story).
She would have acted as you did (if she were you).
6 虚拟条件句中的倒装
If省略，were, should, had要提到句首
Were I to tell him all I know, he would be amazed.
Should the enemy come, we would certainly defeat them.
Had we had time, we would have dropped by.
三、虚拟语气在某些从句中的运用
1 动词wish后的宾语从句用虚拟语气，与现在事实相反，用were或动词的一般过去式；
与过去事实相反，用had+过去分词或would/could+have+过去分词;表示将来没有把握或不太可能实现的愿望，用would/should(could, might)+动词原形。

I wish she were here.
I wish you would go with us tomorrow.
I wish she had taken my advice.
2 would rather(sooner), had rather, would as soon和just as soon后的句子用虚拟语气，这时，谓语动词用一般过去时或过去完成时。

I’d rather you paid the money yourself.
I’d sooner she painted the wall green next time.
He didn’t attend the meeting. I would rather he had been present.
She got drunk last night. I’d rather she hadn’t drunk so much.
3 if only 后用虚拟语气。

谓语动词用一般过去时表示现在没有实现的愿望，用过去完成时表示过去没有实现的愿望，常译”为要是…就好了！“
If only she had known where to find you.
If only I could speak several foreign languages!
4 虚拟语气用在suggest, order, demand, propose, command, request, desire, insist, require, decide, promise, arrange, ask（要求）, move（提议），consent, determine, recommend, advise, intend, beg, resolve（决意）, argue，maintain(主张), deserve(值得提及)等及物动词后的宾语从句以及这些结构的被动式中，这时谓语动词用动词原形或should+动词原形。

She insisted that the seats (should) be booked in advance.
The London dockers demanded that their wages (should) be raised by 10 per cent.
They requested that he (should) sing a song.
He advised that the doctor (should) be sent for.
The committee decided that no one should be admitted without a ticket.
It was suggested that more equipment be imported from abroad.
5 虚拟语气用在advice, demand, order等名词后的表语从句或同位语从句中。

常用的这类名词有：advice, demand, order, necessity, resolution, pay, decision, proposal, requirement, suggestion, recommendation, preference, idea等。

这时，谓语动词用动词原形或should+动词原形。

The demand is that manuscripts (should) be written on one side only.
He issued the order that the troops (should) withdraw at once.
6 形容词important, necessary, imperative, natural, natural, urgent, essential, appropriate, desirable, insistent, obligatory, probable, strange, vital, advisable, better, keen, preferable, possible 等可以构成“It is +adj.+that…”句型，其后面的句子要用虚拟语气。

这时，谓语动词用动词原形或should+动词原形。

It is necessary that some immediate effort (should) be made.
It is essential that the program (should) be loaded into the computer.
7 在It is (high, about) time…句型中，用虚拟语气。

这时，谓语动词用动词过去式或should+动词原形（此时，should不能省）。

It is high time that we were off.
It is time that we went (should go) to bed.
8 在某些表示惊讶、喜悦、不安、遗憾、失望等情绪的句子中用虚拟语气。

谓语动词用should+动词原形或should+动词的完成式。

It is strange that he should know this.
It is pity they should have forgotten to tell you about it.
9 在for fear that, in order that, so that, lest 引导的状语从句中，谓语动词一般用虚拟语气。

从句谓语动词用may+动词原形或should(could, might)+ 动词原形。

在以lest引导的从句中，谓语动词用should+ 动词原形。

He reminded her twice of it lest she should forget.
I will not make a noise for fear (that) I should (might) disturb you.
10 以as if, as though引导的状语从句或表语从句中，有时用虚拟语气。

从句表示与现在事实相反，谓语动词用一般过去时；表示与过去事实相反，用过去完成时；表示将来的可能性不大，用would(could, might)+ 动词原形。

He talks as if he knew all about it.
She looks as though she were sick.
He talks about pyramids as though he had seen them himself.
I feel (felt) as if we had known each other for years.
It looks as if it might rain.
但as if, as though后面的从句中有时也可以用陈述语气，这是因为从句中的情况是可能发生的或可能被设想为真实的。

It looks as if our side is going to win.
四、虚拟语气在其他情况下的运用
1 提出请求或邀请
Would you leave a note for her?
2 提出建议或劝告
You might as well put the meeting off for a couple of days.
3 用于某些公式化语句中表示祝愿、诅咒、禁止等意义。

God bless you!
Long live the People’s Republic of China!
God damn you! （该死的！）
Heaven forbid! （天理不容！）
Devil take him! （混蛋！）
So be it. （但愿如此、就这样吧）
Suffice it to say that...（只需说…就够了）
Far be it from me to spoil the fun.（我极不愿…）
He will remain here if need be.
Home is home, be it ever so homely.。