as if I were/was

对各类考生来说,牢记 as if I were 是有好处的。但是,对于英语教师和英语研究者来说,只记住这一点是不够的,还应了解更多的语言事实。在活生生的语言材料里,用 as if I was 来代替 as if I were 的现象是很常见的。Jespersen 曾指出,在 as if 之后有一种使用 was 的倾向:

She spoke as if she was ashamed. 她讲话好像害羞似的。

R. Quirk 等也认为 as if I was 是一个正常的用法。

She treats me as if $\$left\{\begin{array}{l}I was\\ I were\end{array}\right\} a stranger. (CGEL) 她对待我的态度, 就好像我是陌生人似的。

类例：

1. They sat and looked at him as though he was disturbing them. (Maugham) 他们坐着，瞧了瞧他，好像他打扰了他们似的。

2. He spoke so casually as though the matter was of little consequence. (Mis) 他说得很随便,就好像这事儿无足轻重似的。

3. She could hear the line clicking and buzzing, as if she was being transferred. (Dan Brown, The Da Vinci Code) 她听得见电话线里发出的“滴答”声和“嗡嗡”声，仿佛她正被电话线传了过去。(《达·芬奇密码》)

4. The Teacher heaved a sigh, as if what he now had to do was profoundly regrettable. (Dan Brown, The Da Vinci Code) 教主长叹一声，似乎对目前必须做的事情也深感遗憾。（《达·芬奇密码》）

5. We shook hands and talked as if nothing else in the world was going on. (B. Clinton, My Life) 我们握手、交谈，仿佛世界上任何事也没有发生。（《我的生活》）(参见 was/were)