subjunctive mood ⁶ (虚拟语气)

在分析这个句子的具体翻译方法之前,让我们先简要地谈一谈虚拟语气在条件句中的用法和意义。大家知道,条件句(即包含条件状语从句的句子)分为真实条件句(Sentences of

Real Condition) 和非真实条件句(Sentences of Unreal Condition)两类。如果提出的条件是可以实现的,这样的句子叫做真实条件句,如果提出的条件与事实相反或不可能实现或实现的可能性极小,这样的句子叫做非真实条件句。试比较:

1. If we apply heat to ice, the motion of the molecules is speeded up, and the ice becomes water. 如果我们给冰加热，分子运动就会加快，冰就会变成水。（真实条件句）

2. In other words, if there were no attraction, the electron would fly away from the proton in a straight line. 换句话说,如果没有引力,电子就会沿直线飞离质子而去。(非真实条件句。事实上有引力。)

就时间方面来看,非真实条件句可以分为三类。

A. 假设的条件与现在的事实或长久的事实相反

在这种情况下,条件状语从句的谓语动词用过去时,主句的谓语动词用 would/should + 动词原形。例如:

1. If light could of itself pass round an object, there would be no shadows. 假如光线能够自行绕过物体,那就不会有影子了。(事实是:光线不能够自行绕过物体)

2. If transparent bodies did not reflect a certain amount of light, they would be invisible. 如果透明体不反射一定量的光,那么透明体就是看不见的了。(事实是:透明体反射一定量的光)

3. If I mentioned everybody who has impressed, inspired, taught, influenced and helped me along the way, this book would be several volumes long. (Hillary, Living History) 假如我把每一个在我的生活中感动、激励、教导、影响和帮助过我的人都一一提到，那么这本书就会有好几卷厚。

翻译这类句子时,只要注意到谓语动词虽然用的是过去时,但表达的却是现在的情况或长久的情况,一般是没有多大困难的。

B. 假设的条件与过去的事实相反

在这种情况下,条件状语从句的谓语动词用过去完成时,主句的谓语动词用 would/should(could, might) + have + v-ed。例如:

1. If electronic computers had not been invented, many problems on space flight could not have been solved. 如果没有发明出来电子计算机的话,那么宇宙飞行的许多问题就不可能得到解决了。(事实是:电子计算机已经发明出来了)

2. If the bearings had not been lubricated, they would have overheated by now. 假如轴承没有加过润滑油的话，现在已经变得过热了。（事实是：已加过润滑油）

3. If you had known the fundamental laws, you would have come to the correct conclusion. 如果你了解了基本定律的话，你本来是会得出正确结论的。（事实是：你没有了解基本定律）

4. There is no doubt that if she had not lost her rudder she would have won the race easily. (NCE 3, L. 25) 如果它不是失去了船舵的话，它无疑会轻而易举地赢得这次比赛的胜利的。

5. If he had found the dot, he would have removed it and tried to run. (Dan Brown, The Da Vinci Code) 如果他发现了跟踪器，他会扔掉它，试图逃跑的。（《达·芬奇密码》）

6. I used to joke with Hillary that if my father hadn't lost his life on that rainy Missouri highway, I would have grown up a few miles from her and we probably never would have met. (B. Clinton, My Life) 我常和希拉里开玩笑，如果我父亲不曾在密苏里那条雨中的公路上丧生的话，我很可能就生长在离她家几英里外的地方，我们也许永远也不会相遇。（《我的生活》）

7. If thicknesses had not been looking over his shoulder as he entered, Harry would not have had time to pull the Invisibility Cloak over himself. (J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows) 塞克里斯进来的时候回头望了一下，要是他没有这么做，哈利将不会有时间穿上隐形衣。（《哈利·波特与死亡圣徒》）

必须注意,英语是通过动词时态来表达过去事件的,汉语则必须通过适当的词汇手段来表达这一点。例如,在从句中加“过”“了”“曾”“当时”等,在主句中加“本来”“了”等。总之,我们要想尽一切办法把“过去的事”这一点给表达出来。你提问的译文就没有把这一点表达出来。“如果我和她结婚,我会不幸”这句话,既可以理解为指“现在”,也可以理解为指“将来”(参见 subjunctive mood $^{5}$ )。

[试译]要是当时我和她结了婚的话,那我是很不幸的。

C. 假设的条件在将来不可能实现或实现的可能性极小, 即与预料的情况相反

在这种情况下,条件状语从句的谓语动词的形式是:should/could(were to)+动词原形,主句谓语动词的形式是would/should+动词原形。例如:

1. This is very much like the combination of forces that are set into motion when you whirl a ball on the end of a piece of string. If the string should break, the ball would fly away from your hand. 这很像当你旋转一个拴在一根绳子一端的小球时处于运动中的那一组力，如果绳子万一断了，小球就会脱离你的手飞走。（“绳子断了”只是一种假想的情况，说话人的预料是：绳子不会断的）

2. If green plants should disappear some day, there would hardly be any life on the earth. 万一有一天绿色植物消失了，地球上几乎就不会有生命了。（“绿色植物消失了”，只是一种假想的情况，作者的预料是：绿色植物是不会消失的）

3. If the reaction were to take place, large amount of energy would be released. 假如这个反应发生的话，就会释放出大量的能。