英語含蓄條件表達法探討

摘要:在英語中，表示條件狀語的復合句，除用if， unless，provided，providing，supposing， suppose等引出明顯的條件狀語外，還可由其他的方式表示含蓄的條件.本文擬著重從句中各成分及上下文中探討含蓄條件的表現(xiàn)方式。

關鍵詞:含蓄條件;表現(xiàn)方式

Abstract:Adverbial clauses of condition are generally introduced by such conjunctions as if， unless， provided， providing and supposing， suppose， and so on.But very often the condition is not explicitly expressed but implied and can be expressed with other implied conditional ways.. The paper is focusing on the different ways of the implied conditions from the aspects of different sentence elements or contexts..

Key word: implied condition， expressing ways

1、引言:

英語中含蓄條件句的出現(xiàn)率似乎比帶有條件的主從復合句多些，它不僅出現(xiàn)于虛擬語氣，而且還可包含在句中的各個成分機上下文中。本文擬著重從句中各成分及上下文中探討含蓄條件的若干表現(xiàn)方式。

2、可由句中各成分或上下文等來表示

上面就句子的形式，結構方面談到了表示含蓄條件的情況，下面我們來看看假設情況怎么由句中各成分或上下文來表示的.

2.1 主語表示假設條件

2.1.1主語為名詞

His present would have added only another and a needless agony to the lastmoments of the dying man.(=If he had been present it would have added…) --- Nathaniel Hawthorne

他若在場，也只是給垂死的人的臨終時刻多添一份不必要的痛苦。

2.1.2主語為不定式短語

He didn't speak to Linden，to do so would have proclaimed his presence to the rest.(= if he had done so it would have proclaimed...) --- RobertTressell

他沒有跟林頓說話，他要是跟他說話，那就等于是向其余的人宣布他到場了

It would have been a pang to lose you.(=If I had lost you it would have been a pang.) --- Jane Austen

如果我看不見你了，我會覺得很痛苦。

2.1.3主語為不定式復合結構

It wouldn't have been very nice for the Davidsons to have to mix with all that rough lot in the smoking-room .(=if the Davidsons had had to mix…)---Somerset Maugham

如果戴維森夫婦不得不和吸煙室里那幫粗俗的人打交道的話，那是不很合乎體統(tǒng)的。

2.2主語的定語表示假設條件

2.2.1定語為形容詞

NO influential friend would have served me better.{=NO friend would have served me better even if he had been an influential one.)--- Joseph Conrad

就是有權勢的朋友來幫我的忙，起的作用也不會比這更大。

A true friend would have come to help.(=A friend would have come to help if he had been true.)

真朋友就會來幫忙了。

2.2.2定語為短語

Any cord pulled tight enough would end at last by snapping .(=if it should be pulled tight enough.) --- Henry James

繩子拉緊了總會繃斷的。

Another man in your place would have acted much worse.(=Another man would have acted much worse if he had been in your place.)

如果別人處在你的情況下會做得糟糕得多。

On a night less calm he would have been shattered against the rocks. (=if the night had been less calm…)--- Richard Connell

如果那晚上不是那么風平浪靜，他就會在巖石上撞得粉身碎骨了。

2.2.3定語為從句

Any man who can't fight for his country had better be dead.(=if he can't fight for his country.)

不能為祖國而戰(zhàn)的人還不如死了好。

只要我想到有什么話告訴他，他全都會相信的，因為他對我的才能十分崇敬。

Any one who had been sitting in the house all day would have been glad to walk now.(=If one had been sitting in the house all day…) --- George E1iot

誰要是在屋子里坐了一整天，這時候也會愿意走一走了。

2.3 狀語表示假設條件

2.3.1狀語為副詞

Yesterday he would have said to her without difficulty，“I came to see you，Dinah…”(If it had been yesterday…) --- George Eliot

如果是昨天，他就會毫無困難地向她說:“我是來看你的，黛娜……。”

Her aunt's scolding about trifles would have been music to her ears now.(=if it had happened now.) --- George E1iot

她舅母為了小事而發(fā)出的責罵聲要是在這時候聽起來就會象音樂一樣地悅耳了。

2.3.2狀語為短語

The mother's counsel，acted upon in time，would have saved her son.(=if it had been acted upon in time.) --- John Ruskin

要是及時照母親的話做了，她兒子也就會救出來了。

Mr.Kalada would certainly have had it all his own way except for a man called Ramsay who sat there also.(=if it hadn't been for a man called Ramsay….)--- Somerset Maugham

要不是有一個名叫拉姆齊的人當時也坐在那里，卡拉達先生就一定會任著自己的性子干了。

2.3.3狀語為不定式

He would have been foolish to do it.(=if he had done it.)

他要是干了這事，那就太蠢了。

Hetty would have been glad to hear that she should never see a child again.(=if she had heard that…) --- George Eliot

海蒂要是聽到人家跟她說她以后再也不會見到一個小孩了，那她才高興呢。

To see some of their faces you'd have thought they were afraid I'd go about at night strangling people.(=If you had seen some of their faces…) --- Joseph Conrad

你要是看見他們有些人的臉色，你會以為他們害怕我在夜晚到處走動去把人掐死。

2.3.4上下文表示假設條件

Will and I would have dropped out，but unfortunately we wouldn't have been any use in getting the dinner.(=if we had dropped out.) --- Stephen Leacock

威爾和我愿意留下，可遺憾的是我倆就是留下，在做飯這件事上卻一點兒忙也幫不上。

I wish it (=the restaurant) had lasted， so we couldd have had another dinner there. (=if it had lasted.) --- O.Henry

我真巴不得這家飯館子還在，還在的話我們可以再在那里吃一頓飯。

上面是含蓄條件由句中各成分或上下文來表示的一些例子。另外，在口語中，if從句中的if可省略，看起來就是兩個沒有任何連接詞連接的并列句，實際上前一個陳述句表示條件，也可說是含蓄條件，例如:

You touch me again，I’1l kick your teeth in. (=If you touch me again….)--- Michael Swan

你再碰一碰我，我就把你的牙齒踢掉。

也還有些虛擬語氣的句子，還很難明確填補上所含蓄的假定條件，例如:

The performance couldn't have becn better.

The clouds couldn't have looked more threatening.

3、結語

前后舉出了含蓄條件的一些表示方式，從上述表現(xiàn)方式看其形式豐富多樣，生動有力，可以為英語學習者提供一些豐富的語言表達的技巧，從而更好的提高英語水平。

參考文獻:

[1]Anderson， J. The Architecture of Cognition. Cambridge， MA:Harvarrd University Press， 1983.

[2]Jespersen，O. A Modern English Grammar on Historical Principles， Vol. VII，London; Allen and Unwin.1949，

[3]Jespersen，O. Growth and Structure of the English Language. Oxford: Blackwell，1949

[4]Leech， G， and Svartvik， J. A Communicative Grammar of English. London: Longman， 1978.

[5]Quirk，R，et al， A Grammar of Contemporary English，London:Longman.1972.

[6]薄冰《高級英語語法》 北京:高等教育出版社，1990

[7]章振邦《新編英語語法教程》(第四版)上海:上海外語教育出版社，2003.

作者簡介:

王松槐簡介:(1963-)，男，湖北師范學院外國語學院，副教授，碩士，

研究方向:英語語言學。

湖北省教育廳人文社會科學研究項目 “英語逆序句式結構的認知””的研究的階段成果，(項目編號:2009y131)