第二十五章 语气

语气是英语中一个比较复杂的概念，之所以复杂是因为语气在谓语中和语态、态、时、人称和数结合在一起，这使得很多时候人们甚至感觉不到语气的存在。我们知道"时"反映的是动作发生的时间；"态"反映的是动作的状态，那么究竟什么是语气呢？

简单点说，语气表示的是说话者对所说事件的看法。英语中共有三种语气：陈述语气、祈使语气和虚拟语气。

1. 陈述语气

根据英语的表达习惯，如果说话者认为其所说的是一个事实、一个确定要发生的事件（相当于事实）或是一个发生的可能性极强的事件（相当于事实）时，这时使用陈述语气，对谓语动词不再作任何改变，如：

• Mary is a teacher. 玛丽是个老师。
• I am going to China next month. 我下个月去中国。
• They are on holiday in the Lake District. 他们在英格兰湖区度假。
• You should take the bus - it's the easiest way to get there. 你应该坐公共汽车，这是去那儿最容易的办法。
• If anyone calls, tell them I'm not at home. 有人来电话，就说我不在家。
• I had to run to catch the bus. 我得赶快跑，好赶上公共汽车。

2. 祈使语气

祈使语气表示所说的话是命令或请求。用祈使语气的句子的主语通常是第二人称，且常省略，句子的谓语用动词原形，如：

• Be a good boy. 做个好孩子。
• Speak more slowly, please. 请讲慢些。
• Don't open the windows. 不要打开窗子。
• Do give me a call. 一定给我打电话。
• Come here. 过来。
• Be quiet, please! 请安静!
• Nobody move! 都不许动！

3. 虚拟语气

如果说话者认为其所说的是一个与事实相反的事件或是一个发生的可能性极低的事件时，通常使用虚拟语气。通常是将谓语动词的时变成相应的过去时间（即，现在变成过去，将来变成过去将来）。因为时间不可逆转，通过将一个事件对象置于一个不可能返回的过去时间中，就表达了其所说的是一个与事实相反的事件或是一个发生的可能性极低的事件这一信息。

1) 虚拟语气在条件句中的用法

条件句有真实条件句和虚拟条件句两种。

A. 真实条件句所表示的假设是极有可能发生的，此时主句和从句都不用虚拟语气，如：

• If he doesn't hurry up, he will miss the bus. 如果他不快点，将错过巴士。
• If I don't eat breakfast, I always get hungry during class. 如果我不吃早餐，我上课的时候总是会饿。
• Water freezes if the temperature reaches 0°C. 如果温度降到0°C，水就会冻结。

B. 虚拟条件句则表示一种假想、与事实相反或不太可能会发生，此时用虚拟语气，其具体构成方式如下：

情形（一）：与现在事实相反

条件句的谓语形式	主句的谓语形式
用过去一般时（如果是be时用were）	would/should/could/might+动词原型

• If I were your teacher, I would criticize you more severely. 如果我是你的老师，我会更严厉地批评你。
• If I knew his telephone number, I would tell you. 如果我知道他的电话号码，我就会告诉你。
• If there were no air or water, there would be no living things on the earth. 如果没有水和空气，地球上就不会有生物。
• If I were a bird, I could fly freely in the sky. 假如我是一只鸟儿，我就能在空中自由飞翔。

情形（二）：与过去事实相反

条件句的谓语形式	主句的谓语形式
用过去完成时had done	would/should/could/might + have done

• If he had got up earlier, he could have caught the train. 假如他早点起来的话，他本来能赶上那趟火车。
• If he had taken my advice, he would not have made such a mistake. 如果他听了我的劝告的话，就不会犯这样的错误了。
• If I had married her, I would have been unhappy. 要是当时我和她结了婚的话，那我会很不幸福。
• If I had noticed the sale sign, I should have bought that dress. 如果我当时注意到打折标志，我就应该买那件衣服的。

情形（三）：在将来不太可能发生

条件句的谓语形式	主句的谓语形式
（1）过去一般时 （2）should +动词原形（万一，可能性较小，但并非不可能） （3）were + to do（可能性极小，几乎不可能）	would/should/could/might +动词原形

• If he should come/came here tomorrow, I should/would talk to him. 如果他明天来这儿的话，我就跟他谈谈。
• If it were to rain tomorrow, the football match would be put off. 如果明天下雨，足球比赛将推迟。

虚拟语气用于非真实条件句时需要注意几点

情况	示例
（1）如果主句和条件从句的谓语动作不是同时发生时，虚拟语气的形式应作相应调整。这种条件句叫错综条件句。	If I had worked hard at school, I would be an engineer, too. 如果我在学校学习刻苦的话，我现在也会成为一个工程师了。 If he were free today, we would have sent him to Beijing. 如果他今天有空的话，我们就已经派他去北京了。
（2）当虚拟条件句的谓语动词块的第一部分为were, should, 或为构成过去完成时的助动词had时，if通常可省略，这时条件从句要用倒装语序，即将were, should或had置于句首，这种多用于书面语。	Should he agree to go there, we would send him there. 要是他答应去的话，我们就派他去了。 Were she here, she would agree with us. 如果她在这儿的话，她会同意我们的。 Had he learnt about computers, we would have hired him to work here. 如果他懂一些电脑知识的话，我们已经聘用他来这里工作了。
（3）非真实条件句中的条件从句有时不表达出来，只暗含在副词、介词短语、上下文或以其他方式表示出来，这种句子叫做含蓄条件句，在多数情况下，条件会暗含在短语中，如without...，but for...（要不是因为...）等。	But for his help, we would be working now. 要不是他的帮助，我们这会还在工作呢。 Without your instruction, I would not have made such great progress. 要是没有你的指导，我不会取得如此大的进步。
（4）有时，主、从句可以省略其中的一个，来表示说话人强烈的感情。	He would have finished it. 他本该完成了。 If I were at home now. 要是我现在在家里该多好啊。 If only I had got it. 如果我能得到它就好了。

2) 虚拟语气的其他用法

情况	示例
（1）wish后的宾语从句：动词wish后接宾语从句时，从句谓语要用虚拟语气。若要表示与现在事实相反的愿望，从句谓语用过去时一般时或过去进行时（同样be动词变成were）；若表示与过去相反的愿望，从句谓语用过去完成时had done或者would / could+have +过去分词（第二种形式不常见）。若表示将来没有把握或不太可能实现的愿望，用would/could+动词原形。	I wish I were rich. 我恨不得我很富有。 I wish it weren't raining right now. 我希望现在没有下雨。 She wished she had stayed at home. 她懊悔的是她当时要是在家就好了。 I wish the train would come. 我希望火车将会来。 I'd rather you were here now. 我倒想你现在在这儿。
（2）虚拟语气还可用在关系从句中，表示："早该做某事了"时，结构为：It is (high/about) time that +主语+动词的一般过去式。	It is time that I went to pick up my daughter at school. 我该去学校接我的女儿了。 It's high/about time you stopped fooling around and started looking for a job. 你可别再游手好闲了，也该找份工作了吧。

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4. 练习

单选：选择最合适的答案。

1. What a pity. Considering his ability and experience, he \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ better.
   A. need have done B. must have done C. can have done D. might have done
2. If Newton lived today, he would be surprise by what \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ in science and technology.
   A. had discovered B. had been discovered C. has discovered D. has been discovered
3. It is absolutely essential that William \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ his study in spite of some learning difficulties.
   A. will continue B. continued C. continue D. continues
4. It's high time we \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ cutting down the rainforests.
   A. stopped B. had to stop C. shall stop D. stop
5. A: I'm sorry. I \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ at you the other day.
   B: Forget it. I was a bit out of control myself.
   A. shouldn't shout B. shouldn't have shouted C. mustn't shout D. mustn't have shouted

注：此处仅保留部分代表性练习，完整练习请参考纸质版或后续版本。