注:若and后的陈述句的谓语动词是过去的动作或状态,这种名词短语就不表条件了,而表时间,相当于when或after从句。如: Several minutes and he went away.(= When several minutes had passed,he went away.)过了几分钟,他就走了。
One slip,and she was carried away by the current.(=After she made a slip,she was carried away by the current)她滑了一跤,被激流冲走了。
The book can not be interesting,judged by its contents.从内容上看,这本书不会有趣的。
Arranging chemical elements according to their atomic weights,we find similar ones at certain definite intervals.如果把化学元素按它们的原子量排列起来,我们就会在某一定的间隔处发现相类似的元素。
Weather permitting,we'll have the match tomorrow.天气允许的话,明天我们将进行比赛。
Were you in my position(=If you were in m y position),you would do the same.假如你处在我的位置上,也会这么干的。
Had I time,I would come.假如有时间,我会来的。
b.Were it not for +名词/Had it not been for +名词,译为“若不是”,“要不是”,“假设没有”。如:
W ere it not for the debts(=If it were not for the debts),we would be all right.假如没有债务,我们的生活会不成问题。
Had it not been for air(=If it had not been for air),there would have been no living things.如果没有空气,也就没有生物。
5.非if的其它连词引导的条件句
条件从句的引导词除if以外,还可以是 when,once,unless,suppose,supposing(仅在问句中用),provided(that),providing(that), granted /given(that),so(as)long as,on con- dition(that),for fear(that),lest,in case,as if, but that /only that等等,其中on condition,for fear,in case后面还可跟名词或词组,用of连接。如:
When I have gotten my evidence I will come to my conclusions.要是有了证据,我就可以得出结论。
Suppose /Supposing it rains,what shall we do?(主句有时可以省略)假设下雨,我们怎么办呢?
Once you have promised you must do it.你既已答应,就一定要完成。
So(as)long as we don't lose heart,we'll find a way to overcom e the difficulty.只要我们不灰心,就能找到克服困难的办法。
Given /Granted that this is true,what conclusion can you draw?就算这是实际情况,你又能得出什么结论呢?
He managed to finish the work on time for fear that he might be punished(=for fear of being punished).因为担心受到惩罚,他设法按时完成工作。
Send us a message in case you have any difficulty(=in case of any difficulty).万一有什么困难,请给我们一个信。
He rises early lest he should be late.他早起,以免迟到。
He would have started,but that /only that it rained.(but that +从句可置于主句前或后, only that仅放于主句后)若不是下雨,他早就动身了。
Susan is walking slowly as if she were tired.苏珊走得很慢,就像是累了似的。
6. 含蓄条件句
有时虚拟条件不用从句,而用介词短语、不定式、分词短语、连接词或上下文来表现。
a.条件暗含在短语中。如:
W ithout the sun there would be no life.(条件暗含在介词短语without the sun中)没有太阳,便没有生命。
I didn't know the extent of his difficulty, or I would have promised to help him.(暗含条件是连词or)那时我不知道他的困难程度,否则我会答应帮助他的。
This same thing,happening in wartime, would am ount to a disaster.(条件暗含在分词短语happening in wartime中)同样的事,如发生在战时,就会酿成大祸。
To hear him speak English,one would take him for an Englishman.(条件暗含在不定式短语to hear him speak English中)听他说英语,真以为他是一个英国人哩。
But for the rains we should have had a pleasant journey.(暗含条件是but for the rains,but for+n.相当于if it were for+n.或 were it not for +n.)若不是下雨,我们的那次旅行就很愉快了。
b.条件暗含在上下文中。如:
We would have succeeded.(可能暗含if we had kept trying)我们本来会成功的。
He would have come here,but he was too busy with his experiment.(暗含if he hadn't been busy with his experiment)他本来会来这儿的,只是当时忙着做实验。
You might stay here forever.(可能暗含if you wanted to)你可以永远呆在这儿。