一位聽眾來(lái)信向我們提問:由 “if” 引導(dǎo)的從句應(yīng)該用什么時(shí)態(tài)?這要視情況而定:在決定用什么時(shí)態(tài)時(shí),除了要考慮由 “if” 引導(dǎo)的條件從句中所描述的事件何時(shí)發(fā)生以外,還要根據(jù)事件發(fā)生可能性的大小以及是否屬實(shí)做出判斷。聽節(jié)目中主持人 Phil 和佳瑩通過(guò)分析例句講解 “if” 從句的時(shí)態(tài)。
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(關(guān)于臺(tái)詞的備注: 請(qǐng)注意這不是廣播節(jié)目的逐字稿件。本文稿可能沒有體現(xiàn)錄制、編輯過(guò)程中對(duì)節(jié)目做出的改變。)
Phil
Hi, and welcome to Question and Answer of the Week. I'm Phil.
Jiaying
And I'm Jiaying. 本期 “你問我答” 節(jié)目要回答的問題來(lái)自一位網(wǎng)友。問題由我來(lái)代讀:
Question
你好,我想問一下 “if” 引導(dǎo)的主從句時(shí)態(tài)分別是什么,謝謝!
Phil
That's a fantastic question, and like many fantastic questions, the answer is… it depends.
Jiaying
是的,“if” 從句用什么時(shí)態(tài)要視情況而定。我們可以用 “if” 從句來(lái)談?wù)撘恍┨囟ǖ膬?nèi)容,所以句子的時(shí)態(tài)要用哪個(gè),取決于所表達(dá)的內(nèi)容是什么。
Phil
OK, we can use present tenses in the if clause, but often when we do this, we're actually referring to the future. And this might be when we're not 100% sure what's going to happen.
Jiaying
“If” 從句可以是現(xiàn)在時(shí),但談?wù)摰钠鋵?shí)是未來(lái)將要發(fā)生的事情,這可能是因?yàn)槲覀儗?duì)將要發(fā)生的事情沒有百分百的把握。先來(lái)看第一種情況:主句和從句都是一般現(xiàn)在時(shí)。聽兩個(gè)例句。
Examples
If you go to the shops, could you buy some bread?
(如果你去商店的話,能買些面包嗎?)
If you're in the office tomorrow, can you do me a favour?
(如果你明天在辦公室的話,能不能幫我個(gè)忙?)
Jiaying
在上面的兩句話中,主句和 “if” 從句都是一般現(xiàn)在時(shí)。說(shuō)話人不確定對(duì)方會(huì)不會(huì)去商店或辦公室,所以兩句話都用了一般現(xiàn)在時(shí)來(lái)指未來(lái)可能會(huì)發(fā)生的事情。
Phil
We often use if clauses like this to talk about conditions. We have a present tense in the if clause with a will future in the main clause. Here, it's saying that we need the thing in the if clause to happen first, before the thing in the main clause can happen.
Jiaying
是的,我們常用一般現(xiàn)在時(shí)的 “if” 從句談?wù)摋l件。
接著來(lái)看第二種情況:“if” 從句為一般現(xiàn)在時(shí),主句為包含 “will” 的一般將來(lái)時(shí)。只有 “if” 從句描述的事情發(fā)生,主句描述的事情才會(huì)發(fā)生。聽兩個(gè)例句。
Examples
If we finish work on time, we'll go to the park.
(如果我們按時(shí)完成工作,我們就去公園。)
If you buy the ingredients, I'll cook dinner.
(如果你買食材,我就做飯。)
Phil
Tenses and time are not always the same thing. I need to mention here, that when we're using the present tense with 'if', we're also saying that the condition is not something that's very unlikely – these are things that we genuinely think could happen.
Jiaying
我們?cè)賮?lái)看第三個(gè)情況:“if” 從句仍然是一般現(xiàn)在時(shí),但主句中使用情態(tài)動(dòng)詞,而非將來(lái)時(shí)。當(dāng)然,使用情態(tài)動(dòng)詞會(huì)影響我們?nèi)绾慰创骶渲忻枋龅氖虑榘l(fā)生的可能性。聽兩個(gè)例句。
Examples
If you have enough money, we can eat out!
(如果你錢夠的話,我們就可以出去吃飯?。?/p>
If it's sunny, we might go to the beach.
(如果天氣晴朗,我們也許會(huì)去海灘。)
Jiaying
在上面的第一個(gè)例句中,如果 “if” 從句所描述的事情發(fā)生,也就是 “have enough money(有足夠的錢)”,那么主句中 “去吃飯” 的計(jì)劃則 “can(可以)” 實(shí)現(xiàn)。在第二個(gè)例句中,如果 “if” 從句中描述的事情發(fā)生,“it's sunny(天氣晴朗)”,那么主句中 “去海灘” 的計(jì)劃 “might(也許會(huì))” 發(fā)生。另外,由于設(shè)下的條件并非完全沒有可能實(shí)現(xiàn),所以 “if” 從句用了一般現(xiàn)在時(shí)。
Phil
So, those are examples of using a present tense in the if clause, but we can use other tenses – and this is often for things that we think are unlikely or even impossible.
Jiaying
以上我們介紹了 “if” 從句是一般現(xiàn)在時(shí)的三個(gè)情況。接下來(lái),看看 “if” 從句為其它時(shí)態(tài)的情況。這類句子通常用來(lái)談?wù)撐覀冋J(rèn)為不大可能發(fā)生或完全不可能發(fā)生的事情。先來(lái)聽兩個(gè)例句。
Examples
If I were taller, I'd never find clothes to fit.
(如果我再高一點(diǎn),我就找不到合身的衣服了。)
If I were younger, I wouldn't do this job.
(如果我年輕一點(diǎn),我就不會(huì)做這份工作了。)
Jiaying
例句中的 “if” 從句所描述的事情都與事實(shí)不符,因?yàn)檎f(shuō)話人不能變高或變年輕。注意,“if” 從句雖然是一般過(guò)去時(shí),但談?wù)摰牟⒉皇沁^(guò)去發(fā)生的事情,使用一般過(guò)去時(shí)的原因是這些陳述與事實(shí)相悖。我們通常在這類 “if” 從句中用 “were”,在主句中用 “would”,以表假設(shè)。
在上面的例句中,這類結(jié)構(gòu)用來(lái)談?wù)撆c事實(shí)不一致的情況,但其實(shí)它還有不同的用法。它還可以讓語(yǔ)氣聽起來(lái)更委婉禮貌。聽兩個(gè)例句。
Examples
It would be really nice if you came for dinner!
(如果你能來(lái)吃晚飯,就再好不過(guò)了?。?/p>
I'm not sure about this presentation. It would be better if you changed it a bit.
(我不確定這份演示報(bào)告是否可行。如果你能稍作修改就好了。)
Jiaying
在這兩句話中,雖然 “if” 從句也用了一般過(guò)去時(shí),且主句中使用了 “would”,但兩句話都是用 “would” 來(lái)讓語(yǔ)氣更委婉、更禮貌。
Phil
Another way to use a past tense in an if clause is to use the past perfect. We can often do this, together with 'would have' in the main clause in order to talk about something that was possible before, but isn't anymore.
Jiaying
沒錯(cuò),“if” 從句除了可以是一般過(guò)去時(shí)以外,還可以是過(guò)去完成時(shí),也就是 “if + 主語(yǔ) + had + 過(guò)去分詞”,主句則使用 “would have + 過(guò)去分詞”,常用來(lái)談?wù)撘患究赡馨l(fā)生,但事到如今卻不可能發(fā)生的情況。
Examples
If I had been on time for the bus, I would have come.
(如果我當(dāng)時(shí)準(zhǔn)時(shí)趕上公共汽車,我就來(lái)了。)
If you had come, you would have really enjoyed yourself.
(如果你來(lái)了,你會(huì)玩得很開心。)
Jiaying
在這兩句話中,說(shuō)話人對(duì)過(guò)去沒有發(fā)生的事情做了假設(shè),因此 “if” 從句用了過(guò)去完成時(shí)。
Phil
So, there are different tenses we can use with if clauses – depending on what we want to say.
Jiaying
但要牢記的是:“if” 從句的時(shí)態(tài)并不一定與事情實(shí)際發(fā)生的時(shí)間有關(guān)。
Phil
If we use present tenses, we're often talking about the future.
Jiaying
沒錯(cuò),“if” 從句如果用的是現(xiàn)在時(shí)態(tài),那多談?wù)搶?lái)發(fā)生的事情;“if” 從句用的是過(guò)去時(shí),說(shuō)話人更多地是在談?wù)撆c事實(shí)不符的情況,或讓語(yǔ)氣聽起來(lái)更委婉。這與事情發(fā)生的實(shí)際時(shí)間并無(wú)太大關(guān)系。
Phil
We hope that's answered your question!
Jiaying
好了,如果你也在學(xué)習(xí)英語(yǔ)時(shí)遇到了疑問,歡迎你通過(guò)微博把問題發(fā)送給我們,你也可以將問題發(fā)送至:questions.chinaelt@bbc.co.uk
謝謝收聽 “你問我答”。Bye, everyone!
Phil
Bye!