Luis國際資訊事務所

7.

“ if ”的省略：

A.

在正式的寫作或文學體裁中，有時將 if 子句裡的 were (不可用 was 代替)，should 以及過去完成式的 had 放在主詞之前而將 if 省略 (參閱 p.139-9)。如：

(1)

Were she my daughter (= If she were my daughter), I wouldn't allow her to marry a foreigner.
(如果她是我的女兒，我就不准她嫁給外國人。)

(2)

Should anybody call (= If anybody should call), say I shall not be home till evening.
(萬一有人打電話來，說我要到傍晚才回來。)

(3)

Had I known your address, (= If I had known your address), I should have written to you.
(我若是知道你的地址，我就寫信給你了。)

B.

在口語中，有時將 if 省略，但主詞與動詞依然保持原來的位置。如：

(1)

You touch me again (= If you touch me again), I'll hit you.
(你再碰我，我就揍你。)

(2)

We catch any fish (= If we catch any fish), we'll have them for dinner.
(我們要是捉到魚，就煮來吃。)

(註)

(a)

將“If+S.+had+P.P....”變成“Had+S.+P.P....”的方式在口語中也常出現。

(b)

否定的 if 子句裡的 if 省略後，not 不和助動詞合在一起移到主詞之前，而是跟在主詞之後。如：

(若不是我親眼看見的，我是不會相信的。)

8.

似是而非的條件句：

有些句子看起來像是條件句，因爲其中有個 if 子句。其實這個if的含義不是“假如”，而是“既然”，相當於“since/seeing that”； 也有時是“無論何時”，相當於“whenever”；還有時是“雖然，即使”，相當於“though / although”、“even if / even though”。

這類句子都是實話實說，沒有與事實相反的情況，因而動詞的形式都是依其所涉的時間作適當的使用，都屬於直說法。如：

(1)

A:

Sunny hates Taipei.
(桑妮討厭台北。) 

B:

If (= As/Since/Seeing that) she hates it (or If so), why does she live there?
(既然她討厭台北，爲什麽她又住在那兒?)

(2)

A:

I don't like Judy, I hope she won't come.
(我不喜歡朱迪，我希望她不要來。)

B:

If so (=If you hope she won't come), why did you invite her?
(既然如此，你爲什麽邀請她呢?)

(3)

If you have exams tomorrow, why aren't you studying?
(既然你明天考試，現在你爲什麽不看書?)

(4)

If he arrived only yesterday, he is unlikely to leave today.
(既然他昨天才到，他不可能今天就要走。)

(5)

If he arrived only yesterday, he will probably not leave before Sunday.
(既然他昨天才到，他大概不會在星期日以前就走的。)

(6)

If you spent the night on the train, you probably feel tired.
(既然你在火車上待了一夜，你現在大概很累了吧。)

(7)

If he promised to be here, he will certainly come.
(既然他答應到這裡來，他是一定會來的。)

(8)

If he hadn't come when you arrived, he won't come at all this morning.
(既然你到的時候他還沒有來，他今天上午根本就不會來了。)

(9)

If you have been traveling all night, you probably need a rest.
(既然你已經旅行了一整夜，你大概需要休息吧。)

(10)

If that was Mary, why didn't she stop and say hello?
(既然那是瑪麗，爲什麽她不停下來打個招呼?)

(11)

Oil floats (or will float) if (= whenever) it is poured on water.
(油潑在水上會浮起。)

(12)

If (= Though) he is little, he is strong.
(他個子雖小，力氣倒大。)

(13)

If he was severe, he was just.
(雖然他〔的言論〕很嚴厲，但是他很公正。)

(14)

If he was ambitious, his ambition was of a noble nature.
(他雖然野心勃勃，但是他的抱負是崇高的。)

(15)

If he was deserted by his friends, he was spared by his enemies.
(雖然他被友人遺棄了，卻被仇人饒恕了。)

以上這些都不是假設法，if 子句裡的was都是正確的，不可改成 were。

此種具有 though / although 含義的if子句常簡化成 “if+形容詞” 的結構，而且常插在主要子句的主詞與動詞之間。

此種句子的結構常用於正式的文體。

(16)

The profits, if a little lower than last year's,  are still extremely healthy.
(利潤，雖然比去年的稍低，卻仍非常可觀。)

(17)

If (= Even if) I am wrong, you are not right.
(即使我錯了，你也不對。)