注意，对该句型的否定，要在动词的前面加not，而不是在would的后面加not。例如：

3　1）He would rather not stay at home tonight. 他今晚不想在家呆着。

2）He would not rather stay at home tonight. *（错误）

二、would rather have done sth.

这是would rather后面接动词完成式的用法，表示过去的事件，意指“主语宁愿自己过去做了某事，但实际上没有做”，因此，具有过去虚拟的意味，如同过去虚拟条件主句的谓语形式。请看例句：

4　I took Sally to the cinema last night, but I would rather have been there alone.

妙语点睛

这里的would rather have been表示对过去的虚拟，意思是“还不如自己一个人去”，但实际上不是一个人去的。

精品译文

我昨晚带萨丽看电影去了，可是我还不如自己一个人去呢（真不该带她去）。

5　I'm eager to acquire knowledge. For my ninth birthday, my father gave me a set of the World Book Encyclopedia. Although I would rather have received a set of transformers, as I look back I realize that my dad made the right decision.

妙语点睛

这里的would rather have received（a set of transformers）表示对过去的虚拟，意思是“本来希望自己收到（一套变形金刚）”，但实际上没有收到。

精品译文

我非常渴望学习知识。记得在我九岁生日的时候，我爸爸送给了我一套《世界百科全书》。当时我还想，他倒不如送我一套变形金刚更好。但是现在回想起来，我还是觉得爸爸当时的决定是对的。

6　I would rather have had one breath of her hair, one kiss of her mouth, one touch of her hand than an eternity without it.

妙语点睛

这句话来自美国电影《天使之城》（The City of Angels），这是由尼古拉斯·凯奇（Nicholas Cage）主演的天使说的。

精品译文

如果可以呼吸到她散发在空气中的发香、轻吻她的双唇、抚摸她的双手，那么我宁愿放弃永生。

三、would rather sb. did

这是would rather后面接从句的用法，意指“主语宁愿让另一个人做某事”。这里从句的谓语用一般过去式，但表示的是现在或将来的事件，如同现在虚拟条件从句的谓语形式。请看例句：

7　Don't come tomorrow. I'd rather you came next weekend.

妙语点睛

我们看到，这里的时间状语next weekend显然是表示一个将来的时间，但句子的谓语却用了came这样的一般过去式，而不用will come，甚至也不用would come。

精品译文

明天就别来了，我希望你下周末过来。

8　She says she'd rather he left tomorrow instead of today.

妙语点睛

同样道理，尽管有将来的时间状语tomorrow，但句子的谓语却用了left这样的一般过去式，而不用will leave，甚至也不用would leave。

精品译文

她说她希望他明天走，而不是今天。

四、would rather sb. had done

这是would rather后面接从句的用法，意指“主语宁愿别人过去做了某事，但实际上没有做”。这里从句的谓语用过去完成时表示过去的事件，如同过去虚拟条件从句的谓语形式。请看例句：

9　For my ninth birthday, my father gave me a set of the World Book Encyclopedia. But I would rather he had given me a set of transformers. 在我九岁生日的时候，我爸爸送给了我一套《世界百科全书》，可是我倒希望他能送我一套变形金刚更好。

其他的结构，如would（just）as soon，would sooner和would prefer在接从句时，完全如同would rather的虚拟用法，在此不再赘述。请看例句：

10　I'd just as soon you didn't speak rudely to her. 我希望你不要那么粗鲁地对她说话。

11　I'd as soon you hadn't spoken rudely to her. 我希望你当时没有那么粗鲁地对她说话。

最后，我们再来看一个might just as well接完成时的虚拟表达：

12　Our holidays were ruined by the weather — we might just as well have stayed at home.

妙语点睛

这完全类似于would rather have done的意义和用法，都表示对过去的虚拟，意思是“还不如呆在家里”，但实际上没有这么做，而是出去度假了，但天气不好，玩得并不开心。

精品译文

因为天气的原因，我们的假期全给毁了。我们还不如就在家里呆着哪也不去呢！



思维训练

Exercise 7.10

请选择最佳答案填空。

1．I wish I_________with you to the concert last night.

A．could have gone

B．went

C．could go

D．have gone

2．Sometimes I wish I_________in a different time and a different place. (CET-4)

A．be living

B．were living

C．would live

D．would have lived

3．Look at the terrible situation I am in! If only I________your advice. (CET-4)

A．follow

B．had followed

C．would follow

D．have followed

4．It seems to be high time that this argument_________put to an end.

A．must be

B．is

C．were

D．should be

5．"You are very selfish. It's high time you_________that you are not the most important person in the world," Edgar said to his boss angrily. (CET-4)

A．realized

B．have realized

C．realize

D．should realize

6．You don't have to be in such a hurry. I would rather you_________on business first. (CET-4)

A．would go

B．will go

C．went

D．have gone

7．Wouldn't you rather your child_________to bed early? (CET-4)

A．go

B．went

C．would go

D．goes

写给读者的话



* * *



一、本章学习思路

虚拟语气是英语谓语动词的重要变化形式之一，也是比较难以理解和掌握的一大类语法项目，原因是汉语的思维表达中天然缺失虚拟语气。

另一方面，虚拟语气其实也是情态动词的一种用法，所以读者应该把本章内容和下一章有关情态动词的内容结合起来学习，这样就可以更加全面而深入地理解情态动词的用法。

本章内容相当于是情态动词的虚拟用法。该用法的内容包括三部分：

第一，非真实条件虚拟句（unreal conditionals），这包括从7.1至7.8节的所有内容，这是虚拟语气的重点内容，占据虚拟语气内容的90％。

第二，名词从句虚拟句，就是在7.9节中讨论的内容。

第三，除了上述这两大类虚拟句外，还有其他一些用于虚拟的句型结构，就是在7.10节中讨论的内容。

二、本章重点及难点

在上述三大类虚拟的内容中，重点要掌握非真实条件句。读者首先要熟练掌握三种基本的虚拟结构：7.2节中讨论的将来虚拟（ZjCj）、7.3节中讨论的现在虚拟（ZxCx）以及7.4节中讨论的过去虚拟（ZgCg）。然后在此基础上，熟练辨别和把握7.5节中讨论的混合虚拟（一）：主句现在＋从句过去（ZxCg）、7.7节中讨论的倒装虚拟和7.8节中讨论的跳层虚拟句。

三、本章学习时间安排

本章的内容多而且也是比较难的，因此读者需要下功夫、花时间学好。建议读者可以花3周的时间来研读本章所讲解的所有内容，边读边思考、消化和总结，并做相应的练习。读者需要反复阅读和理解本章的内容，至少四遍以上，要真正做到融会贯通，全面理解和掌握。但是，若要真正达到我们前面提到的使用虚拟语气的“口语阶段”，则需要多多实践，方能做到运用自如，从而真正地把虚拟语气融入成为自己的思维表达中，成为自己思维的一部分。



* * *



综合练习

1．George would certainly have attended the proceedings________.

A．had he not had a flat tire

B．had the tire no flattened itself

C．if the flat tire hadn't happened

D．if he didn't get a flat tire

2．Nelson____________the fight, with a little more training and a better manager.

A．would win

B．had won

C．could have won

D．won

3．If I_________my own clothes, I________a lot of money.

A．had made/would save

B．could make/would save

C．can make/would save

D．could make/will save

4．Thank goodness, it's all over. I________it if I________it was going to take me so long.

A．would never have done/had known

B．would never do/knew

C．would never have done/knew

D．would never do/had known

5．He was fully occupied yesterday, otherwise he________to the sales conference.

A．would come

B．would have come

C．came

D．had come

6．Without computers, the world________what it is today.

A．would be

B．would not be

C．won't be

D．hadn't been

7．________I realized the consequences, I would never have contemplated getting involved.

A．If

B．Had

C．When

D．Unless

8．He had to drive fast yesterday; otherwise he________his plane.

A．had missed

B．would be missing

C．would have missed

D．would miss

9．________the sense of someone watching them, Ralph would have shouted at his wife.

A．Despite

B．Except

C．But for

D．Except for

10．Any man in his position________like that.

A．has done

B．would have done

C．does

D．would be done

11．We didn't know his address; otherwise we________an invitation to him.

A．would have sent

B．must have sent

C．had sent

D．would send

12．Sometimes I have thought it would be an excellent rule to live each day as if we________tomorrow.

A．should die

B．are to die

C．were dying

D．must die

13．The boy would have died,________on him without delay.

A．if the doctor didn't operate

B．if the doctor wouldn't operate

C．would the doctor not operate

D．had the doctor not operated

14．If Greek civilization________all of Europe, English wouldn't contain so many Greek words.

A．hadn't influenced

B．doesn't influence

C．hasn't influenced

D．didn't influence

15．If television________a thousand years ago, would nations be significantly more homogeneous than they are now?

A．were invented

B．was invented

C．has been invented

D．had been invented

16．At the conference, it has been decided that she________an opportunity to go abroad as a sales representative.

A．is going to have

B．have

C．will have

D．has

17．It is extremely urgent that they________from the mountain before dark.

A．must rescue

B．be rescued

C．will be rescued

D．shall be rescued

18．The women's magazines, deploring the statistics, urged that courses on marriage, and marriage counselors,________in the high schools.

A．installed

B．be installed

C．have been installed

D．installing

19．I intend to move that our committee________Tom as chairman, and I hope that you will second my motion.

A．will appoint

B．appoint

C．appoints

D．has appointed

20．The dean approved of the requirement that every student________on social investigation after summer vacation.

A．reports

B．report

C．reported

D．reporting

21．I second Mr. Wang's motion that a special committee________to examine the problem.

A．be established

B．established

C．was to establish

D．was established

22．"I wish you________the play last night."

"It's a shame that I________.

A．had attended/didn't

B．attended/didn't

C．had attended/hadn't

D．could attend/haven't

23．The picture exhibition bored me to death. I wish I________to it.

A．have not gone

B．had not gone

C．didn't go

D．should not have gone

24．It was a lovely day yesterday. I________I had been at the seaside then.

A．think

B．wish

C．hope

D．expect

25．It's about time I________something about home-decorating.

A．learn

B．learned

C．have learned

D．should learn

26．If only we________a phone! I'm tired of queuing outside the public phone box.

A．had

B．had had

C．would have

D．have had

27．The manager would rather his daughter________in the same office.

A．had not worked

B．not no work

C．does not work

D．did not work

28．He would rather________than worked last night.

A．have slept

B．has slept

C．sleep

D．slept

29．Frankly, I'd rather you________anything about it for the time being as it has not yet been decided.

A．did

B．didn't do

C．didn't

D．don't

30．She would rather that you________last night.

A．not arrive

B．do not arrive

C．had not arrived

D．did not arrive

31．In the United States a law requires that a warning label________on cigarette packages.

A．ought to be printed

B．needs to be printed

C．must be printed

D．should be printed

32．It is high time that the third world countries________a more active part in economic affairs of the world.

A．play

B．were playing

C．played

D．had played

33．If the United States had built more homes for people in 1995, the housing problems now in some parts of this country________so serious.

A．wouldn't be

B．will not have been

C．wouldn't have been

D．would have not been

34．At the last conference, the motion that the chairman of the International Olympic Games________was defeated.

A．would be dismissed

B．be dismissed

C．were dismissed

D．was dismissed

35．If the climate had been more favorable, the crops________still better.

A．would have grown

B．would be growing

C．would be grown

D．will grow

36．These facts suggested that women________in opportunity for physical exercise by cultural taboos.

A．should been limited

B．had been limited

C．be limited

D．have been limited

37．I would very much like to have gone to see the movie, but I________a ticket.

A．shall not have

B．haven't had

C．don't have

D．didn't have

38．The result has turned still worse than it________

A．would otherwise have been

B．would be otherwise

C．has otherwise been

D．had otherwise been

39．The stubborn young man did not follow the advice that he________on his behavior since he refused to believe he had done anything wrong.

A．reflect

B．had reflected

C．would reflect

D．must reflect

40．________for your help, we'd never have been able to get over the difficulties.

A．Had it not been

B．Had it not

C．If it were not

D．If we had not been

41．The storm delayed us.________the storm we would have been in time.

A．For

B．Were it not for

C．Had it not been for

D．But

42．The party__________at my house, but the central heating broke down, and we had to have it at John's place.

A．would be

B．would have been

C．was to be

D．were

43．We are all for your proposal that the discussion_________.

A．be put off

B．was put off

C．should put off

D．is to put off

44．He turned down her proposal that she__________at the conference.

A．should offer

B．offer

C．offered

D．offering

45．What do you think of Tom's proposal that__________put on the play at tonight's English evening?

A．we will not

B．we not

C．we hadn't

D．we wouldn't

46．The school board listened quickly as John read the demands that his followers_________for.

A．be demonstrating

B．demonstrate

C．had been demonstrating

D．have demonstrated

47．It was suggested at the meeting that effective measures_________to solve the problem.

A．be taken

B．were taken

C．must be taken

D．take

48．It is desirable that the doctor________there at the moment.

A．be

B．would be

C．will be

D．must be

49．I propose that a woman________deputy to the district congress.

A．would be nominated

B．was nominated

C．is nominated

D．be nominated

50．Her mother insists that she________skating with her brother.

A．went

B．go

C．goes

D．will go

51．I move that he________discharged for his serious mistake.

A．be to be

B．was to be

C．is to be

D．would be

52．These national parks are very important for preserving many animals, who would________run the risk of becoming extinct.

A．instead

B．nevertheless

C．therefore

D．otherwise

53．We went to work on foot yesterday, though we________by bus.

A．could have gone

B．must have gone

C．ought to have gone

D．had better to

54．One of the requirements for a fire is that the material________to its burning temperature.

A．is heated

B．will be heated

C．be heated

D．would be heated

55．It is advisable that a general announcement_________to the teaching staff.

A．will be made

B．should make

C．be made

D．have been made

56．Abraham Lincoln insisted that________not just on mere opinion but on moral purpose.

A．to base democracy

B．for democracy to be based