这里只分析真实条件句,非真实条件句将在“虚拟语气”一章作详细讨论。
最常见的引导词是if和unless。
61 If winter comes, can spring be far behind? 冬天来了,春天还会远吗?
62 You don't need an umbrella unless it is raining. 如果天没下雨,你就不需要带伞。
63 In politics, if you want someone to make a speech, ask a man; if you want something done, ask a woman. (by Margaret Thatcher)
64 Today if a happy smile comes to you, a happy smile that perhaps you can't explain...it is because at that moment, I am thinking of you, and smiling too.
考研中,多次出现这两个连词的考题,考生需要熟悉它们的意思。简单来说,only if表示“只有”,而if only表示“只要”。请看真题例句:
65 The senior librarian at the circulation desk promised to get the book for me ______ she could remember who last borrowed it.
A. ever since B. much as C. even though D. if only
正确答案 D
妙语点睛 本题是考状语从句的连词,A表示“自从……以来”,B表示“尽管……”,C表示“即使……”,均不符合两句的逻辑关系,只有if only “只要”正确。
精品译文 借阅处的管理员答应帮我找到这本书,只要她能记得上次是谁借走的。
66 He can continue to support himself and his family 42 he produces a surplus.
A. only if B. much as C. long before D. ever since
正确答案 A
妙语点睛 本题是考查状语从句的连词,B表示“尽管……”,C表示“在……之前”,D表示“自从……以来”,均不符合两句的逻辑关系,只有only if “只有”正确。
精品译文 只有生产有了盈余,他才能够养活自己和家人。
67 On the whole such a conclusion can be drawn with a certain degree of confidence, but only if the child can be assumed to have had the same attitude towards the test as the others with whom he is being compared, and only if he was not punished by lack of relevant information which they possessed.
妙语点睛 这个句子较复杂,但是只要看懂其中的两个only if结构,整个句子的逻辑关系就不难理解了。but前面的部分表示结论,而其后面两个only if从句则表示得出此结论所必须达到的条件,因此,我们在翻译时,可以灵活处理这两个only if从句,将它们先总的译成“必须具备两个条件:……”,然后再分别具体译出两个条件。
精品译文 总的来说,得出这种结论是有一定把握的,但是必须具备两个条件:能够假定这个孩子对测试的态度与其他孩子相同;他也没有因为缺乏别的孩子所具有的相关知识而被扣分。
68 【A】 If only the nature of the aging process 【B】 is better understood, the possibility of 【C】 discovering a medicine that can block the fundamental process of aging 【D】 seems very remote.
正确答案 A,改为Unless。
妙语点睛 if only主要有两个意思:“只要”和“要是……就好了,但愿”。通过分析主从句之间的逻辑关系,我们看到if only在这里讲不通。主句的关键词是remote,表示发明抗衰老药物可能性极小,从句说要对衰老过程有更好的了解,前后显然是对立关系,所以用unless连接两个分句。
精品译文 除非我们对人类衰老过程有更好的了解,否则不太可能发明一种可以抗衰老的药物。
条件从句中,有一种固定搭配,也许很多考生都没有注意过,这个结构就是:must / have to do...if...be to do,先看真题阅读中的例句:
69 If ambition is to be well regarded, the rewards of ambition—wealth, distinction, control over one's destiny— must be deemed worthy of the sacrifices made on ambition's behalf. If the tradition of ambition is to have vitality, it must be widely shared; and it especially must be highly regarded by people who are themselves admired, the educated not least among them.(2000年阅读第五篇)
妙语点睛 两个if从句中的谓语都采用了be to do的形式( is to be, is to have),对应的主句谓语都含有情态动词must,为什么会有这种对应呢?其实,这涉及be to do这个结构的意义,be to do往往表示比较强烈的感情色彩,有加强语气的意味,相当于情态动词must或should,可以翻译成“一定得……”,所以与be to do呼应的主句往往会含有情态动词must或will have to,这两者就构成must/will have to do...if...be to do,表示“如果(从句)一定得怎么样,那么(主句)也必须怎么样”。
精品译文 若 真的能够 正确看待雄心壮志,那么它的回报——财富、荣誉、对自己命运的掌控—— 一定会 被认为值得为之做出牺牲。如果雄心壮志的传统 只是 激发活力,那么人们 就应该 都拥有它;特别是它 必须被 那些本身受到尊敬的人士所重视,受过教育的人们是其中重要的一部分。
70 Greater efforts to increase agricultural production must be made if food shortage _____ avoided.
A. is to be B. to be C. will be D. has been
正确答案 A
妙语点睛 我们都知道条件从句一般要用现在时态代替将来时态,所以C不正确。正确答案是A,表示的就是上面讲过的对应关系。
精品译文 如果 要 避免粮食危机, 就必须 大力提高农业产量。
71 The first two must be equal for all who are being compared, if any comparison in terms of intelligence is to be made .
妙语点睛 这个条件句里同样存在上述呼应关系,在翻译时要译出来。
精品译文 如果 一定要从 智力方面进行比较的话,那么对所有被比较者来说,前两个因素 必须是 一样的。
72 But if robots are to reach the next stage of laborsaving utility, they will have to operate with less human supervision and be able to make at least a few decisions for themselves—goals that pose a real challenge.(2002年阅读第二篇)
妙语点睛 这个条件句里同样存在上述呼应关系,在翻译时要译出来。
精品译文 但是如果 一定要 机器人进一步节省劳力的话,它们 就必须 能够在更少的人工监控下运行,并且至少能够独立做一些决定——这些目标提出了一个真正的挑战。
73 If it doesn't rain within the next few weeks, the crops will have to be watered if they are to survive.
妙语点睛 这个条件句里同样存在上述的呼应关系,在翻译时要译出来。
精品译文 要是未来几星期还不下雨, 想 让这些农作物存活的话, 就必须得 浇水了。
其他引导条件从句的连词有:suppose(that), supposing(that), providing/provided(that), so long as, as long as, on condition that等。
74 George Annas, chair of the health law department at Boston University, maintains that, as long as a doctor prescribes a drug for a legitimate medical purpose, the doctor has done nothing illegal even if the patient uses the drug to hasten death. “It's like surgery,”he says. “We don't call those deaths homicides because the doctors didn't intend to kill their patients, although they risked their death. If you're a physician, you can risk your patient's suicide as long as you don't intend their suicide.”(2002年阅读第四篇)
妙语点睛 这里是as long as表示条件,引导从句。
精品译文 波士顿大学健康法律系主任乔治•安纳斯认为,只要医生开的药物是用于合法的医疗目的,他就没有做违法的事情,即使病人用这些药物来加速死亡。“这就好比外科手术,”他说道,“我们并不把这种死亡称作他杀。因为医生并不想要杀死他们的病人,虽然他们冒了杀人的风险。如果你是医生,你可以冒病人自杀的风险,只要你没有想要他们自杀。”
75 You can arrive in Beijing earlier for the meeting ______ you don't mind taking the night train.
A. provided B. unless C. though D. until
正确答案 A
妙语点睛 分析两个句子之间的逻辑关系可知,这里是表示条件关系,故A正确。
精品译文 你可以早点去北京开会,只要你不介意坐夜班火车。
76 He will surely finish the job on time ______ he's left to do it in his own way.(2000-12 CET-4)
A. in that B. in case C. as far as D. so long as
正确答案 D
妙语点睛 前后句之间是条件关系。
精品译文 只要放手让他按照自己的方式去做,他一定能够准时完成这个工作的。
再看更多例句:
A man is not old as long as he is seeking something. A man is not old until regrets take the place of dreams.
So long as you work hard enough, an iron rod can be ground into a needle.
只要功夫深,铁杵磨成针。
Suppose nothing happens to you. Suppose you live there your whole life and nothing happens. You never meet anybody, you never become anything and finally, you die one of those New York deaths and no one notices for two weeks until the smell drifts into the hallway. (lines from a movie)
77 Spare the rod and spoil the child. = If you spare the rod, you'll spoil the child. 孩子不打不成器。
78 Give us 20 minutes and we will give you 10 years back! Let us help you realize your dreams!(一个美容广告如是说)
79 Talk to anyone in the drug industry, ______ you'll soon discover that the science of genetics is the biggest thing to hit drug research since penicillin was discovered.
A. or B. and C. for D. so
正确答案 B
妙语点睛 本题考查考生是否掌握其他含有条件意味的句型。
精品译文 只要找医药行业的任何人聊聊,你就会发现,自从青霉素被发现以来,基因遗传学现已成为影响医药研究领域的热门课题。
80 Give it back to me or (else) I'll tell your parents. = Unless you give it back to me, I'll tell your parents.