这是考查情态动词的推测用法还是考查虚拟语气

The man must have the strength of a hippopotamus, or he never ____ the cattle.
A. could have vanquished      

B. would vanquish   

C. should have vanquished    

D. had vanquished

我的分析如下:

must 表示对现在的推测,该句可改成 If the man had not the strength of a hippopotamus,he would never vanquished the cattle.

故选 B。但书中给的答案是 A,在此请求老师给予分析。

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最佳答案 2015-08-03 19:29

The man must have the strength of a hippopotamus, or he never________ the cattle.

A. could have vanquished

B. would vanquish  

C. should have vanquished

D. had vanquished

你考虑得有一定道理。但这个句子中,or后面的部分,是想表达过去的一个事件:“否则的话,他当时是决不可能打败牛的”。

前一分句The man must have the strength of a hippopotamus,的确是指“他现在有河马这样的力气”,但后面or引导的另外一句,完全可以指过去的一件事情——这并不矛盾。现在有这么大的力气,说明过去也有。

我把句子补全,你仔细体会一下,注意or变成了与过去事实不符的假设:

The man must have the strength of a hippopotamus.(指现在) If he had not had the strength of a hippopotamus he never could have vanquished the cattle.(指过去)

这种时间不一致的虚拟假设,叫做“错综时间虚拟语气”。

【注意】如果你一定要坚持,or后面的句子应该与现在或将来时间有关,应填would vanquish。那么,句子意思是讲不通的:

The man must have the strength of a hippopotamus, or he never would vanquish the cattle.

该句表达的意思就是:这个事件没有发生,是否发生,那是将来的事情。请问“否则的话”——从何而来?

 

 

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  • 曹强 提出于 2015-08-03 14:18