大学英语四、六级考试中，有关虚拟语气(subjunctive mood)的考点不仅仅局限于语法类题目，它还经常出现在听力测试部分的Section A(即简短对话)中。例如：

　　1. M：Would you like to see the film with us on Friday?

　　W：I would enjoy that very much if I didn't have to take an exam on Saturday. I think I'd better stay home and study.

　　Q：Why didn't the woman accept the invitation?

　　A) Because she likes staying home better.

　　B) Because she's taking an exam on Friday.

　　C) Because she has to prepare for the exam.

　　D) Because she doesn't like the film.

　　对话中，女方拒绝了男方的邀请，并委婉地讲明了原因。本题的解题关键就是抓住由if引导的虚拟条件句。通过该句，可以推断出女方未答应去看电影，主要是因为她周六要参加考试，不得不呆在家里学习；但其主观愿望还是很想去的。了解了说话人的真正想法，不难选出正确答案C。

　　可见，掌握一些虚拟语气的相关知识对于了解对话人的态度是非常必要的。虚拟语气表示的是主观愿望和假设虚拟的情况，它所表达的往往与事实相反，所以，听者不妨利用这一技巧来判断说话人的真正意图。又如：

　　2. M：Nelly, do you have any extra money you could lend me?

　　W: I wish I could help you. I went shopping yesterday. Now I have only two dollars till the end of the week.

　　Q：Will the man borrow any money from the woman?

　　A) No, because she's already spent most of it.

　　B) Yes, because she has enough money.

　　C) No, because she already lent it to a friend.

　　D) Yes, because she wants to help him.

　　对话中，女方利用虚拟语气形式表达了她的主观愿望，即想借钱给男方；但因购物花去了几乎所有的钱，造成"想帮忙也帮不上"的事实，所以，答案为A。

　　上述两例是虚拟语气的两种最基本的句子类型--虚拟条件句(如对话1)和表示愿望、建议、命令、请求、祝愿等情况的某些从句(如对话2)。下面就这两种情况做一简单讨论。

　　一、虚拟条件句(Sentences of Unreal Condition)

　　像其他假设条件句一样，虚拟条件句主要由if来引导；不同的是，由于它强调的是纯属假设的情况或发生可能性很小的情况，所以谓语需要使用虚拟语气。这类句子又可以细分为两类：

　　第一类是对现在及将来情况的假设，如对话1中的虚拟条件句就是对将来情况的假设。

　　第二类是对过去情况的假设。如：

　　3. M: I wish I had seen the play at the Swan Theatre.

　　W：Well, if I had known that, I would have given you my ticket.

　　对话中，女方利用if引导的虚拟条件句，对过去的情况进行了假设。当然，这只是一种不可能实现的愿望而已。

　　在日常对话中，上述两类虚拟条件句经常出现，只要把握好基本概念，快速了解说话人的态度和意图并不难。

　　值得注意的是，在听力对话测试中，除虚拟条件句外，假设的情况还经常用下面的方式来体现。如：

　　4. M：I agreed with your plan at the meeting. It was fantastic.

　　W：You should have supported me then, when I needed it.

　　Q：What does the woman mean?

　　A) She agreed that it was a good meeting.

　　B) His support count for nothing.

　　C) His support would have helped her.

　　D) She thought it was not a good plan.

　　本题的解题关键是"should + have done(本应当，实际上没有)"这一虚拟结构。女方利用虚拟语气假设过去，即"You should, but you didn't support me at the meeting."，显然带有一种责备的语气。虽未直接批评，但其态度已显而易见，答案为C。又如：

　　5. W: Tony is the best cross-country runner we've ever had in this school.

　　M: You are right. But you should have seen me when I was his age.

　　Q：What dose the man mean?

　　A) He can run faster than Tony in spite of his age.

　　B) The woman is unfair in her judgment.

　　C) He could run faster than Tony when he was Tony's age.

　　D) Tony could have run even faster.

　　与上题一样，本题中，男方以同样的方式假设过去。这次，说话人表达了一种不服输的劲头，真正的意思是：" I could run faster than Tony when I was Tony's age. "，所以，答案为C。

　　二、其他从句

　　众所周知，虚拟语气是英语语法中的重、难点，原因之一恐怕就是它的使用范围非常广泛。除虚拟条件句外，虚拟语气还出现在表示愿望、建议、命令等情况的各种从句中。如：

　　I propose that we go there by train.我建议乘火车去那儿。

　　I would rather they came tomorrow.我宁愿他们明天来。

　　It is desired that we get everything ready by tonight.希望我们今晚把一切都准备好。

　　My suggestion is that we go to a Korean restaurant tonight.我提议今晚去韩国餐馆就餐。

　　I just couldn't believe that the house should be so big.我简直不敢相信这所房子会这么大。

　　I'm sorry that he should have lied.我真难过，他竟然撒谎。

　　It's a great pity that he should be so late.真遗憾他来得这么晚。

　　He took his raincoat with him lest it should rain.他带了雨衣，以防下雨。

　　It is time that we went to bed.是睡觉的时候了。

　　He looks as if he were drunk.他看上去就像喝醉了似的。

　　尽管虚拟语气用在以上各类从句中，看起来让人眼花缭乱，但是，在一般的听力对话测试中，wish后的宾语从句里的虚拟语气较为常见。它可以表示现在及将来的愿望(如对话2)，亦可表达过去某时的愿望(如对话3)。此外，还有if only(但愿)等引导的虚拟条件句。

　　西方人比较注重社交礼仪，这就是为什么英语里大量使用虚拟语气的原因。借助这种结构，说话人可以委婉地表明态度，客气地提出请求、邀请，含蓄地提出问题等。所以，平时应注意积累这方面的知识，了解并熟悉常见虚拟形式的内涵意义。这样，在听力测试中，才能抓住说话人讲话的真正意向和态度，做出正确的选择。

　　(文/李海云；英语辅导报大学二年级版03～04学年第34期；版权归英语辅导报社所有，独家网络合作伙伴新浪教育，未经许可，不得以任何形式进行转载。)