I had said all I had to say on the subject that had brought me to Paris, and though I felt it in a manner treacherous to Mrs. Strickland not to pursue it, I could not struggle against his indifference. It requires the feminine temperament to repeat the same thing three times with unabated zest. I solaced myself by thinking that it would be useful for me to find out what I could about Strickland's state of mind. It also interested me much more. But this was not an easy thing to do, for Strickland was not a fluent talker. He seemed to express himself with difficulty, as though words were not the medium with which his mind worked; and you had to guess the intentions of his soul by hackneyed phrases, slang, and vague, unfinished gestures. But though he said nothing of any consequence, there was something in his personality which prevented him from being dull.
1)... find out what I could about Strickland's state of mind. 请教老师what I could后省略了什么呢?省略了find out,即find out what I could find out about Strickland's state of mind.吗?
2)...as though words were not...这里为何不用虚拟语气as though words had been...呢?这里用as though words were not...是陈述语气吗?
1 是的,省略了find out, 避免重复。类似于 I will do what I can.
2 He seemed to express himself with difficulty, as though words were not the medium with which his mind worked.
as if/as though从句的虚拟语气是以主句的谓语时间为参照的。与谓语时间同时的动作或状态,动词用were或其他过去式;先于谓语时间的动作或状态用had done. 你这个句子中,seemed to express和从句的were都是同一个过去时间,所以虚拟语气的be用were。所以当主句谓语为过去时的时候,虚拟语气形式和陈述语气形式重合了。之后从句主语为单数一三人称时,才能从were的使用判断出这是虚拟语气。我们把你这个句子改为现在时,你就可以看出这是虚拟语气了。
He seems to express himself with difficulty, as though words were not the medium with which his mind worked.
在现代英语非正式语体中,as if/as though从句即使表示的是与事实相反的内容,从句也可以用陈述语气。所以,这个句子也可以用陈述语气:
He seems to express himself with difficulty, as though words are not the medium with which his mind worked
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