从时间指示看虚拟条件句中谓语动词的过去时态

Interpreting Verb Tense in the Subjunctive Clause from the Perspective of Temporal Deixis

传统英语语法规定,虚拟条件句中的谓语动词必须使用过去时态,但它没有解释其原因,因为传统语法的性质是规范性的。本文试图从语用学"时间指示"的角度,分析虚拟条件句中谓语动词使用过去时态的原理。作者认为,虚拟条件句中的过去时态是一种指远指示,反映了说话人心理上所产生的他与现实之间的距离。

Traditional English grammar stipulates that the verb in the subjunctive clause should be in its past tense. Due to its prescriptive nature, however, traditional English grammar gives no explanation to the principle underlying this stipulation. This paper attempts to explain the use of past tense in the subjunctive clause from the perspective of temporal deixis. The author＇ s conclusion is that past tense in subjunctive clause is a distal form of deixis, which reflects the psychological distance between the speaker and the reality.