The watchers moved forward together, as if some signal had been given. Swords rose and fell, all in a deathly silence. It was cold butchery. The pale blades sliced through ringmail as if it were silk. Will closed his eyes. Far beneath him, he heard their voices and laughter sharp as icicles.
旁觀的異鬼仿佛接收到什么訊號(hào)，這時(shí)一涌向前。一片死寂之中，劍雨紛飛，這是場(chǎng)冷酷的屠殺。慘白的劍刃砍絲般切進(jìn)環(huán)甲。威爾閉上眼睛。他聽見地面上遠(yuǎn)遠(yuǎn)傳來它們的談笑聲，尖利一如冰針。

as if, 這個(gè)詞組的用法經(jīng)常被作為考點(diǎn)。字面上來說as if并不難理解，但往往牽扯到虛擬語(yǔ)氣，考生就先慌了神。

虛擬語(yǔ)氣：其實(shí)并不難理解，簡(jiǎn)而言之就是在說廢話，說話人主觀上假設(shè)一個(gè)情況而已。以as if 為例：

It looks as if it is going to rain. (It looks as if it will rain).

看起來要下雨了(主觀上說話人認(rèn)為，這個(gè)事情有可能發(fā)生)。

It looks as if it would rain.

看起來會(huì)下雨（潛臺(tái)詞根本不會(huì)）。（主觀上說話人認(rèn)為根本不可能發(fā)生）

as if 的用法：

(1) as if 后邊要跟從句（或者從句的省略句，不能直接跟名詞），用于比較虛實(shí)兩種情況。

He treats them as if they were his parents.

而不能說He treats them as if his parents.

(2) as if 和as though習(xí)慣上是通用的，但不能說成as although。

(3) 口語(yǔ)中常常用as if 進(jìn)行否定的強(qiáng)調(diào)。

兩個(gè)閨蜜在對(duì)話，“你的小鮮肉約了另一個(gè)女生?！绷硪粋€(gè)女神悠悠地說，”就好像我在乎似的?！?/p>

‘She asked him out with her.’ ‘As ifI cared.’(= I don’t care at all.)

(4) 當(dāng)as if 前后的主、從句主語(yǔ)一致時(shí)，經(jīng)常省略從句的主語(yǔ)，而把從句的謂語(yǔ)部分改寫成相應(yīng)形式的非謂語(yǔ)動(dòng)詞。

He opened his mouth as if he was to speak.可以省略成He opened his mouth as if to speak.

He turned around as if he was searching for someone. 可以省略成He turned around as if searching for someone.

(5) 在非正式文本特別是美語(yǔ)中，也有用like替代as if的情況，不過like自身有接名詞表示兩者的比較，和替代as if 的情況是不同的。

A movie is not like a book. 而不能說A movie is not as/as if a book.

而She started kissing me as if we were in honeymoon.也可以說成She started kissing me like we were in honeymoon.

butchery,指殘殺。不僅僅是要?dú)⑺缹?duì)方，而且是折磨虐殺。

icicles,冰錐，指自然下垂凝結(jié)的，北方的房檐上經(jīng)?？梢钥吹健?/p>

聲明：本文系阿天授權(quán)滬江英語(yǔ)獨(dú)家發(fā)布，嚴(yán)禁轉(zhuǎn)載。中文翻譯選自重慶出版社屈暢的版本，講解為阿天原創(chuàng)作品。

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