英语小达人 214 What If...

 　　What If...

　　如果……怎么样

　　Tom is applying for a job as a signalman for the local railroad.

　　汤姆在应聘做地方铁路系统的信号员。

　　The inspector¹ decides to give Tom a quiz, asking, "What would you do if you realized that two trains were heading towards each other on the same track?"

　　督察决定考考他，于是问道，“如果你意识到两列火车正在同一条轨道上面对面行驶，你会怎么做？”

　　Tom says, "I would switch one train to another track."

　　汤姆答：“我会把其中的一列转到另一条轨道。”

　　"What if the lever² broke?" asks the inspector.

　　“如果控制杆不起作用了呢？”督察接着问道。

　　"I'd run down to the tracks and use my manual lever," answers Tom.

　　汤姆答：“我会跑到轨道边用手动控制杆搬动道岔。”

　　"What if that had been struck by lightning?" challenges the inspector.

　　“如果手动控制杆遭雷击坏了呢？”督察继续考验他。

　　"Then," Tom continues, "I'd run back up here and use the phone to call the next signal box."

　　“那么，”汤姆接着说，“我会跑回来打电话通知下一个信号房。”

　　"What if the phone was busy?"

　　“如果电话占线怎么办？”

　　"In that case," Tom argues, "I'd run to the street level and use the public phone near the station."

　　“那样的话，”汤姆争辩道，“我会跑到街上打车站旁边的公用电话。”

　　"What if that had been vandalized?"

　　“如果那里的电话坏了呢？”

　　"Oh, well," says Tom, "in that case I'd run back home and get my grandpa."

　　“这样啊，”汤姆说，“如果是这样我就会跑回家把我爷爷叫来。”

　　This puzzles the inspector, so he asks, "Why would you do that?"

　　这下督察不明白了，问道：“你为什么要这么做？”

　　"Because he's 78 years of age but he has never seen a train crash!"

　　“因为我爷爷78岁了，可还没见过火车相撞呢！”

　　重点讲解：

　　1. what if

　　（用于疑问句句首，尤用于询问不希望看到的事发生时的结果）如果…怎么办

　　eg. What if this doesn't work out?

　　如果这个不行怎么办？

　　eg. What if he was going to die!

　　如果他快要死了该怎么办？

　　eg. What if relations between you and your neighbour have reached deadlock³, and their behaviour is still unacceptable?

　　如果你和你的邻居已闹僵了，而他们的行为还是令人难以接受，那怎么办？

　　2. in that case

　　那样的话；在那种情况下，意同in which case；

　　eg. In that case you'll have to clear yourself.

　　那样，你只得自行辩白了。

　　hat case it may interest you to know that Miss Woods witnessed it.

　　你也许对这起袭击还有些怀疑。那么如果我告诉你伍兹小姐亲眼目睹了这起事件，你可能会感兴趣。

　　Members are concerned that a merger⁴ might mean higher costs, in which case they would oppose it.

　　成员们担心合并会导致成本提高，若是那样的话，他们将提出反对。

1 inspector   

n.检查员，监察员，视察员

参考例句：

• The inspector was interested in everything pertaining to the school.视察员对有关学校的一切都感兴趣。
• The inspector was shining a flashlight onto the tickets.查票员打着手电筒查看车票。

2 lever   

n.杠（杆），途径，工具，手段；vt.撬动（起）

参考例句：

• He is repairing the brake lever of an automobile.他正在修理汽车的刹车杆。
• Pity is a lever for quickening love.怜悯是加速爱情的手段。

3 deadlock   

n.僵局，僵持

参考例句：

• The negotiations reached a deadlock after two hours.两小时后，谈判陷入了僵局。
• The employers and strikers are at a deadlock over the wage.雇主和罢工者在工资问题上相持不下。

4 merger   

n.企业合并，并吞

参考例句：

• Acceptance of the offer is the first step to a merger.对这项提议的赞同是合并的第一步。
• Shareholders will be voting on the merger of the companies.股东们将投票表决公司合并问题。