請教曹老師：

“That is what Mr. Hilton Cubitt, of Riding Thorpe Manor, Norfolk, is very anxious to know.

This little conundrum came by the first post, and he was to follow by the next train.

There’s a ring at the bell, Watson. I should not be very much surprised if this were he.”

這正是希爾頓·丘比特先生急著想搞了解的問題，他住在諾福克郡賴丁索普莊園。

這個小謎團是今天首班郵車送來的，他本人籌備搭乘下一班火車前來。

門鈴響了，華生。來人若是他，我一點也不會感到吃驚。”

節選福爾摩斯《The Adventure of the Dancing Man》。



剖析這一句： I should not be very much surprised if this were he.

這里為何要用虛擬語氣should, were? 假如用陳述句

I SHALL not be very much surprised if this IS he. 意義有什么不同？

虛擬語氣反映了說話的人的心理想法，故事中，是福爾摩斯當時說的。

我就說想請教老師：

福爾摩斯說 I SHOULD not be very much surprised if this WERE he.

和假如福爾摩斯如此說：

I SHALL not be very much surprised if this IS he.

那樣，對于福爾摩斯，這二種說法，內心想法到底有什么不同？




福爾摩斯判斷Mr. Hilton Cubitt會來找他。但此人什么時間來，他不確定。所以他說： I should not be very much surprised if this were he. 字面的意思是（雖然來人是他的可能性不大，但）：假如來的人是他，我不會非常驚訝的。這其實等于在說：Ishall be very much surprised if this is nothe. 假如來的人不是他，我會很驚訝的。英國紳士說話繞彎子。