In my day, if I were to puton a pair of trousers like they do now, lightning would strike me.
这个句子中。前边的 In my day明明是一个过去时间。为何后边用以后时的虚拟语气呢?是否应该用与过去事实相反的虚拟语气呢?
in my day = when I was young. 这个状语表示说话人的视角是过去,听话人的注意力也被引导到过去,这是句子状语修饰整个句子。然后从这个视角出发,假设一个与以后事实相反的条件,并由此推理出一个以后结果,if 从句和结果主句仍然分别用were to do 和 would do。所以句子是没问题的。
又如下面的故事中的虚拟语气:
He didn't do his homework. He decided to play truant. If he were to go to school and fail to hand in his homework, he would surely be punished by the teacher.
你读这段故事的时候,会不会质疑故事中的事情发生在过去,虚拟语气为何用表示与以后事实相反的动词形式呢。其实这是由于说话人的视点并非目前,而是在故事中的那一天。虚拟条件对于这个视点而言,仍然是以后时间。