...Whenit started again, Blake put on his coat and reached for hisraincoat.
"Whereare you going ?" She said.
"I'mgoing to the next car."
"...Don'tmove or I'll kill you..."
Blakesat back abruptly in his seat.
Ifhe had wanted to stand and shout for help, he would not have been able to. Histongue had swelled to twice its size, and when tried to move it, it stuck
horriblyto the roof of his mouth. His legs were limp.
-JohnCheever: The Five-Forty-Eight
章振邦新编高级英语语法195-196页说:
这里的Ifhe had wanted to stand and shout for help, he would not have been able to.是表示目前时间的“非真实”。
表示目前时间，为何可以用If had done...would have done这种形式呢？
我不可以理解，既然是表示目前时间，为何不说成：If he wanted to stand and shout for help, hewould not be able to.呢？
作者在讲故事，整个场景都是过去发生的事，用的是一般过去时表示过去。此时用虚拟语气都是与过去事实相反，如何能说是与目前事实相反呢。假如if从句和主句分别用did和would do,则不是虚拟语气，而是陈述语气表示真实条件了。你的理解是不对的。
