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楼主
LESSON LIII.
CONDITIONS CONTRARY TO FACT.
246. A "condition contrary to fact" indicates that the opposite of what
is mentioned has really taken place or is taking place. It expresses the
speaker's certainty that an act or state would have been realized, if
some other act or state were also realized. Such conditions cannot refer
to the future, but only to present or past time. The conditional mood is
used:
Se vi estus turninta vin, vi estus vidinta tion,
if you had turned, you would have seen that.
Se la malsekajho ne estus densighinta, ne estus pluvinte,
if the moisture had not condensed, it would not have rained.
Se li estus kaptita, li estus punita,
if he had been caught, he would have been punished.
Se li estus sidanta tie, mi vidus lin,
if he were (if he should be) sitting there, I should see him.
Se la gravitado ne ekzistus, tiu pluvo ne estus falanta,
if gravitation did not (should not) exist,
that rain would not be falling.
THE VERB "DEVI".
247. The verb "devi" (cf. "devo", duty) is equivalent to the verb "must"
(which in English has no future, past, infinitive, etc.), and to "to
have to", "to be obliged to", etc., carrying the idea of "must" into all
tenses and moods. In the conditional mood its meaning is softened into a
vaguer sense (of "moral" obligation), and carries the idea of "ought":
Objektoj en la aero devas fali, objects in the air have to fall.
Ni devis agi lau la leghoj, we had to act according to the laws.
Vi devos iri, you must (will have to) go.
Shi ne volas devi fari tion, she does not wish to have to do that.
Ili devigis min iri, they compelled me to go.
Vi devus iri, you should go (you ought to go).
Oni devus pensi antau ol paroli, one ought to think before speaking.
Li estus devinta veni, he ought to have come.
Tio devus esti farita, that ought to have been done.
CONDITIONS CONTRARY TO FACT.
246. A "condition contrary to fact" indicates that the opposite of what
is mentioned has really taken place or is taking place. It expresses the
speaker's certainty that an act or state would have been realized, if
some other act or state were also realized. Such conditions cannot refer
to the future, but only to present or past time. The conditional mood is
used:
Se vi estus turninta vin, vi estus vidinta tion,
if you had turned, you would have seen that.
Se la malsekajho ne estus densighinta, ne estus pluvinte,
if the moisture had not condensed, it would not have rained.
Se li estus kaptita, li estus punita,
if he had been caught, he would have been punished.
Se li estus sidanta tie, mi vidus lin,
if he were (if he should be) sitting there, I should see him.
Se la gravitado ne ekzistus, tiu pluvo ne estus falanta,
if gravitation did not (should not) exist,
that rain would not be falling.
THE VERB "DEVI".
247. The verb "devi" (cf. "devo", duty) is equivalent to the verb "must"
(which in English has no future, past, infinitive, etc.), and to "to
have to", "to be obliged to", etc., carrying the idea of "must" into all
tenses and moods. In the conditional mood its meaning is softened into a
vaguer sense (of "moral" obligation), and carries the idea of "ought":
Objektoj en la aero devas fali, objects in the air have to fall.
Ni devis agi lau la leghoj, we had to act according to the laws.
Vi devos iri, you must (will have to) go.
Shi ne volas devi fari tion, she does not wish to have to do that.
Ili devigis min iri, they compelled me to go.
Vi devus iri, you should go (you ought to go).
Oni devus pensi antau ol paroli, one ought to think before speaking.
Li estus devinta veni, he ought to have come.
Tio devus esti farita, that ought to have been done.
