问
Holmes took the snake with the piece of rope, threw it into the open metal chest and shut it ... Holmes said to her, "You were supposed to die like that. No doctor would have noticed the tiny teeth marks of the snake on your skin."
上句为何使用 would have noticed?
答
上句中的 would have noticed 是表示与过去事实相反的虚拟式。在该句的前后虽然找不到虚拟条件从句(非真实条件从句)，但是它却暗含在上下文中。这是任何一个读者都能感觉出来的: If the snake had bitten you, no doctor would have noticed the tiny teeth marks of the snake on your skin. (如果你被蛇咬了的话，医生是不会注意到你皮肤上被蛇咬的细小的齿痕的。)下面是类似的实例：
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I would have bought it. (可能暗含: If I had had much money) 我本可以把它买下来的。
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I would have failed. (可能暗含: If I had made less efforts) 那样,我就会失败了。