兩題想請教英文文法規則

Question

The person who keeps the top spinning the longest ____.

空格為 wins
想請教這句中文翻譯，由於看不懂，所以也不曉得為何要填入 wins

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With your instructions, the job was not so difficult to finish as it ______

空格為 could have been
想請教這題的選項有沒有什麼文法規則可循的？
不然實在不曉得從何作答

Answer 1

第一題比較單純, 原句的結構是:
The person who keeps the top spinning the longest wins.
由關係代名詞who引導的形容詞子句, 用來修飾主詞person.
主要架構是:
The person wins.
那個人得勝.
但是如此語意表達不明確, 故以一個形容詞子句來說明主詞person的特性.
(讓陀螺轉最久的)那個人得勝.

第二題牽涉到假設語氣的問題.

首先說明假設語氣的基本原則:(if子句可以在句首, 亦或句末)
1. 講事實: 用現在式 現在式
If you do something bad, they put you in jail.
2. 講條件: 用現在式 未來式
If it rains, we will stay at home.
3. 講現在或未來不存在的狀況: 用過去式 過去式
If I were you, I would drive more carefully in the rain.
***對於永遠都不存在的狀況, 也可以用 were to V
If money were to grow on trees, all of us would be rich.
(=If money grew on trees, all of us would be rich.)
4. 講過去不存在的狀況: 用過去完成式 過去完成式
If I had had the money, I would have bought this Audi.
5. 混合型態: if子句與主要子句之時間不同

原句的含意是:
有了你的指導, (當時)要完成這件工作就不像它原來(可能呈現的)那麼困難了.
這是經過變型的假設句:
[前半段講事實]+as+[後半段講並未發生的狀況]
"提供指導"是一個事實, 所以後半段說的"它原來(可能呈現的)那麼困難"就是並未發生, 也就是"講過去不存在的狀況: 用過去完成式 過去完成式".
這句話原本的含意是:
The job could have been so difficult to finish if it had not been with your instructions.
如果沒有你的指導, (當時)要完成這件工作就很困難了.
把原句毫不縮水地寫出來的樣子是:
With your instructions, the job was not so difficult to finish as it could have been so difficult to finish if it had not been with your instructions.
後半段語意重複, 故一般從been之後的段落均予以省略.

Answer 2

The person who keeps the top spinning the longest wins.
其實可以看成 The person who keeps the top spinning the longest wins.
top在這裡是陀螺的意思. 中文翻譯是:能讓陀螺轉最久的人贏.

With your instructions, the job was not so difficult to finish as it could have been. 在後半段是假設語氣：（如果）沒有你的指令,會更難完成.
由the job was not so difficult 知道是過去式,也就知道是與過去事實相反,答案就成了could have been.