虚拟语气为什么用were而不是had been？

【问】

1. He treated the boy as if he _____ (be) his son.
2. Tom talked about New York as if he _____ (be) there.

答案：1. were 2. had been

问题：虚拟语气中表达“过去”不是要用过去完成时吗？为什么1句用were而不是像2句那样用had been？

【答】

虽然两句的as if从句都是“过去”，区别在于：1句中be与treated是“同时”的，不是在treated之前“已完成”；2句中be在talked之前，即“已完成”。 

请比较：

1. He treated the boy as if he were his son.他对待那个孩子就像那个孩子是他儿子。
2. He treated the boy as if he had been his son.他对待那个孩子就像那个孩子曾当过他儿子。
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