were it not for
 【问】 Were it not for his wife's money，he'd never be director.请问，斜体部分是什么意思?
 【答】 Were it not for=If it were not for。这是非真实条件从句。它的意思是“如果没有”、“要不是由于”。在if条件从句中，如果含有were，should，had等动词，则可以通过主谓倒装的方法来取消连接词if，而变成无连词条件从句(见should，had)：
 在正式语体(尤其是科技英语)里，if it were not for可以写成无连词的形式：were it notfor(见conditional clause without a conjunction)：
 1. Were it not for your help，I would still be homeless.(PEG)
 要是没有你的帮助的话，我会仍然是无家可归的。
 2. They might live quite comfortably were it not for a quarrel with their nextdoor neighbour.
 他们如果没有和邻居吵架的话，可能会过得很舒服的。
 3. I don't know what I should do for relaxation，were it not for the innumerable detectivestories.
 如果没有那无数的侦探小说，我真不晓得要怎样消遣。
 如果要表示过去的非真实的条件，则使用if it had not been for：
 1. If it hadn't been for the rain，we would have had a good harvest. (LEG)
 要是没有下雨的话，我们就会获得大丰收了。
 2. If it had not been for the doctor's care.I should not be speaking to you now. (Doyle)
 要是当时没有医生的治疗，我现在就不能对你讲话了。
 3. If it had not been for Margaret，I might not have understood. (Snow)
 要是没有玛格丽特，我可能还没有弄明白。
 在正式语体里，if it had not been for可以写成无连词的形式：had it not been for
 1. Had it not been for the doctor’s care，I should not be speaking to you now.
 要是当时没有医生的治疗，我现在就不能和你说话了。
 2. Had it not been for the unusually bad weather，the rescue party would have been able tosave the stranded climber. (LEG)
 要不是有反常的坏天气，抢救小组是能救出那个陷入困境的登山者的。