He spoke so rapidly(that)we could hardly follow him.
他说得很快,我们很难听清楚他在说什么。
应当在此指出,有许多英语语法书都提到,so that 在引导结果状语从句时,是用陈述语气,在引导目的状语从句时,要用虚拟语气。例如:
She locked her child in the house when she went out so that it might not be able to go outside and get hurt;but a fire broke out and the door was locked so that the child burnt alive.
第一个so that引导的是目的状语从句,第二个so that引导的是结果状语从句。事实上,在现代英语中,有不少人在so that引导的目的状语从句中,是用陈述语气代替虚拟语气的(如本节中的第二个例句中。"wecan see"代替"we could see")。