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が、すぐに理解する。恐ろしきは天使の力。しかしそれくらいできるようでなければ、ウェストコットが手にする意味がない。

The guy called ウェストコット wanted to own the power of the 天使. How is the bold part different from just “できなければ”? I know ようだ can mean “as if” or “like” but I have a hard time fitting the meaning in the context.

chino alpha
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  • [This](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/questions/9345/omitting-%e3%82%88%e3%81%86%e3%81%a0-at-the-end-of-a-sentence) and [this](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/questions/67881/ambiguity-of-x%e3%81%ae%e3%82%88%e3%81%86%e3%81%a0) might help you understand ようだ – deeeeekun Apr 21 '21 at 09:33
  • Related?: https://japanese.stackexchange.com/questions/30194/how-to-use-%e3%81%aa%e3%81%8d%e3%82%83-correctly – kimi Tanaka Apr 21 '21 at 13:00

1 Answers1

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ようだ before a conditional expression can be just an euphemism. 明鏡国語辞典 has the following definition:

《「…ようなら」「…ようだったら」などの形で》仮定を婉曲に示す。「助けがいるようなら連絡してくれ」「この薬で治らないようだったら病院へ行く」

In the example above, 助けがいるようなら and 助けがいるなら are almost the same ("If you need help"), but the former sounds a little more reserved, as if the speaker thinks it's unlikely the listener will need help. This depends on the context but you usually do not have to use seem, appear or look to translate this type of よう.

naruto
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    I wonder if you are using 'euphemism' correctly here: https://www.dictionary.com/browse/euphemism ? If that definition matches your understanding could you say a little more about how to use よう in this way please? – user3856370 Apr 21 '21 at 17:10
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    @user3856370 The version with ような sounds more "indirect" to me, like *would* as in *I would say*. It may be like saying *in case* instead of *if*, but I may be wrong...The difference is not big. – naruto Apr 22 '21 at 00:09