Grammar question

[leranner11]

"あと数か月もすれば、この南アルプスの地にも春が訪れ桜が咲く。けれどカブに乗る私たちにとって春はまだ手を伸ばしても届かず、目を凝らしても見えないほど遠かった"

"目を凝らしても見えないほど遠かった"に、何で 遠かった 使った？ これは将来のことを語るだから、 文化的には 遠い を使うはずだと思っています。

私は何か間違ったのか

 

[Majestic]

文化的には 遠い を使うはず

You probably mean 文法的には？

Use of the past tense here is fine and correct. Its just past conditional (or I see it sometimes referred to as "third conditional").
We have something similar in English: Even if we strained to see it, we could not have seen it.
Source: https://hinative.com/questions/4387314

Missing Toritoribe, who is bloody brilliant at answering Japanese grammar questions.

 

[Grandpa Frank]

Missing Toritoribe, who is bloody brilliant at answering Japanese grammar questions.

I always hope he making himself rich in the AC business when he's not on JREF. He is the JREF version of a translation God to me. When I don't see him posting , I always worry somethings wrong.

 

[Majestic]

Same...I think he must be working and getting rich from his day job.
I hope its the case.

 

[Grandpa Frank]

I should mention he's just one of the many super helpful members here that are so knowledgeable on everything to do with Japan. We are very lucky on JREF that we can help so many people who come here looking for answers and almost always getting the info they request.

All of you !

 

[leranner11]

You probably mean 文法的には？

Use of the past tense here is fine and correct. Its just past conditional (or I see it sometimes referred to as "third conditional").
We have something similar in English: Even if we strained to see it, we could not have seen it.
Source: https://hinative.com/questions/4387314

Missing Toritoribe, who is bloody brilliant at answering Japanese grammar questions.

Thank you so much.
But im just still a little confused.
Is this past conditional(遠かった) used to express a situation just like subjunctive ?

 

[Majestic]

Yes, it is used to express a hypothetical outcome of a hypothetical situation.

 

[Toritoribe]

"あと数か月もすれば、この南アルプスの地にも春が訪れ桜が咲く。けれどカブに乗る私たちにとって春はまだ手を伸ばしても届かず、目を凝らしても見えないほど遠かった"

"目を凝らしても見えないほど遠かった"に、何で 遠かった 使った？ これは将来のことを語るだから、 文化的には 遠い を使うはずだと思っています。

私は何か間違ったのか

It seems to me that it expresses a past event, and 咲く is the historical present in the narrative part of a novel.

 

[Grandpa Frank]

Missed you Toritoribe !!

 

[Toritoribe]

Thank you! Yes, I was very busy in this extremely hot summer.