WhileJohn Gilbert was in hospital, he asked his doctor to tell him whether hisoperation had been successful, butthe doctor refused to do so. The following day, the patient asked for a bedsidetelephone. When he was alone, he telephoned the hospital exchange and asked forDoctor Millington. When the doctor answered the phone, Mr. Gilbert said he wasinquiring about a certain patient, aMr. John Gilbert. He asked if Mr. Gilbert's operation had been successful andthe doctor told him that it had been. He then asked when Mr. Gilbert would be allowed to go home and thedoctor told him that he would haveto stay in hosptial for another two weeks. Then Dr. Millington asked the callerif he was a relative of the patient. 'No,' the patient answered, 'I am Mr. JohnGilbert.'
请教专家：
1）黑体字hadbeen 因为是be动词表示状况的动词，所以可以不需要had been, 直接用was就能了。对吗？这个问题一直没搞懂过，所以麻烦专家答疑解惑，谢谢！
2)a certain patient 和 a patient含义如何理解差别呢？感觉意思一样啊？ 2个would都是预测，不是主语的意志吧？
1 whether his operation had been successful中，successful的意思是ending in success. 指的是手术当时的状况，而不是患者此刻问话时的状况，所以这里不可以用was successful替换had been successful。
2 certain作前置定语，意为： used to refer to something or someone that is not named specifically 即出于某种缘由，不了解某人或某物的名字或名字或其名字或名字不便说出，用certain+复数名词或a certain + 单数名词。一般译为某个、某些。比如你了解你室友的女友在外面等他，你会说 A certain girl is waiting for you outside. （某个女生在外面等你呢。）
这里的二个would都是预测意义，也就是传统语法的过去以后时。